Report from BHW Zambia Partnership Facilitator Following Visit March 2026

Key Person: Sarah Nyirenda

We went to visit Sarah at the house and farm plot outside of Kabwe. Last year, 2025, we weren’t able to visit them because of sickness in the house, so it was great to see them again. A few of the children were around to meet, and the other four ladies who are helping Sarah run the place.

Recent Events

Context

They are still receiving some children through social services which continues to increase their number. One big issue that is just so evil is that witch doctors are telling villagers that the way to become wealthy is to abuse their own children. It is so sad that this sort of stuff is easily believed and is really hurting so many children. Sarah has been attacking this with local police, trying to educate the communities. They have received about three children recently who have come from these issues. Thankfully they are making progress, and the villagers are starting to report witch doctors when this happens.

They have had a good rain season for the first time in three years. 

Children

They have three students at university, four at higher education, six at a deaf boarding school, 45 in primary school and 22 in secondary school: a total of 80 vulnerable children being cared for.

Currently 52 of these children are living at the farmhouse. The rest are away at study or living at the town house.

The vibe in the house is beautiful. The children are happy, looking after and caring for each other, and the love there is just so obvious as we visit. 

The three at university are doing well. It is a strain on the education finances costing about 43,000ZMW (US$2,100) for each student per year but Sarah thinks this is worth it. They are doing law, engineering and clinical medicine.

Martin, who was a vulnerable child from the beginning of the programme, is now a secondary teacher for deaf children in Serenge southern province, is married and has two children. He has managed to get involved in a group translating the bible in sign language and has even been to the USA to help. “Only God knows how this has happened to this dear little boy” says Sarah. 

Farming and Trainings

The crops in the 2024-2025 year were much better than the drought year of 2023-2024. In fact, one issue was the amount of rain they received late in the season which meant some of the mature maize that was meant to be drying rotted.

Edwin Chama from GLO came to train people in Foundations for Farming in July 2024, training 39 farmers from the community that surrounds the Ukusenaminwa farm and home. The community very much enjoyed the training and are “crying for more”. Sarah has four other groups that are requesting this training from areas in the community.

They have three empowerment groups (of 6, 9 and 5 people) who were given some funds to purchase farm inputs. These three groups are doing very well, and this is why when others see the farms, they want the training.

This season, 2025-2026 Sarah has planted 5 limas (1.25ha) of land at her nearby family farm where the soil is better and less prone to water logging. They used 20,000ZMW (US$1,040) of the maize trading fund to do this, in the hope it will be a lower cost than just buying maize. The crops are looking great, and a wild guess would be around 100 bags of maize. This would mean a cost of around 200ZMW per bag verses buying at 350ZMW from local farmers. Sarah will tell us the yield when they harvest in June.

Maize Trading and Food Security

In June 2024 Bright Hope World sent an additional amount of US$1,550 to help purchase some maize to ensure they could provide for all the feeding requirements for the household during the bad drought and also store some maize for trading as an income generation activity. BHW also brought forward a December budgeted amount of $2,400 to June so this could be used to buy maize early when it is a bit cheaper. They had capital of $750 remaining from the maize trading from the previous season that they added to this amount.

The original amount of capital for maize trading sent in June 2024 was 37,000ZMW (US$1,550). In that drought season they did use a lot of the capital to survive in the house, but since that has been topped up they have carefully kept the capital balance and it has grown to 43,390ZMW (US$2,255) currently.

Sarah is very thankful for this programme as it is helping with the costs a lot and is a way for the whole household to be involved to create income. The children and some local community all help out in the fields to complete the work which is “really great and teaches them to be looking after themselves”.

They also have a working maize grinding mill which really helps to provide food from their farming. They have another portion of around 2 lima that is for household consumption. The mill helps to process this maize and creates income from milling others' maize. An off shoot is the maize bran that they can use for feeding pigs and chickens.

Last year this grinding mill was making an income of 3,900ZMW (US$202) per month. There are some costs to come off but a profit is definitely there Sarah says.

Other Income Generation

Pigs: This programme continues and they are finding it very helpful. Since it started in 2023 when a capital of US$3,587 (around 64,000ZMW) was given they have sold 40 piglets and three sows, with a profit made of 44,000ZMW (US$2,300).

They have had some challenges on the way with six deaths, but they are happy that the programme is profitable. The feed cost is very low due to making their own feed with the maize bran from the grinding mill being added to soyabean cake and sunflower cake from processors in town.

They currently have another nine piglets that are two months old. The three sows are out visiting the neighbour's boars and will return pregnant very soon.

Chickens: They have a new batch of 250-day-old broilers coming in a weeks’ time. The last batch they did was in September before the rain season, as it is very difficult to keep chickens in the rain season.

They had 350 birds in the last batch that matured in 6 to 7 weeks and gave profit that was used in the household ministry. They have used some funds to help complete a new chicken run, which they hope will mean they can increase this programme during the dry season.

Community Transformation

Sarah is still using her influence to go and train communities about looking after children, and pushing against some of the traditions as shared above that are having a very negative impact against the children of Zambia. Often this is in conjunction with the police or the social services.

They continue to run sports programmes for the community and have ladies’ groups who meet up to make some crafts or learn new skills, while sharing life and encouraging each other.

Personal Stories

Kondwani Mwamba

This happy little girl has been with Sarah for three years now. She used to stay with her very young mum and grandmother, but they didn’t know what to do with her so just locked her in a room and left her each day. They think she had cerebral malaria which has affected her sight.

She struggles with the blindness and is just able to see some shadows. She was also unable to walk, but with help from the funds from maize trading they managed to get her surgery so she can now walk with a limp. The last surgery that they managed to do was a great success as she is now able to walk without falling and jump around. She still also has a problem with one hand that is paralyzed and very weak.

Sarah says that Kondwani is the happiest child they have. She runs around with very big smiles.

Richard

Richard became known to Sarah via social welfare. When he was very young, they found him abandoned on the street, so took him in. That was 12 years ago. They found Richard to be highly intelligent, and he performed very well at school.

His desire is to become a lawyer and eventually be involved in making the laws of the country, especially to make laws that will protect the Zambian children.

The photos show Richard over the years that he has spent at Ukusenaminwa. He is currently in his second year of law school, having completed the first year with a B average. 

Innocent

Sarah sent this message regarding this boy on the 18th of June:

Dear friends and family,

We have a situation and kindly ask for your urgent help locating the family to this young boy. He is deaf and doesn’t know sign language which makes it hard for us to communicate with him and to get information from him. 

So far what I know is he was abandoned at ShopRite Kabwe 2-3 days ago by two men and was later assisted by the police by allowing him to spend a night at the station. The next morning, they took him to the Broadway school deaf section were the teacher Mr Mukuka called me and explained the situation. 

Later in the evening I went and picked the boy up at the central police station and the boy is in our temporary care but it’s so important that we know his name, his age, where he has come and who his people are.

Please help thank you.

Then on the 24th of June she sent this message:

The family of our new deaf boy has been found! His name is Innocent. You just got to love the way God does it for His own. We went from a sad face to a very happy face in just a few days. I’m just grateful thank you Jesus.

Partnership's Influence within the Community

The community is still very thankful for all the work that Sarah and the volunteers do, looking after these vulnerable ones. The fact is that every time there is a case that no one knows what to do with, they contact Sarah and they are able to help.

People are very thankful for the farming trainings, and the requests are multiplying for the trainings. 

Current Issues and Challenges

There is a huge amount of work required for compliance with government NGO regulations. Every child needs a file that is worked through each year, and the government sends auditors yearly to check up on conditions. Currently they are pushing that the whole property needs to have a wall fence. This would be a massive cost.

Ideas for the Future

We are waiting for a proposal regarding the extension of the farming trainings, and how that will be followed up. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) Praise for Sarah's health being stable
2) Pray for the programmes in the community to stop the evil happening with the witch doctors

Comments
It was just great to see Sarah and all these happy positive children.

We will keep the budget the same here.