Chankosa Project Report
This rural community was bought to the attention of Pastor Sydney from Victory Church, Kabwe earlier this year. While in town he spotted a mother with a newborn infant riding into town with a bunch of bananas to sell. Buying the bunch so that she could return home quickly he made enquiries as to why this mother, with such a young infant, had cycled the 20 klm to make a sale and not the men folk of her family. Chankosa community was characterised by illiteracy and high levels of alcohol consumption and many commented that the men were ‘lazy’ and often too drunk to function.
Chankosa community had a run-down clinic (awaiting a 30 year old government promise), situated 15 klm from nearest school or hospital as well as 70 *OVC’s locally. However a small group within the community were eager for a better future for their youth and health services for their community.
This project has truly been a demonstration of Romans 12: 4-7. For as in one body there are many parts each with a different function or use. So, numerous are we, are one body in Christ. Each of us having gifts that differ according to God’s grace, are called to use our gifts (blessings) to function together as one body in Christ.
TTN and its Australian based church and individual supporters, together with Victory Church raised funds for the Chankosa project. TTN partners, Operation Lift, assisted in the equipping of this project with contents within 2012 container shipments. Chankosa elders have utilised community resources to refurbish the existing clinic, new construction of a 2 room birthing clinic and a one room school.
As the project progressed during September TTN mission team members and Operation Lift team members from Australia assisted with the physical construction. People from the community have been encouraged by the transformation of their community by ‘outside’ assistance and have joined the project also. This community has been blessed by willing and skilled workers. Local men and women have joined together to make mud bricks, mix cement, lay foundations, paint walls and dig up gravel with nothing but bare hands. This community is blessed with skilled members: Bruce, a former headmaster, will be the key teacher, his wife Gladys and another woman are trained birthing nurses.
1st October was selected by the Chankosa community to open the school. Previous donations of school uniforms, notebooks and bags were pre-delivered ready for distribution to the expected 40 – 50 children on Monday morning.
Driving to Chankosa we were unsure of 1st day attendance not knowing how far across the community that news of a school being opened had travelled. Upon our arrival to Chankosa there was a sea of green (uniforms) and many happy, smiling faces and just like the 1st day of school anywhere else there were a few tears also.
Chankosa School opened with 145 students! Many had arrived and were now dressed in their uniforms ready and willing for learning. Bruce and Chris officially opened the school by reinforcing that we serve a God who loves us and sharing the vision of transformation towards a brighter future for the Chankosa community.
We gathered the children into the school room to welcome them, distribute school bags and notebooks, practiced the alphabet. Concluding in prayer and declaring that the Chankosa children will grow to become future government leaders, teachers, doctors, accountants, lawyers, farmers and business people.
Evidence of the transformation within this community was evident before the school opened. Women have volunteered to help with school, be caregivers in the clinic and birthing clinic. Kabwe Chapel Hospital ministry team and government health services have already held a health clinic conducting eye testing, HIV testing, malaria testing measles immunisations and diabetes.
Men assisted in construction with laying foundations, brick making, brick laying and are now finishing the building projects by preparing the walls and floors for painting. Within the next 2 weeks the buildings will be roughcast with cement on the outside to protect the mud bricks against the rains of the wet season. Doors will then be fitted and hospital beds installed. Next on the agenda is the construction of a toilet block.
Thank you, to all who financially and physically supported the Chankosa project. Heart felt gratitude, appreciation and thanks is extended to the volunteers who pack containers and share the good work of TTN Ministries and its partners with friends and neighbours. It has been an honour to be here to see the good work of your hands, the joy of the Chankosa community was visible within every smile and tangible in the air of excitement as they all gathered around ready to go ‘to school’.
Though we are numerous and positioned upon different parts of the globe we have functioned as one body in
Christ to bring God’s love to a local community. Romans 12:11 “Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavour; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.”
Praise God for the wonderful work of His Hands
Josephine
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