Help train Zambian children and young people

Sadly today we need to record the passing of Patrick Changufu, Chair of the board of Kaliyangile Vocational Training Centre (‘Kali’), due to Covid and its complications. He was only 59 years old.

Persis Musonda the Kali manager writes:

“A man of few words, ‘humble’ and ‘generous’ best describe Patrick’s human nature. Born into a well-known and respected family, after attending college in the UK he settled back in Chisamba, to manage his father’s farm estate.

His passion to help the needy moved him into various charitable projects leading to the creation of Kali in 2004 on his farm land.  Until his untimely death on 4th July, Patrick had served on the board for the Kali Project for many years, and as Chair since 2016. It was his wish that the project continues helping the needy in the community after his passing, and his surviving relatives have confirmed their desire and intention to honour this.

He may be gone, but his desires and passion to help the vulnerable and needy live on within our memories!”

May his soul rest in peace.

Training has been suspended for some time now (since May 2020) due to the pandemic but the project has had a positive impact on the local community despite this. The centre has continued operations and is still helping disadvantaged children and young people in other ways. 

For example, members of the knitting club (pictured above) have utilized the opportunity to meet in order to study and prepare for their examinations. This helps them revise as they are unable to attend full classes due to the pandemic.

Ezekiel (pictured below) recently joined Kali to acquire skills in agriculture. He completed grade 12 at Chisamba Secondary last year but his parents cannot afford to pay for his college fees. As a result, he has opted to work for Kaliyangile as a poultry man in order to raise college fees and support his parents to pay school fees for his siblings. 

As we prepare to resume training in the near future, we hope to empower many more with skills for sustainability!

It has not been easy to live in these strange times of the pandemic. Families globally have been affected but the situation in some communities, including ours, is dire...

Poverty levels have increased as many have lost out on a source of income to provide decent meals and clothing.

On a brighter note though, it is encouraging that despite these challenging and difficult times, we through HATW support have been able to put a smile on the faces of some families who are benefitting from the food distribution programme and the clothing.                      

To young mothers, all hope seems lost as to how they will care and look after their families, but with a bag of mealie-meal and some warm clothing from your donations, it is a remarkable difference that ignites new hope!

We are eager and hopeful to resume training in the new workshop next year so these young people can be empowered with skills and be able to fend for themselves and sustain their families.

Indeed ‘We cannot help everyone but Everyone can help someone’ and together we can pull through this pandemic!

Many thanks to you for the support you continue offering!!!                                                                                                          

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit us all in a terrible way! Although the number of cases in Zambia fortunately is still quite small, it is growing and people are afraid.

Schools, colleges, vocational training centres like ours and all other institutions of learning are closed down except for those in examination classes. It’s sad for our students because being in school has lifted their spirits and given them joy amidst the many challenges at home. 

Your HATW team has been very supportive and so our new workshop is now standing and almost ready for use.

For many families, providing food has become a major challenge. But with your help and support, some are able to put a meal on the table.

The future is indeed assured by your charitable acts.

MANY THANKS!

These are very difficult times in Zambia. Following the devastating drought and almost non-existent harvest in 2019, there is still a serious water shortage; as the country mostly relies on hydro-electricity for its power, rationing is reducing this to just 2 or 3 hours in 24! Over Christmas it was hot and humid but the onset of the rainy season was delayed. Everyone was feeling down and greatly in in need of a psychological boost. And then, just after the New Year, the weather suddenly and ferociously changed with tremendously stormy winds and spectacularly heavy rainfall!

In early January, 3 ladies from the UK volunteered with HATW at Kaliyangile for a month.

Persis the centre manager cheerfully comments:

"It was a great start to 2020 for Kali. We welcomed our volunteers Annie, Lone and Margaret. Everyone was excited and looked forward to an interactive and educative moment with the students and the community. Happy, smiling, walking the long distance. The volunteers’ passion to share their skills despite the challenging language barrier, different living styles, hot and stormy rains was just admirable. A wonderful experience for Kali.

And now also, our long-lasting dream has started to mature into reality as works slowly but steadily have begun on the workshop...

Many thanks & God's blessings to our overseas partners"

Margaret writes:

"The Kali project is set in the quiet rural area of Chisamba, about two hours from the bustling city of Lusaka. The local village was a hot twenty minute walk, over a railway line, and through maize fields which led to wide dusty road. During my stay I worked with local students, sewing, knitting, crocheting and helping with computer skills. On Saturdays about 16 young girls (aged 3-16) came to the project. They had fun joining in a drawing game, making pompoms and necklaces.

The way of life here is difficult. Average families with 5-6 children struggle.  Inspite of this the people always had a smile and a kind word."

Annie adds:

"Early February saw us return home from our four-week visit. It was an awe-inspiring trip: the locals are challenged on a daily basis, the main one during our stay being the intermittent and limited electricity supply - this affected everything from utilising the incubator for the chickens and running the milling machine to powering the computers in class - all of which can impact on the income for the centre. Tough times indeed but there are exciting developments ahead - building of the new workshop classrooms has begun, which will offer additional opportunities in carpentry and possibly metalworking. 

Life-changing’ can sometimes be a glib phrase but the way the community responds to children in need, taking responsibility for those unrelated to themselves, and the way the children accept and look out for each other, are lessons that will stay with me. They deserve any help and support we can give."

And now in the UK we are in lockdown due to the coronavirus. In Zambia too. There they have had a small number of cases so far, but there is great apprehension. High rates of Malaria, HIV and TB in the community make them vulnerable and poverty makes everything more difficult.

The Kaliyangile centre is making a difference and needs to continue to develop and help support more young people. Thank you for your help in the past - please help us to continue to encourage and support the team there in their endeavours.

Every little helps. If you think you are too small to make a difference, you have never been in bed with a mosquito!