Namumu Orphanage Center - May 2014 Update
Siavonga, Zambia
Dear Partners and Friends of Namumu Children,
Greetings from The Outreach Foundation. A group from Outreach including the Rev. Anne Hilborn, Charlotte, N.C. and Ebralie Mwizerwa, Projects Coordinator for The Outreach Foundation, recently traveled to Siavonga to assess Namumu Orphanage Center (NOC). Several partners from the U.S. have expressed concerns for the state of the buildings at Namumu and also for the care the children are receiving. We would like to bring you an update on how things are at Namumu as partners in this noble task of caring for the least of these in Jesus’ name.
We arrived at Namumu on February 25 and met Director Phanuel L. Simamba, Zenzo Sidembo (finance and administration) and Kebby Malako (caregiver). We appreciated their warm welcome. We unpacked the truck, which had to return to Lusaka, and we were particularly impressed by the collaboration of these men on staff at Namumu. Simamba gave a presentation and talked about how Zenzo and Kebby share the director’s responsibilities with him. We were impressed to hear the report detailing local contributions and community involvement, both of which have increased tremendously.
Population at Namumu
When we arrived in February, Namumu had 27 girls and 32 boys for a total of 59 children. There are more young children in residence now than there were previously. This makes it even more important for us to focus on and build a strong relationship with the Namumu Primary School, although it is now a government school. The Outreach Foundation recommends that Namumu maintain the relationship by continuing to support the school, which makes it easier to negotiate a better deal there for Namumu children in the future. Right now, Namumu is paying for two non-trained teachers to cover some lower grades until the end of this year, when they will be replaced. School officials shared their hope for a continuation of the relationship through a direct contribution from The Outreach Foundation.
Education in General
As mentioned above, there are now many young, primary level children at Namumu. Most of them came to Namumu through the Social Welfare Department and are from very poor families. There are also some Namumu children attending secondary schools in the area (Mubuyu Christian Academy, Siavonga High School). Three of them recently took their final exams. Two of them did very well and passed – Sylvia Syanjoka and Malachi Habasimbi, who wants to be a minister and has been accepted into Justo Mwale Theological University College. The only female Namumu student at Mubuyu Christian Academy will graduate this year. She is very intelligent and capable and now serves as prefect for her grade. Only one of the ninth grade students who took the exam to move on to tenth grade passed – Sarah Jalincha. She is now attending Siavonga High School, a very modern, high quality school. The rest of the ninth graders were awarded certificates and offered an opportunity with a program called ODL (Open Distant Learning). Held at Siavonga High School, ODL is taught by qualified teachers and takes place in the afternoon. One of Namumu’s former employees, a cook named Mr. Chilanda, now works at Siavonga High School. The Namumu children enjoy seeing him around, and he continues to play the role of an uncle to them.
One of Namumu’s children, Christopher Kasanda (on the right in this picture with Villarso Mafuta, left), is a very intelligent young man who dreams of becoming a doctor. He has received academic awards almost every year, and he is now a senior. Simamba has requested that Christopher and the other seniors be given a chance to board so they can benefit from a quiet learning environment and the help offered by the school administration. We met with the school officials, and they agreed to accommodate these talented young men by offering them a boarding space. The school requested that we help them acquire books for the library – reading books but most importantly, Bibles. Rev. Anne Hilborn agreed to talk to the Bible Society and tag on to the next shipment from Stop Hunger Now to send the Bibles. Having a good relationship/partnership with the school administration will open more doors for Namumu children. We are exploring ways to channel educational needs for children in high school directly to the school including offering lunches to those who are not boarders but may be participants in the ODL program.
These and many other stories from Namumu Orphanage Center are the reasons we call upon both individuals and congregations in the U.S. to continue their support for food and educational needs for these children. We cannot turn our back on them. We hope you are keeping Namumu in your prayers.
We look forward to our continued partnership,
Ebralie Mwizerwa, The Outreach Foundation’s Projects Coordinator
Amount needed in 2014
The Outreach Foundation seeks to raise at least $5,000 per month for for the operation of Namumu Orphanage and $2,000 for skills training programs.. To make a donation, click the Donate Now link in the sidebar.
The Outreach Foundation now offers the option of receiving missionary/project updates, newsletters, and receipts by e-mail. If you would like to sign up to start receiving these communications electronically, please send your name and e-mail address, along with that request, to info@theoutreachfoundation.org, or call us at (615) 778-8881.