In the last couple of years, we – and the church leaders at St. Paul’s – have concentrated on providing a start in life for ten vulnerable young children, by setting them up with the uniforms, books and fees for Primary Schools which they would otherwise have been unable to attend. Gradually, those children (whom we call our ‘Bursars’) will, if successful, reach secondary school age, when their fees will increase. We feel committed to meeting such fees so that each child may meet its full potential.

It is important that it is appreciated that everything to which we have referred above has been achieved without any contribution from the General  Funds of our church. Indeed, it was only with the proviso that the Partnership would not call upon such Funds that the project was given approval, all those years ago. The activities of the Partnership (which was never envisaged as a scheme simply to raise and distribute money where it might be needed) have, however, been far from cost free. That the necessary funds have been found has been due to members of our own Support Group making visits to Kalomo at their own expense, to their willingness to act (with other volunteers) as the hosts for Zambian visitors, organising the Sunday bookstall, fund-raising concerts, sales and auctions and to the spontaneous generosity of individual members of our congregation and readers of the Loop who have read our reports and quietly made personal contribution to the Partnership funds.

In the last few months, the news from Zambia of widespread hunger has been most disturbing. This has been due to the fact that last year’s harvest was dreadfully poor, as a result of lack of rain. While better rainfall for the present year is hoped and prayed for, many people are currently hungry, with our Partners commenting on the fact that schoolchildren with hungry tummies do not learn well.

Updating. Following further communication with our Kalomo partners who confirmed that many people have been going hungry, voluntary contributions from members of our congregation enabled the transfer to the bank account of St. Paul’s Church in Kalomo of over £800 in the first place, with a second sum of £500 following later. This money is being used by the church to purchase basic foodstuffs for those in need. The first distributions were made at the time of Sunday service. Sadly, we learn that the problems of the community have increased with confirmation of the arrival in Zambia of the coronavirus.

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