Visit Home of Hope

[ Previous Post ] I've been waiting for some "after" photos to share with you, post-painting, and some arrived today: Rusty iron sheet roofs (photo above from September 2022) replaced and/or painted with "Roof Guard". Floating edges strengthened against severe weather with well-fitted fascia boards. Floors repaired; walls repaired and painted; cement-block windows replaced with iron-work grills.  Blackboards re-surfaced and/or re-painted Insecure and damaged doors replaced. Home of Hope's Jane Glaves Primary School...    - refreshed and ready for term!  On behalf of this year's Friends of Home of Hope team, and of the leadership at Home of Hope, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! It is truly amazing to see all that has been accomplished in a short time - and it was all made possible by the generous support of individuals, groups and business. Special thanks goes to medical equipment supplier SheffMed , whose very substantial donation to the project enabled the sca...

[ Previous Post ] Limited connectivity here in Zambia, and an early night needed, so here are a few photos from this morning. As I walked down to the primary school at 6am, work for the day had already started. There is momentum, we've left the needed resources for completion plus some contingency.  All be finished in good time for the start of term. [ Next Post ]

[ Previous Post ] “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...

[ Previous Post ] When did your lunch last arrive by wheelbarrow? Or, strictly speaking, its means of production… Rafal and I started the day selecting 15 nice parallel bricks from the building site for Ruth’s rocket-stove re-boot (see the earlier post on this). Sim kindly delivered these, and Hobson cut some “R7” (7mm steel reinforcement rod) in to brick-lengths to serve as the fire grate.  Back at the building site, continuing progress on all sides. Many of the fascia boards are up. They look great, but they’re much more than cosmetic: severe weather is not far less likely to peel off the galvanised sheet roofing.  No more rust-ic look! A coat of green "RoofGuard" is going on. It's premium-grade - longer-lasting than a popular red alternative, and it looks mwa! (Overhead shots by Chisomo, here.) The chalk-boards are re-rendered and awaiting a couple of coats of blackboard paint. And ...