ICS/Child Care Plus | Education Initiative | Zambia

Frederick and Abraham are brothers who are cared for by their grandmother. They live by Lubinga Primary School and have never attended school.

What: Partnership to provide 125 orphaned children with education

Where: Seven schools in the North-Western Province of Zambia

When: Launched January 2023

How: Through your funding support, and in partnership with World Outreach Team Action Ministries (WOTA)

We are targeting orphan children currently not enrolled in school as they reside in some of the most vulnerable households in the province. These children in need are difficult to reach as this Zambian Province is the most rural in Zambia.

You may send support for this Mission Project to Global Orphan Relief, 16352 Prairie Farm Circle, Parker, CO 80134 or you may give also give electronically at Education Initiative or give on this website at the upper righthand corner under ‘Donate’ and select Education Initiative under the Fund designation.

Background

We were onsite in Zambia in October 2022 and the need to help enroll orphan children in school was plain to see wherever we went. We are called to care for orphans and widows in need, and the scripture refers to this as “Pure Religion”.

In an effort to empower orphan children to receive an education and break the cycle of poverty, we have partnered with WOTA to provide a level of care that will make education a possible option for disadvantaged households where most of these orphan children reside. It is estimated that there are 35,000 school age orphan children in the North-Western Province of Zambia, with as many as 15,000 of these children not in school due to a lack of resources.

We look forward to working with WOTA, and to potentially scaling this effort to impact thousands of orphan children throughout the province.

ICS / Child Care Plus

Education: ICS (Ignite Christian Services) employs a two-pronged approach to reach both teachers and learners. They do this through helping each to learn their God-given talents, gifts and to apply these to self-identified initiatives, capacity building and education upskilling. All of this is done with a goal of glorifying God through a world view that honors Him through service to others. This curriculum is delivered each week during a half-day session with teachers and learners.

Care: The Care component of the project includes assisting with school enrollment, providing a uniform and shoes, a backpack, and school supplies, along with a food ration for them to return home with. This aid decreases anxiety in the distressed households that care for these children by stretching resources for the entire family.

Geography

The North-Western Province is the fastest-growing region of Zambia, primarily due to increased mining activity in the province, and is also the most sparsely populated province in the country.

The literacy rate is 63% versus a national average of 70%, with this rate being even lower in more rural areas of the province.

In this area of Zambia, the rains are more consistent making agriculture a major driver of economic activity in the province as well.

Project Costs & Approach

Much of the investment in this mission project is front-loaded in the first quarter of the year. To serve 125 children beginning in January 2024, the cost of this project is $21,499.

To assist the local community and to create a level of funding sustainability, we are also working to establish a farm in the local community as part of this project. Fifty percent (50%) of our profits from the farm will be used to fund the ICS/Child Care Plus project, with the remainder being invested back into the farm to grow future proceeds. In cooperation with WOTA we have access to 250 acres in which to grow this aspect of our partnership.

Please prayerfully consider how you might support this mission project.