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“Next year we must remember to cater for five hundred!” Lucy confirmed that neighbours from local villages had indeed arrived at the farewell party this evening. The food was delicious: chicken, beef, rice, beans, vegetables.

The day began with celebration, too, and an outbreak of thanksgiving. After a song from the new “Home of Hope Choir” under Debbie’s direction, in the morning devotional we looked at Philippians 4:4-8 (in St. Paul’s letter from prison, a passage encouraging abandonment of anxiety and adoption of prayer with thanksgiving). Many people came forward with expressions of thanks for the Home they have found here, including a young man about to go to university - amazed to be taking with him laptop, phone, suitcase - and mothers once in despair at how to raise children alone after separation from a spouse by death or divorce, then offered the wonderful work of caring for other children at the Home in addition to their own. Real. Deeply moving.

Ruth and I then met with Lucy and Linda, first of all to reconcile accounts on all the project work - all good there! - then to follow up on the Home of Hope/Malawi Orphan Fund business meeting earlier in the week. Among the top three priorities identified on Monday was university support. We agreed the principles underpinning the support of Home of Hope students now in higher education. And we imagined a sponsorship scheme along the lines of Malawi Orphan Fund's existing Child Sponsorship, but aimed at the needs of students a uni, and in time extending to Vocational Training Centre students.

Regarding earlier stages of education at Home of Hope - more and more paint applied at the Primary School: green without, and black and white within.

How's this for a "before and after" in Standard 2?

No filters applied! Just the effect of cleaned translucent roof panels and white walls. 

The electrician, Nicholas was on site today at our request, making repairs to existing fittings, and extending the lighting circuit to rooms including the library. 

Phil checked a long tape measure out of the VTC stores (Gillian's dad passed away early this year, and the measure had belonged to him), then with Joseph Chipeta measured the fishpond proposed as the pilot for systematic farming. The right number of fish to introduce relates to the surface area of the pond.

 

Preparations for the evening party were underway by mid-morning in the courtyard behind Rev Chipeta's house.

With two Vocational Training Centre students - Hobson, and Sim - we found time to push forward with the Climbing Wall project (designed as a 'traverse', rather than to scale the building!)

Quite a lot still to be done here. Vocational Training Centre teacher of Carpentry and Joinery, Christopher, has been having a huge impact on the whole Primary School refurbishment project, and he will oversee the completion of the climbing wall: painting the backboards; final bolting of the stones, and removal of the spare stone-mounting bolt ends with an angle grinder, then finally mounting the boards to the wall using big through-bolts. To finish it all off, a truck-load of sand at the base will make for softer landings…

Just time for everyone to wash hands and find a fleece (it was hot during the day - clear skies - chilly again in the evening), then join the party!

Team dance prize is Phil’s, for sure!

I know I wasn’t the only one feeling mixed emotions during the festivities. At 9am tomorrow we’ll be on the road to Zambia. Time has done it’s usual trick of suddenly thrusting the future (oh, it’s ages until we have to go) in to the present. I like that “the work” continues as we go. These are not “our” projects. We have had the privilege of to some extent enabling and participating, but the real juice will be squeezed and enjoyed after we’re gone. 

We can’t wait to see pictures of students enjoying the Jane Glaves Primary School shining under its green roofs with white fascia-board trims, bright interiors, pit-free floors and coal-black chalk boards. 

We can’t wait to hear reported “ooos” and “ahhhs” from students looking down microscopes, or to imagine shavings from sharp planes, sparks from cutting discs, smooth seams from serviced machines, once term starts in September. 

 We're so grateful for how things have gone, for effective partnership with Home of Hope, and for all the support we've received before and during the trip. Thank you.

To wrap up the day, one more picture.

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This is Mary, as she stood up to give thanks at this morning’s devotional. With her twin sister she came to Home of Hope at one day old, among the first children to be taken in by Rev and Mrs Chipeta at the start of their in-retirement calling of care for needy children and vulnerable orphans. She’s now 25, and a student of Tailoring and Fashion Design at Home of Hope’s Vocational Training Centre. Without the grades for university, initially Mary chose to return to rural village life after finishing Secondary School, where she’d struggled academically. She’d had to repeat Form 2 and again Form 4 (age 14 and 16). When one day she visited Home of Hope looking under-weight and unwell, Rev & Mrs Chipeta encouraged her to come back and re-join a course of study. She’s now healthy, vibrant, learning. What is Home of Hope? Just that. 

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