Serenje

Crowthorne CE Primary School

2011-12-31T07:38:00.000-08:00

Crowthorne CE Primary School is partnered with Kashitu Basic School in Serenje. Ruth Jackson is the Deputy at Crowthorne and over the last year they have been doing lots of fundraising activities, including a sponsored skip! Ruth was part of the Kerith schools trip earlier this year and visited Kashitu School for the first time. She was able to see the huge difference that the money her pupils had raised would make.

Kashitu Basic is a rural school based about an hour from central Serenje and the journey to the school is a bumpy one down hilly dirt tracks and through the countryside. The school had been facing a number of problems, such as a lack of study books for the pupils in grade 8 and 9 and no science equipment (pupils only knew the science apparatus by names but had not seen them physically). They also lacked mattresses for children who travel long distances and therefore sleep in one of the classrooms on the floor during the week. It was also felt that a decent structure needed to be constructed for the male pupils who are weekly boarders. These pupils had been sleeping in a two roomed thatched shelter which was almost collapsing.

With the £4629 raised by Crowthorne CE Primary, Kashitu school have been able to buy:

- 240 books for all the key subjects such as Maths, English, History, Geography, as well as atlases and dictionaries. The headmaster Mr Chisulo said ‘This has brought a lot of joy to pupils especially the grade 8 and 9. The school is now fully stocked with study books for the pupils.’
- 40 mattresses for the girls and boys who board during the week.
- Building materials for the boys’dormitory. The construction of this building will commence in April 2012 once rains have almost wound up. Mr Chisulo says ‘This will change the face of the school. Pupils are so excited about this good news. The school authority at Kashitu Basic School is so thankful to the Crowthorne CE School for the support and wishes the school administration all the best in their endeavours. The contribution made to the school will go a long way in helping build the future of many children within and outside the community who are going to learn from this school.’

Thank you to Ruth Jackson and all the pupils and staff at Crowthorne CE Primary school. It's amazing the difference that this will make to the lives and futures of the pupils at Kashitu Basic School.

Thank you

2011-12-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Back in October we set out to raise a total of £170,000. This included £80,000 for year 4 of the project and £90,000 for Project 125, the building of the girl's dormitory.

If I'm honest I felt a little daunted by the figure of £170,000. It's a huge sum of money. And yet as we head into Christmas we can celebrate that we have reached our target! It's incredible - what a faithful God and what a faithful church. Thank you so much to everyone who gave, who believed, who prayed.

I'd like to say a special thanks to our young people who raised thousands of pounds towards Project 125. They conga'd to windsor, did sponsored silences, washed our cars and much more. Thank you to Amy Mehta and Alice Benham who were the driving force behind so much of this.

Christmas is about hope and you are part of bringing hope to the thousands of people in Serenje. Thank you for making the following possible:

3000 orphans & vulnerable children receiving support (school fees, uniforms)
1000 families receiving agricultural support (training and seeds)
117 church and community volunteers visiting and supporting people living with HIV and AIDs.
110 (50 church leaders and 60 community leaders) receiving leadership training.
100 girls will have a safe place to live and sleep while they attend secondary school.

Merry Christmas.

Zoe

Gift Days

2011-10-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Over the last fews weeks it's been so encouraging to hear all that has been happening in Serenje. It was amazing having our dear friends Bishop Samson Kasele and Pastor Bernard Ngosa with us and then to hear further news of what is happening with the prayer requests from Leah.

How are you getting on with the rice and beans challenge? It's been great reading people's Facebook updates and knowing we're sharing in this!

This Sunday is the last of the 3 Serenje Gift Days. We are aiming to raise a total of £170,000. This includes £80,000 for year 4 of the project which will enable the following to happen:

3000 orphans & vulnerable children receiving support (school fees, uniforms)
1000 families receiving agricultural support (training and seeds)
117 church and community volunteers visiting and supporting people living with HIV and AIDs.
110 (50 church leaders and 60 community leaders) receiving leadership training.

And then £90,000 for Project 125, the building of the girl's dormitory.

There will an opportunity to give at all 3 services this Sunday or you can give online at http://www.kerith.co.uk/PaymentGroup/Registration.aspx?group_id=150844

Prayer requests

2011-10-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Part of why we're doing the rice and beans week is to focus our minds on the people in Serenje. And it's great to use that to stir us to pray. I received an email from Leah at EFZ today with some prayer requests - so it's great timing! She asked if we could:

- Thank God for the church to church links programme co-ordinated by Tearfund which brought about EFZ/ Serenje – Kerith Church Link, resulting in the fulfilment of the biblical mandate on mission (Mathew 28: 19- 20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.).

- Pray for commitment by the guardians of orphans and vulnerable children, to ensure continued attendance despite long distances from their villages.

- Year 4 started October 1st 2011 and is also the beginning of the farming season. Pray for good rains.

- Pray for volunteers as they serve the communities in view of the huge scale up in the number of orphans and vulnerable children (1700 last year to 3000 this year) and new farmers.

- EFZ Staff - Ian Kapongo, Chewe Nalomba and Leah Mutala will need your prayers for wisdom and strength as they co-ordinate the various stakeholders in the project.

- Pray for project beneficiaries to commit themselves to the sustainability strategies already being implemented.

Rice and beans

2011-10-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

It was great to spend last Sunday celebrating all that has happened in Serenje over the last 3 years of the project. If you were there last weekend you'll remember us talking about the rice and beans challenge. We're encouraging everyone to eat rice and beans for lunch and dinner this week.

It's one thing to hear about people going hungry and having to eat very basic meals, but another to experience it personally. Often it's not until we experience what others go through that we can truly understand something of what it must be like. As we take part this week, my hope is that the people of Serenje are in our thoughts and prayers, and that we have a fresh appreciation of how blessed we are to be able to eat what we want, when we want.

I've had lots of questions about what is ok to eat this week and what is not! If you want to go all out it's rice and beans (any kind of bean will do). Some people I've spoken to are choosing to give up eating meat this week, others are cutting out snacks and treats. Whatever way you choose to take part, can I encourage you to blog and share via Facebook/Twitter how you're finding it.

'I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.' Philippians 4:12

Zoe

Project Tehila

2011-10-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Sam Fairs-Billam have exciting plans to go to Zambia in Spring 2012. An opportunity has arisen for them to volunteer for EFZ for 12 months. During this time they will aim to implement a new Child Protection Policy across the organization. The vision is to take forward a process of change in perceptions, which will see children and young people’s lives changed forever. They will aim to develop and facilitate a training programme, equipping people with the skills to recognise and respond appropriately to a child that may be at risk from harm. This will be good for the children, their families and for Zambia. Hannah and Sam are inviting people to journey with them and in particular they are asking if anyone would be interested in offering
financial support. To read more about Project Tehila please visit www.tehila.org or contact Sam/Hannah Fairs-Billam 07737675064.

Don't forget that this Sunday all 3 services are a celebration of what's happened in Serenje over the last 3 years of the project. As so many people in Serenje walk long distances to get to church, we're encouraging as many people who are able, to walk to church this Sunday. Wouldn't it be amazing if the church car park was empty this weekend!

Walking in someone else's shoes

2011-10-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous blog, on Sunday 16th October all three of our Sundays services will be a celebration of all that has happened in Serenje over the past three years of the project. The two following Sundays will be the Serenje Gift Days where we are aiming to raise £80,000 for the coming year in Serenje, plus £95,000 for the Project 125 girl's dormitory.

We're really excited that at the celebration services on the 16th we will have two of the amazing pastors from Serenje with us - Bishop Kasele and Pastor Bernard Ngosa. They will be sharing at each of the services and they are not to be missed!

It's been said that compassion is the willingness to walk in someone's else's shoes, in order to truly understand something of their reality. We have two opportunities to show compassion coming up.

Firstly, on Sunday 16th October we want to encourage everyone who is able, to walk to church. In Serenje district people often walk long distances to get to church, some up to 2 hours.

Secondly, for the week between the 16th and the first Gift Day on Sunday 23rd Oct we want as many people as possible to try living on rice and beans for the week. This is an opportunity for us to really experience what many people living in Serenje eat every day of the year. Meat is a luxury and some families eat just one meal a day. Maybe you want to give the money you would have normally spent on food that week to the Gift Days.

Please be thinking and praying about you can get involved in all that's happening. See you on the 16th for is going to be a fantastic day!

Lives changed

2011-09-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I received an email from EFZ telling me about Mr Edward Ngulube who is aged 56. He is looking after his two orphaned grandchildren (their parents died due to AIDS related illness six years ago) and three of his own children. The five children go to school and are in grade 4 and 2. Mr Ngulube received groundnut seeds, cassava cuttings and sweet potato vines and beans seed in 2008 when the project started.

Mr Ngulube is so grateful to the project for helping him with seed in the start of the project. He had this to say,
“I used to suffer in term of feeding my family and sending my children to school because I did not have the means to do so. When the Kerith project came to my community, it was a relief that they gave us seed to plant so that we have enough food in our household. I made sure that I planted all the beans seed I received and my harvest that season was so encouraging that for the first time in my life I was able to harvest 4 x 50 kilograms bags of shelled beans. Even if the project phased out today, my family is already stable in terms of food security, from my harvest, I have reserved enough food to see us to the next harvest for my household. I was able to sell the surplus to earn me some money, I am now able to provide decent clothing to my family unlike before, I am now able to buy my school going children with uniforms, school shoes, pay for their school fees and buy them books”.

It is so encouraging to stories of amazing people like Edward, who have received some seed and through his hard work and initiative it has transformed his family's life.

On Sunday 16th October all three of our Sundays services will be a celebration of all that has happened in Serenje over the past three years of the project. We will be hearing more stories of lives changed and praising God without whom none of this would have happened.

To God be the glory great things He hath done.

Photos from our trip

2011-07-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

We've been back from Serenje a month and a half, and it's amazing how time has flown and life's got busy again. But it's great to be able to go look through photos from the trip which bring the people, the memories, the sights and sounds to life.

Here are a few of the pictures from our trip. I hope they bring Serenje a little bit closer for you.

Letters

2011-06-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

It always lovely to receive a letter isn't it? Especially when it's coming from thousands of miles away. Thank you to all the Kerith women who wrote letters for us to take to Serenje. We handed out the letters during a community meeting and it was great to see the women's names called out and them enthusiastically come forward to receive their letter-some of them even did a little dance as you can see in the photo! They ripped the letters open straight away and read them.

This weekend at our women's conference REAL there will be the opportunity to register your interest in being a pen-pal to a lady in Serenje. It's a great opportunity to connect with some of the amazing women in Serenje, to bless and encourage them. And then you can look forward to receiving a letter back :-)

Zoe

Inspiring stories

2011-06-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

One day Leah and I were chatting and she shared the inspiring story of a girl called Kunda. Kunda was at teacher training college. However she was asked to leave when the course requirements changed and her maths grade wasn't high enough. Leah explained how upset Kunda was to leave college and cried for some time. Things got worse when Kunda's mum died, followed by her father. Kunda then moved to stay with her aunt, but she also died. Kunda moved to another aunt's house, but she died too. Then she went to stay with her grandfather, but he died. Finally Kunda lived with the brother of the grandfather. She needed to support herself, so she got a job. She needed to help support the family she was staying with so she wasn't able to save much for her education. Whilst she was working she got some private tuition and passed her maths exam. As a result she got reaccepted at teacher training college. Kunda is now being supported by the project to finish her teacher training.

What incredible perseverance. Please pray for Kunda, that she would complete her training and go on to become a successful teacher. Pray that she would know God's blessing on her life.

What a week

2011-06-06T03:34:00.001-07:00

We arrived back from Serenje on Saturday night, after an amazing week. The day we go home is always strange - seeing the sun rising in Africa and then arriving in Bracknell by 7pm. It makes you realise how small the world really is.

We had an incredible time and it's hard to know how to where to begin, but over the next few weeks Catrina and I will be sharing some of the highlights and photos. But here are a few to get us started:

- being part of a fantastic team who embraced everything with enthusiasm and interest.
- seeing how the team of volunteers doing community visits has grown and has become such a key aspect of all that is happening.
- seeing children who are loving being in school,proudly wearing their school uniform and shoes.
- meeting headteachers who have a passion and a vision for their school.
- being a handed a live chicken!
- seeing the new operating theatre and medical equipment sent over by Howard Reece-Smith and hearing how this will save lives.
- the generosity of the volunteers who gave so little themselves, sharing their lives and all they have with those who have even less.
- seeing the goats and their kids running around.

Thank you for all your prayers while we were away. It was a truly a privilege to be there and see all God is doing.

Zoe

Thursday, a visit to a Community

2011-06-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today we visited one of the communities that we're supporting. They sang 'Come and see what the Lord has done' and said they used to depend on wild fruits but now their children eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. We sang and danced with the amazing volunteers. They really are making such a huge difference supporting families. This afternoon we visited the new operating theatre and saw the equipment Howard Rees-Smith has sent. This really will save lives; so exciting! Tomorrow we head back to Lusaka and fly home on Saturday.

Tuesday Kankoso School Visit

2011-06-01T03:11:00.001-07:00

Today we visited Kankoso school, which Sandy Lane are partnered with. It was great to see one of our team members Liz Norris and the head of Kankoso meet for the first time. Later we visited some of the childrens homes and saw firsthand the impact of the volunteers who support them and the goats they've received. The team was really encouraged to see how lives are being changed.

Ibolelo High School

2011-05-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Ibolelo High School for grades 10 - 12. They face lots of challenges. There are 1500 at the school and sometimes 65 in a class and two sharing one book. We sat in on the classes and were really encouraged by the amazing teacher and pupils.

A Fantastic Sunday

2011-05-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic morning at Bread of Life Church. The worship was amazing and the team were really moved by the joy and freedom they showed. After church we shook hands with everyone in the church, as is traditional. We felt so welcome. We're looking forward to visiting Ibolelo school on Monday, who Garth is partnering with. Can't wait!

We've arrived in Serenje

2011-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

After nine and a half hours on a plane and five in a car we have arrived in sunny Serenje! The earthy, dusty smell of Africa is as welcoming as ever and it's great to be back and to bring new friends. We've met with Bishop Kasele and now we're off for dinner. Tonight is an early night all round and then church tomorrow!

Project Update

2011-05-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

The Serenje project is in year three of its implementation. The targets for autumn 2010-2011 are:

1700 orphans & vulnerable children receiving support (school fees, uniforms)
1000 families receiving agricultural support (training and seeds)
117 church and community volunteers visiting and supporting people living with HIV and AIDs.
110 (50 church leaders and 60 community leaders) receiving leadership training.

We've received a report from EFZ in Serenje on the latest developments and we'll be blogging some of the highlights.

Overview
The period October – to March is the busiest time of the year in the project as it covers the farming season as well as identification and verification of new OVCs (orphans & vulnerable children) to the program which falls November – January.

Farmers in the project sites were positive that the harvest yields of their crop looked promising and would be able to meet household needs as well as market some for income.

The HIV and AIDS prevalence rate is 10.3% in the rural areas such as Serenje. The ART (treatment for HIV) is still being accessed freely. The challenge, however in Serenje is that medical personnel are inadequate to cope with the demand. Many people living with HIV walk long distances to access the medication at rural health centres and stigma is still quite high.

There was a further huge scale up of beneficiary targets of both orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and on food security on households affected by HIV and AIDS referred to as “ small scale farmers”. For the OVC, the target increased from 890 in 2010 to 1700 pupils in 2011. The small scale farmers target increased from 700 in 2010 to 1000 in 2011. This involved a lot of mobilisation since some villages are far apart. The Serenje Pastors Fellowship of EFZ and volunteers from their Churches facilitate the implementation with technical support of the EFZ field officer based in Serenje. The volunteers’ network has increased from 80 to 117. These come from the Serenje churches as well as the four target communities of the project implementation which are Mwansankano, Kashitu, Chilisha and Kankoso.

Agricultural support
• We distributed seed input to all the 1000 farmers
• 600 farmers received each 15 kilograms of groundnuts seed
• 400 farmers received 15 kilograms of beans seed.

Monitoring went on well especially with the field Officer due to adequate transport to reach farmers. The field officer, now with a motorbike accompanies volunteers during their field visits. Field monitoring is being done in all the four communities on a monthly basis. All the 1000 farmers were physically visited to ensure that there is evidence of what is on the ground.

Family sizes in the project sites range from 6-9 members per household.

This 2010 – 2011 farming season farmers have estimated high yields citing that the rain pattern was good unlike in the 2009 – 2010 farming season. During visitations in all the four communities, an average of 30 farmers per community have harvested each 20 kilograms of beans in the first planting which comes up in December. We still expect a second harvest on beans by April month end as they plant twice in each farming season. The expected harvest in the second round will be slightly more than what has been harvested in the first round. Much of the quantities will be reported in May when they will have completed harvesting and drying the beans. The groundnuts should be harvested by end of June. There is a lot of progress in terms of farming yields as compared to the 2010 farming season which had heavy down pours.

Our farmers have not just relied on the seed from Serenje Kerith project but have also planted other crops like maize, sorghum, and finger millet. It was impressive that at least 65% of our farmers have at least one of those crops in their fields. So the beans and groundnuts we gave them have facilitated the growing of maize. The sales of the beans and groundnuts have enabled beneficiaries to diversify their crops.

Off to Serenje

2011-04-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

At the end of May we're sending a team out to Serenje for the half term break. This trip is going to be different to previous ones, in that the focus will be on developing the links between our local schools here and those in Serenje. Many of you will know that Crowthorne C of E Primary school, Sandy Lane Primary and Garth Hill already have connections with Serenje. On 27th May Catrina Benham (Sandy Lane), Ruth Jackson (Crowthorne C of E)), Jacqui Webber Gant (www.bfinclusion.org.uk), Liz Norris (Head of Sandy Lane) and her daughter Annabel, Rachel Morgan (Education staff Sandy Lane) and myself (Zoe) will be heading off (and yes we may sing ‘here come the girls’ as we go!).

Our dream has always been to connect our wider community here with Serenje and it’s so exciting to see the relationships between the schools growing. The trip will be an opportunity for our team to visit the schools they are partnering with in Serenje and see what life is like for the teachers and the pupils, both at school and at home. We will spend time sharing ideas and encouraging one another and also meeting with the Schools Committee in Serenje (a team set up to coordinate the school links).

We would really value your prayers – for Leah, Susan and the pastors in Serenje as they prepare for our arrival, and for the team, many of whom haven’t been to Serenje before. We'll send news of how we're getting on while we're there and you can read about it via this blog.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Stories from Howard and Elizabeth

2011-03-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Howard and Elizabeth have recently returned from their African cycling adventure to raise money to equip the operating theatre in Serenje hospital. Here are some stories from their trip and some great photos - thanks to Howard for sending these.

We left Nairobi at first light on the 13 Febuary, armed with directions from the lodge staff as to how to find the road to Zambia. There began the most amazing example of God's provision for us. The excellent directions along a poor road took us safely to the Namaga road,we stopped in Kajaido to find a bed for the night,and were directed by the police to a lodge which had no rooms because they were still being built. The Anglican church, however had a guest house and would organise a meal. It poured down as soon as we arrived and did not stop until we were ready to leave the next morning.

Having completed the first day we were a little saddle sore but were pleased to be really on our way after all the months of planning. I will not bore you with a blow by blow account of the following days, but will narrate some highlights. We had no visa for Tanzania,had tried to get one when we were there a few days before but they would not issue a multi entry visa. Nevertheless the border officials waived the fee, sorted out our papers immediately and sent us off with their good wishes.

On the fourth morning we were cycling along at first light and came across a South African (Richard) jogging from Cape Town.He had covered 5900Kms on foot,so our effort looked pretty tame. He recommended us to stay in Trinidad lodge in Babati and laughed when we told him our route."You will be walking a lot" were his parting words. We arrived at said lodge and I left Elizabeth doing the washing whilst I attempted to find out about the road ahead. I asked the first group of people that I came to,whether they spoke English. "I do" said Jovin. "Do you know anything about the Dodoma road" said I. He explained that he knew a lot about it as he was the civil engineer responsible for building the new Dodoma road, but was adamant that we could not cycle it,walk or bus,and then if it does not rain. He fixed us up with the bus and then explained that he had only been at the guest house because it was a Chinese public holiday and so all his Chinese workers were away, so he was working from the guest house!

The bus was awful but we arrived safely, and then continued by bike up hill and down dale. Where we were told there were no guest houses and wuld have to camp,we found that a guest house had opened the week before. Where there was no guest house at all in Chioso, a delightful chap called Sunday,said he would ring a chap and sort something out. The phone call was made and we were told there is a lorry loading diesel on the road opposite,it will give you a lift to our lodge. We had to pay the next day for a lift back to where we had stopped,but had an excellent meal and a good nights sleep.

The only guest house we came across that was full,directed us to another that again had just opened-and was much better. We always had a cooked meal-had to cook one meal even though we were in a restaurant! Never had to use the tent, always found a drink when we needed one,kept in good health,and avoided the buses and lorries,which all try to push cycles off the road. On the last afternoon we were met by two pastors,who had arranged accomodation where there was not supposed to be any.

On the last day(3 weeks after we set out 5 march we were escorted into Serenje by 15 pastors on bikes. The field worker on his motorbike,and a police motorcyclist who stopped all buses and lorries until we had passed.Eventualy we were met by a crowd of about 100 volunteers,pastors,doctors,nurses,and the District Commisioner. Were sung a beautiful African song and presented with the Freedom of Serenje!

And then we flew home. Rather weary, a trifle lighter,very pleased it was over but amazed at how God had provided for us every step of the way.

Latest news from Serenje

2011-03-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Howard and Elizabeth completed their mammoth cycle ride from Nairobi and arrived in Serenje safely - what an impressive journey! They had a Serenje police escort plus 10pastors and a photographer accompanying them for the last 20 miles. Then an interview with the press and a procession with the District Commissioner to the hospital. See the previous blog for details of how to sponsor them. So far they've raised £7,105.

We've just received a report from Serenje, outlining all that was achieved from October to December 2010. It's so encouraging to read all that has been happening and the next few blogs will be sharing the progress that has been made.

The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) being supported increased from 890 in 2010 to 1700 in 2011 which is a huge and significant scale up.

Scale up from Year 1 to Year 3:
Year 1 (2009) Year 2 (2010) Year 3 (2011)
190 890 1700

375 Females and 435 Males were registered in year 3 scale up

In terms of school fees, the project is going to pay 75% to all secondary school going OVCs where 25% will be paid by the guardians to the children. The Primary school going children will receive uniform and shoes. This will have helped the OVCs a lot and it is encouraging that these sponsored children regularly attend classes though some of them have to cover long distances especially those in secondary. Some children walk to cover 20 Kilometres every day to and from school.

It's just incredible to think that there are 1700 orphans and vulnerable children in school. Local people have noticed that there are less children on the streets during the day than there used to be, because now they are in school. Amazing.

In the next blog we'll be hearing about farmers, vegetable farming and goats!

Howard and Elizabeth's adventure

2011-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

In 2009 Howard Reece-Smith was part of the team visiting Serenje. As many of you will know Howard is a surgeon and so he visited the local hospital in Serenje. Whilst there he met a 16 year old girl who was in labour and needed a caesarean section. But the hospital didn't have an operating theatre, so the young girl had to be driven 100km to the nearest hospital where they could operate.

Since then an operating theatre has been built and Howard and his wife Elizabeth decided to do 1,500 mile cycle ride from Nairobi in Kenya to Serenje in Zambia, to raise the money to equip the operating theatre. They are looking to raise about £25,000, with any money over and above what is needed going to Project 125, the Girl's Dormitory project.

They began their journey on 13th Feb and are expecting the journey to take them around a month. I am so inspired by their vision and commitment (and their fitness!) Please been praying for them as they travel.

You can sponsor Howard and Elizabeth here.

2010 in Serenje

2010-12-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

Every year we receive an annual report from Serenje, updating us and Tearfund on the progress of the project. I've been reading it this afternoon and have been moved to tears by the incredible work that is being done by Leah, the pastors and the volunteers and the impact it's having.

As we come to the end of this year I wanted to highlight what has happened since the last gift day in 2009. It's amazing.

Leadership and training
- 50 pastors and church leaders equipped in leadership skills and HIV/AIDS mitigation
- 85 community leaders trained
- 80 Volunteers were mobilised and trained

Agricultural support
- A total of 700 households/small scale farmers received beans, ground nuts and sweet potatoes
- 557 goats were given to 278 households
- Training was done in new farming methods, livestock rearing and vegetable growing. Farmers who received the inputs were supported in the planting period till they harvested.

Orphans and vulnerable children
- 890 orphans and vulnerable children were placed in schools and their school fees were paid for.
- 526 pairs of shoes were given to school going children
- 529 uniforms
- 890 jerseys

People living with HIV &AIDS
- 4 campaigns on HIV&AIDS were conducted in each of the 4 project communities
- 100 people living with HIV& AIDS are accessing treatment from government clinics
- 5 support groups for people living with HIV&AIDS have been formed for information sharing, learning and addressing challenges they face from day-to-day
- 70 of the 100 have received goats for livelihoods and nutrition support

Wow.

In the busy run up to Christmas why not take a moment. A moment to thank and praise God for the amazing work He is doing in Serenje. To thank God for Leah and the pastors, and the volunteers. To remember our brothers and sisters in Serenje whose Christmas will be very different to ours.

Here are some photos that capture some of 2010 in Serenje.

Truly incredible

2010-11-16T13:22:00.000-08:00

The current Serenje Gift Days' total is just over £111,000. This total is a combination of cash donations, standing orders and gift aid. It's just amazing, isn't it? Thank you so much to everyone who gave. Your money means the following is possible:

- 1700 orphans and vulnerable children supported to go to school(up from 890 this year)
- 1000 farmers provided with seed (up from 701 this yr)
- 100 volunteers trained to support people living with HIV and AIDS (same as this yr)

These numbers represent individuals whose lives are being changed. It's been great to hear some of the stories from the team who recently returned from Serenje and Alan Lander shared this reflection from the trip:

'A number of the churches meet in one of the larger schools in the town. I was asked to speak and arrived to find over 100 adults and children crammed into a classroom; kids on the floor, adults at desks. It was a new experience to have an interpreter as most of the adults spoke Bemba. Afterwards I was invited to Pastor Chola's home for lunch. He has seven children and this is what I wrote in my journal.
“I noticed a small bundle on the sofa. This was a baby girl only seven days old. I asked her name and was totally speechless when they asked me to name her. After I got over the shock they insisted and said they had given all their other children biblical names. In their culture they name a child on the seventh day, and as I was their 'honoured guest' then I was asked to name her. I said I would like to call her Hannah. What an incredibly humbling experience. Two of their children are being supported at school by the project and as I held Hannah ( feeling very emotional) I looked in her face and felt that this girl has a hope and a future because of the project we are supporting. Hannah will always stay in my thoughts.'

What a privilege to partner with God in what He's doing in Serenje.

Gift Day update

2010-11-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

I heard today that we're up to £84,208 on our way to raising £100,000 for Serenje! How brilliant is that! It is amazing to be part of such a generous community of people.

Catrina is continuing her blogs about her Serenje trip and here is the another one:

Let me introduce you to Mrs Catherine Mumba. She is 42 years old. She is married to Peter, who is a peasant farmer. Together they have 6 children ranging in age from 2-21 years old. Catherine and Peter are both Volunteers for the Serenje Project.

Every morning begins with Catherine making a 1 hour walk into the villages to buy produce, like cabbage, onion, rape and tomatoes. She walks with a group of women for their pre-arranged appointments with different farmers in the villages surrounding Serenje town (the Boma). Catherine and her friends then carry the produce back on their heads and backs to the Boma to sell at their market stall from 6am to 6pm.

Remember she has 6 children too!

Catherine has 5 clients. Two of them are living with HIV and on ARV drugs. Three of her clients are on TB drugs. She also has some school-aged children to monitor. Some of Catherine's clients need seeing daily; all are seen weekly. The support she gives them include spiritual encouragement; physical help; hygiene and health education; perhaps also going to the clinic to collect medicines and food supplements. She will also often give some of her own food to her clients. As Charity (she heads up the volunteers) said of the volunteers: "They leave their families without food and they work tirelessly".

In response to my question "How do you do it all?" Catherine simply replied "I divide my time". The reality is that the volunteers are living in very similar circumstances to their clients - they are not meeting their needs from a position of having much. There is no monetary or earthly reward for what Catherine and the other volunteers are doing. They do it because the love of God has so transformed their hearts and lives. It's so very humbling to see how they truly are meeting their neighbours' needs.

The money raised from the Gift Days contributes to the training of incredible volunteers like Catherine.

Isaiah 58 v.6, 7 & 10
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. "

Stories from Serenje

2010-10-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

If you were at church this morning you will have heard the amazing news that the total from the Serenje Gift Days was just over £71,000. Thank you for your incredible generosity. If you missed the opportunity to give and you'd still like to then you can visit the Serenje Just Giving page at http://www.justgiving.com/serenje

Those of you who receive Catrina's blog you'll know she's been brilliant at sharing stories for her recent trip to Serenje. Here is her first one and I'll continue to paste the others here. Thank you Catrina!

Volunteers
There are 65 Volunteers - both men and women. Most of the volunteers are peasant farmers. They do an absolutely incredible job. It's these men and women who daily or weekly visit their clients. They support them - perhaps also collect their ARV medicines. They check up on the school children we're supporting - monitor their grades and attendance for instance. They work in the 4 communities (Kankoso, Kashitu, Chilisha and Mwasakano) plus the Boma (the Serenje town). This year they have been trained in home-based care. The reports back are that through this training they have grown spiritually and have gained much informaton.

Pastor Ngosa (Chairman of the Project) put it like this:
"We owe it all to the volunteers - you are our hands, feet, eyes and ears"

Leah presented all the volunteers with green t-shirts - greeted with spontaneous cheering, celebration and singing! It was so helpful for us to be able to identify this incredible team when we were out and about in the communities and schools; and they seemed to love wearing their shirts and thus being easily identified as volunteers.

Mrs Charity Nyangwe (pictured) is a local teacher and she is the Chairperson of the volunteers. George is her Deputy. together they lead the team of volunteers. They all meet together every 4th Friday of the month for prayer, encouragement, support, training and teaching. this monthly meeting is also an opportunity for volunteers to report back about the progress of their clients.

Please pray for the leadership and team of volunteers.

News from Serenje

2010-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

I want to start by apologising-I was pretty tired when I wrote the blog last night and when I talked about what the team are doing I missed out the amazing Alan Lander. When I realised today I felt so bad-I'm sorry Alan! Alan has been doing leadership training with with Simon, Sola and Colin. I heard from Simon today and it sounds like it's going really well. Colin has also been speaking to the worship teams.

Catrina and Val led the women's conference today, talking about the fruit of the spirit. Catrina said they had a great time of sharing together. They gave out all the letters from Kerith ladies, along with some postcards that Beccy Oliver designed. The women in Serenje are amazing and I wanted to share this story from Catrina's blog:

'We went on 2 home visits today in the Zambia Compound - visiting ladies that have HIV and that the project is supporting. We went with Catherine who is the volunteer assigned to the two families - she is an amazing woman - mother of 6 children - she goes to the villages at 4am every morning to buy vegetables then sells it from 6am at the market. She has 5 clients and visits them all weekly - some of them daily. Such free and selfless serving of others is so humbling - the volunteers also have so little yet give so much.'

Tonight Catrina is meeting with the Schools Committee to discuss the partnerships between schools in Bracknell and Serenje. Let's pray for her, she's had a busy day and when she texted earlier there was a power cut so dinner was on hold!

We're praying for the team and what's happening in Serenje at the Prayer meetings tonight and tomorrow-be great to see you there.

News from Serenje

2010-10-12T12:11:00.001-07:00

It's so encouraging hearing from Simon and Catrina that the project is going so well. Today Simon, Sola and Colin have been doing leadership training with the pastors and Catrina and Val have been visiting people living with HIV and AIDS, as well as visiting some of the local schools we're connected with.

Please remember the team in your prayers. Simon, Sola and Colin are continuing the leadership training Weds-Thurs. Tomorrow (Weds) Catrina and Val are running a women's conference! A lot of women come and are eager to hear from God. Let's pray it's an amazing time of sharing and encouragement. Please pray for Rob Plant as he does all the filming and editing of footage ready for Gift days this weekend.

The next 2 weekends are the Serenje Gift Days and we'll be raising money for the coming year, which will enable the following to happen:
- 1700 orphans and vulnerable children to go to school (up from 890 this year)
- 1000 farmers provided with seed (up from 701 this yr)
- 100 volunteers trained to support people living with HIV and AIDS (same as this yr)

How exciting to be part of seeing this incredible vision become a reality. Thank you SO much for all your support and prayers for what is happening in Serenje.

Updates

2010-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you've been receiving updates on how the team are getting on in Serenje through Catrina's blog and also Simon's Facebook updates.

If you would like me to copy their updates on this blog please let me know.

Today they've all been preaching in different churches and apparently Simon had his suit on despite the temperature being in the 80s! They also heard from 3 orphans, all of whom lost both parents and had dropped out of school. They're all now back in education. Let's remember these children and many more like them, in our prayers. Thank you to everyone who has given and made this possible.

Off to Serenje!

2010-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight (Weds) Simon and Catrina, Val Cottee, Sola Osinoiki, Rob Plant, Colin Boyle and Alan Lander fly out to Serenje and they’ll land in Lusuka early tomorrow morning. Then they’ll head up to Serenje during the day (it’s a 4-5 hour drive).

Whilst the team are in Serenje they’ll be doing a number of things:

- Visiting the 4 communities that we’re partnering with in Serenje and seeing how the project has progressed.
- Meeting with families affected by HIV/AIDS who have benefitted from being given goats, seed and educational support for their children.
- Visiting the plot for the girls’ dormitory and the area where the girls currently stay (and are very vulnerable)-Zambia compound.
- Running leadership training for the Pastor’s Fellowship (around 26 pastors)
- Catrina and Val are doing a women’s conference with the local women.

Please pray for the team while they are away, for safety in travel, for good health, for a great time of sharing with the pastors and the people of Serenje, for mutual strengthening and encouragement, for wisdom and God’s guidance as they run the leadership training and women’s conference.

The team return on Saturday 16th October and the Serenje Gift Days are on Sunday 17th October and Sunday 24th October. We’ll be aiming to raise another £100,000. It will be great to hear from the team the impact that last year’s money has made and be inspired about the lives that will be touched and changed in the year to come.

Exciting news

2010-06-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited to be able to share that Leah Mutala, who heads up what we're doing in Serenje, is coming to visit us! She arrives tomorrow and will be here until the 14th July. She is coming over especially to see us which is a huge privilege. She truly is an incredible woman of God, who impacts everyone she meets. She will be sharing at REAL, our women's conference and also on Sunday at church. We're hoping that she may also spend some time in the local schools that are partnering with Serenje. She'll also be spending time with friends she has in the UK and taking some well deserved time out. Every time we visit Serenje Leah does an amazing job of looking after us, so it's great to be able to return the favour. Please come and say hi to Leah while she is with us and pray that she is really blessed while she is here.

Howard and Elizabeth Reece-Smith, Ralph Allan and Mo Davies have recently returned from Serenje. Ralph spoke recently at church and shared about the developments with the plans for the girls dormitory. I know Leah and the team in Serenje found Ralph's input really helpful. Howard emailed me this week to share his reflections on the trip:

'I was there a year ago, so was delighted to see a big change in the response of the farmers. "We all have enough to eat now,and we have so much to eat that we can sell our excess", was the universal response as we sat with families and communities. We visited a school that had used the school fee money to build more classrooms,and expand their intake,gave out shoes to many barefoot children (very cold in the morning at present)and went to see the hospital again. The building to house the operating theatre was nearly finished, funded by a grant from the USA, so now Elizabeth and I can start to equip it for action. We will cycle from Nairobi to Serenje next year on a sponsored cycle. No back up to save funds, but had many questions about our trip. One evening ,driving back to our guesthouse,we came across two cyclists on the main road. They had spent 7 months cycling in Africa and could answer all our queries and more. How well God prepares the way!!

Elizabeth said this about her visit 'For me ,the trip to Serenje was like being the little boy with 5 loaves and 2 small fishes-we apparently had so little to give this community with their huge problems of HIV and poverty but God was working mightily there making the impossible possible and I look forward to seeing his hand in the future work there.The visit was truely a great privilege.'

It's so good to keep getting such encouraging news of all God is doing. I can't wait to hear more from Leah this weekend.

Encouraging signs

2010-06-02T13:22:00.001-07:00

I met with Lindsey today and heard more about her recent visit to Serenje. Our passion is that what we're doing in Serenje is sustainable and empowering. I was really encouraged by what Lindsey shared. People in the villages where we're partnering told her how things have changed since the start of the project. One man shared how he sold his produce (grown from the seeds he was given by the project) for profit and put his children into school. He said ‘I have the means to control my destiny.’ Another woman is thinking about building a fish farm and said ‘before the project we were only eating one meal a day and now we’re eating three’. All her children are now in school.

These stories are just so exciting.

Lindsey also met the new project officer Ian David (based in Serenje) and said that he is very good. He is very keen on not creating dependency, but looking for stories of transformation. He seems to be building good relationships with the local pastors and the local communities.

It's brilliant to hear great news of what's happening in Serenje. Lindsey is heading off to Haiti this Friday and will be there for 6 weeks. Please remember her in your prayers. You can follow her blog at http://www.lindseyhaiti.blogspot.com/

News from Serenje

2010-05-15T13:06:00.001-07:00

I loved reading Lindsey's blog and hearing all that is happening in Serenje. Such a fantastic reminder that it is more blessed to give than to receive. The money you gave means that people aren't going hungry. More than 890 children are in school, because some people sent their children to school with profit from the sale of crops grown in 2008 distribution. It's amazing what can happen when the body of Christ, in the UK and Zambia, work together.

I've also heard from Lindsey that a new field officer for Serenje has been appointed and is a great guy 'with the capacity to really make a difference on the ground with a view to sustainability and empowerment.' That's a real answer to prayer-thank you God.

Would you like to go to Serenje and see what is happening yourself? Why not join us on this year's Kerith trip? The dates are around Mon 4th Oct-15th Oct 2010. The cost of the trip will be between £1500-£2000, depending on flights. The trip will be an opportunity to to go and see what has been happening, build relationships and then come and share with church, family and friends. There is unlikely to be practical work and most of the time will be spent visiting communities, to hear and see how the project is progressing and to spend time with them. Simon and a few other leaders will also be part of the team, to share with the Serenje pastors. If you're interested in coming please let me, Zoe Hayes, know as soon as possible.

Update from Lindsey

2010-05-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Lindsey Reece-Smith is currently in Serenje and she has written a detailed report of her visit on her blog. Click here to view.

Latest news from Serenje

2010-04-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

The money we raised at our Gift Days last November and through Kerith relief came to a final total of £116,415. That's incredible! Thank you so much for your generosity. We recently received an update from Leah and her team in Zambia and it's fantastic to hear what's been happening.

This year 890 orphans and vulnerable children are being supported to go to school. How exciting is that! For those of you interested in the breakdown of the figures: 410 children at primary school, 480 at secondary and 383 are girls,
507 are boys. Here are some photos of the children your money is helping.

The photo above is of Patricia Mumba, who got the highest results in Serenje District to go to grade 8!

Let's remember all these children in our prayers. Leah said that many of the orphans and vulnerable children from outlying villages and communities looked stunted in their growth due to scarcity of food. They eat one meal a day especially during rainy season from December – March. Some of them are withdrawn and emotional as they had recently lost their fathers.

James 1:27 says 'Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.'

Please pray for children who have lost their fathers and wives who have lost their husbands. Pray for health and a good harvest so these families can eat well. Let's also pray for the amazing church volunteers who visit the children and their families and bring love and hope.

If you are interested in visiting Serenje we are taking a team out this October (probably 4th-15th). It will cost roughly £1500-1700 (depending on flights). It will be an opportunity to see what has been happening, build relationships and then come back and share with church, family and friends. If you're interested in coming please speak to me- Zoe Hayes or Simon Benham.

Skipping for Serenje

2010-03-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

It's been really encouraging to hear how some of local schools have been connecting with what we're doing in Serenje. Helen Cottee went and spoke at Ruth Jackson and Amanda Wolfram's schools. Ruth emailed me recently to let me know what the children at her school (Crowthorne C of E Primary school) have been doing:

'So far, we have collected 'Small change for a big change' - we asked parents, staff and children to give any 1p, 2p and 5p coins as part of our money week. We raised £112 this way and plan to repeat it later in the year.

As part of our 'Money Week' each House was asked to set up a business, with all profits going to Serenje. They were given a £10 business loan to get their business up and running! Sandringham House decided to base their business on the Poppy idea, selling a flower to raise money for Serenje. They looked for a flower that grew in Serenje and game up with the Soy Bean flower! We are selling the flowers this week, before and after school.

We also had a skip to be fit day where the children were inspired to skip! Then we made this our sponsored event for the year. The week before we took each class to the hall and gave them a set time to skip. We then made a timetable for the day with each class having 3 sessions. The children had to set themselves a target for how many skips they thought they would do and then they were asked to collect sponsors.'

Thank you to Ruth and all the children at her school for all the money they've raised. It's exciting to see children here making a difference to the lives of school children in Serenje. Whether you're from Crowthorne or Serenje, it's fun to skip :-)

Leadership training

2009-12-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

This year Zambia hosted its first Willow Creek Leadership Summit in Lusaka. We supported 5 pastors to travel down from Serenje and attend the conference, and they've sent us some feedback about how they found it:

'Was a time of personal renewal and reflection. Learnt fresh insights for my ministry.'

'The Conference was Awesome! It was so inspiring.'

'Thank you for blessing us as pastors. We have been challenged to do more – to love the Lord more – put the Lord’s and others interests first.'

"The summit was an inspiration, eye opener, encouraging and a reminder of things I used to do but relaxed. The insights were that, a leader to lead at a new level must lead from Holy discontent. When a leader leads from Holy discontent, he enters a different state of mind and becomes a risk taker. Must be able to create good environment for his followers. Having learnt these new principles I will move my congregation into a vibrant church to fight against injustice"

Leah took the pastors to the conference and says this:

'This was awesome! I felt so inspired and at the same time asked myself "Am I on track, Lord?" It was so exciting to have the Serenje Pastors in the conference as evidence of your obedience to the Lord to act on His command. I recalled the first trip you came and the steps which were taken by your church November 2007 to come to Zambia and compare to where we are at now November 2009 and the impact beginning to show on church leaders and churches and community, men, women and youth and families. May God continue to give the growth!! It is the small steps taken in faith that become part of a big story. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step!'

Leah and these pastors are amazing leaders, with a huge heart for God and the people in their communities. They face many challenges daily and really need our prayers. Please remember them in your prayers as we head into 2010.

Sowing seeds

2009-12-29T07:08:00.000-08:00

One of our goals for 2010 is to provide seeds for 700 families. The seeds for the next year have to be planted before December, so we sent some money prior to the Gift Days, to ensure the seed could be distributed in time for planting season. Just before Christmas we received an email from Serenje and Leah, who heads up what we're doing in Serenje, says this:

'Please allow me to express our sincere thanks and appreciation from EFZ, Serenje Pastors and the community leaders of Kashitu, Kankoso, Mwansankano and Chilisha on the support you at Kerith sent recently. This funding is towards purchase of beans, groundnuts and sweet potato vines for 700 beneficiaries, purchase of goats and training beneficiaries in livestock and improved farming methods for better yields.
Rita and I were in Serenje again for 5 days from the 10th to 15th November 09 to be a part of the distribution of the seed to the families affected by HIV and AIDS. There was a lot of activity - hiring trucks to deliver seed, teams of volunteers and pastors for seed distribution in various communities and being among the community itself. It was encouraging to see the zeal from the people but at the same time reflect on personal responsibility of these households to improve their livehoods.'

Here are some photos showing the team praying over the seed and the distribution itself.

It's exciting to see isn't it? Please pray for good weather and that the seeds that have been sown produce a great harvest.

Thank you for giving so generously and making this possible.

Serenje Gift Days

2009-12-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we recently had our Gift Days for Serenje. The current total, including the money carried over from last year, gifts, promised standing orders and expected gift aid is now £107,323. This amount is likely to increase, with gifts and standing order pledges still coming in, and two more Kerith Relief events to go.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this. I am so humbled by your generosity and passion for what we're doing in Serenje. Every penny and pound given will go towards changing the lives of people in Serenje. Orphans will go to school for the first time. Families will have food rather than go hungry. Church and community leaders will challenge stigma, and visit and pray for those living with HIV and AIDS.

We received an email this week from Leah who heads up what is happening in Serenje. She was writing to Simon to thank him for the support they receive and she says this:
'We think of you often - always in our hearts. At a personal level I carry Serenje in my heart and all its key stakeholders - Kerith leadership, Tearfund, Serenje Pastors and their churches, EFZ leadership and the community leaders in our 4 project areas of Serenje district. This is a great network to be a part of and watch God work out great things to glorify Himself.'

To God be the glory.

Serenje Video

2009-11-28T06:24:00.001-08:00

Great video produced by Andy White

Tomorrow

2009-11-14T09:38:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow and next Sunday are our Serenje Gift Days. Last year we raised over £100,000 and this meant that:
-190 orphans and vulnerable children received school support
-402 farmers received seeds so that they can feed their families
-62 church and community leaders received leadership training
-66 church volunteers were trained to support people living with HIV and AIDS.

Over the next 2 weeks and the coming year we want to raise the same amount of money so that we can achieve the following:
-700 orphans and vulnerable children received school support
-701 farmers received seeds so that they can feed their families and an additional 300 families will receive 2 goats.
-50 church and 60 community leaders received leadership training
-100 church volunteers were trained to visit and support 250 people living with HIV and AIDS.

Those of us who have visited Serenje this year have seen the money this difference is making to people's lives.

Please be praying and thinking about what you might be able to give.

A message for all the women who have written letters for women in Serenje-the deadline for bringing your letters to church is tomorrow. Please remember not to seal the letters.

Thank you for all your support for what is happening in Serenje.

Shoes and coats update

2009-11-09T12:19:00.001-08:00

Back in June we sent out 240 pairs of shoes and 160 coats to the children in Serenje. When we were out in Serenje in the summer we saw all the boxes of shoes and coats stacked up ready to be given out. The local pastors and church volunteers distributed the shoes and coats to the communities. Here are photos of some of the orphans who have received them and will now be able to cope with the cold walk to school in the winter. It's worth mentioning that it is extremely hot in Serenje at the moment, with temperatures ranging from 39 - 42C, so the guys in the photos must be pretty warm! One of the boys just has his new trainers on!

Thank you to everyone who donated shoes and coats, they will make a massive difference when the winter comes.

Seeds of hope

2009-11-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

The money raised at last year's Gift Days has meant we can support families, by supplying them with seeds to grow sweet potatoe, groundnuts and beans. Most families depend on what they grow to feed their families-subsistence farming. In the first year of the project the target was to provide 200 small scale farmers with seed for their families, but when we visited in April this year we were really excited to hear that 402 had been supported. When we visited the 4 communities we're working in, each one reported of the difference these seeds had made. We recently received the following feedback from Serenje:

'There are already signs of renewed hope. Under the agricultural support, households that received the inputs could not contain their joy. Though the households will only have enough food for an average of 3 – 5 months from their harvest, some beneficiaries spoken to revealed it was the best support they have ever received. In order to ensure continuity, a communal seed bank will be introduced after the harvest. Each beneficiary will be required to give back a certain measure of what will be harvested to be kept and sold later. Those households who may experience poor yields can give anything of value equivalent to the required harvest i.e. chickens, goats, ducks e.t.c. The proceeds from the sale will then go towards supporting those households that may be lacking the most.'

We've just heard that the seeds for this year's crops have been purchased and will be distributed on Monday. It is very hot in Serenje at the moment, so please pray that the rains come and that there is a good harvest.

Thank you for giving your money to make this happen.

2009-10-31T03:09:00.000-07:00

I must apologise for the lack of blogs recently. There has been lots of work happening behind the scenes though! We're producing an updated Serenje booklet and film, which will both be ready for the Serenje Gift Days and will highlight what has been achieved so far. 55 of our women have become part of Unique Serenje Penpals and are going to writing to women in Serenje and blessing them with love and prayers. Ruth Jackson's school, Crowthorne C of E Primary School and Amanda Wolfram's school, Hammond Community Junior School, are both fundraising for Serenje and Helen Cottee recently visited both schools to do assemblies about Serenje.

As you know a team of 8 of us visited Serenje in the summer and were deeply impacted by what we saw. Pip Reeves (pictured here), who is a student at Oxford university, was part of our team and she shares some reflections on the trip.

'There were two stories which impacted me especially during my time in Serenje. The first of these was when we visited a child headed family. Naomi, the eldest, had left school in order to be 'mum' to her younger brothers and sisters (two of them pictured here with Helen). The youngest of these was 11 months old although she was so small she looked much younger. They had very little food and slept in a small concrete room which got very cold at night, particularly during their winter. Because of our visit Leah met with the team of pastors in Zambia and is hoping to find Naomi and her family a home closer to the pastors so they can be looked after more easily.

The second of these was a boy we met who had been orphaned when he was young and so he began to make bricks to sell. He got himself through his entire education by making these bricks and now employs two people. This showed me that many of the people in Serenje really want to help themselves, and we can really help by facilitating this. On the trip we were able to hear many really encouraging stories about the work Kerith is doing in Serenje, but we also saw that there is a huge amount which still needs to be done.'

Going and seeing what is happening in Serenje is both immensely encouraging but also very challenging because the need is great. As we head towards the Gift Days this November 15th and 22nd we're aiming to raise another £100,000 to impact children like Naomi and her brothers and sisters. Please join me in praying for the Gift Days and for Naomi and the many child-headed households she represents.

Serenje penpals

2009-10-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you ladies who visited the tables in reception last Sunday and found a lady in Serenje to start writing to. It's so exciting to see this taking off. The women of Serenje will be so excited when they receive your letters!

If you weren't around last Sunday, it's not too late, as we'll be in reception again this Sunday 18th, after both the morning meetings.

See you tomorrow!

Unique Serenje penpals

2009-10-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

This Sunday 11th October we're launching a new Unique ministry called Serenje penpals. It all began at a Unique breakfast back in 2008 when some of our Kerith ladies wrote letters to the women in Serenje. When Catrina and myself went to Serenje in April this year we were literally mobbed by women handing us letters and asking for penpal from Kerith! Every where we went, women handed us letters to pass on. Mel Watkins has very kindly taken all the letters and is heading up Serenje penpals.

This is an opportunity for us ladies to share our lives and prayers with women in Serenje by exchanging letters. We have more than fifty letters from ladies in Serenje. All of these ladies would love to hear from someone in our church.

The idea is that we'll exchange letters or cards 2-3 times a year, but if just want to write once that is fine.

If you're interested in becoming a Serenje penpal you can sign up this Sunday. Mel will be in reception and you can collect a letter. Completed letters and cards need to be returned to reception at the Kerith Centre by Sunday 7th November so that we can get them to Zambia in time for Christmas.

You can also find out more on the Unique section of the Kerith website

Back home

2009-08-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your prayers and support whilst we were away. We had an amazing trip. The team were brilliant and it was great seeing God use everyone in different ways. It was so good to see Leah and Alex again. Leah works for EFZ and is heading up what we're doing in Serenje. She is based in Lusaka, the capital, but travelled up to Serenje with us. Alex is our Project Officer based in Serenje. They are two of the most incredible people I've ever met. Their commitment and love for the people of Serenje is inspiring.

It's always encouraging to see the amazing work that is being done by EFZ and the pastors on the ground. However the community visits to individual homes revealed the extent of poverty and how much more still needs to be done. Please pray for Leah, Alex and the pastors, as they face overwhelming need.

We didn't distribute the shoes and coats while we there. We felt that it was best that the pastors did this and they are going to email us some photos.

Over the coming weeks and months we'll keep you updated with more stories and photos of what's happening in Serenje.

Special thanks to Jacqui Webber-Gant for updating the blog while we were in Serenje!

One needy family

2009-08-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

We visited a child-headed household of 7 orphans on Tues. The eldest was 15 and youngest was 11 months. The 14 year old daughter was playing mum & had stopped school to look after the others. It was heart breaking. Leah & the pastors are going 2 trying 2 move them nearer to the centre of Serenje so they can look after them better. Please pray for their safety till then.

Zoe

News from Helen

2009-08-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) we visited two local churches for their services. Was great to feel a part of each community. Today I ran a worship training session for about 70 people representing 7 churches. It was an incredible morning of teaching and sharing and God came in real power on the people. It's amazing to see how they are desperate for new teaching and direction (and I loved it too!)

Tomorrow we go to Kashitu with the shoes and coats which were sent over.

Helen.

School Visits

2009-08-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

On Friday we visited Kankosco School which is the school that is partnering with Sandy Lane School. We received an amazing welcome and we were able to take a look at their garden that had changed dramatically since we visited here last time in April.

In the afternoon we visited the school that Garth have partnered with and also gave them the Binfield football kit!

Today we ran the Youth Conference which went really well. We are having an amazing time and everyone is healthy.

Zoe

Posted via text message

News from Pip

2009-07-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

This morning we made home visits. The area was more developed today as there were more children attending school and eating regularly.

In the afternoon we visited a primary school. We were given an amazing greeting with lots of beautiful smiling children and many games were played. It was a lovely day but we are all very tired now.

Please pray for energy for Helen as she plans a worship conference.

Pip x

Posted via text message

Shoes and Coats

2009-07-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

The shoes and coats have arrived! We are hoping to distribute them on Tuesday. Yesterday we visited the plot of land and Ed and Peter helped measure it up.

In the afternoon we were met by 1,500 school children who performed a traditional Zambian dance to welcome us. After that we tried to organise some sports.

Today we're visiting some orphan homes that Kerith has been supporting with food and schooling. What a privilege. Zoe Hayes

Posted via text message.

Arrived in Zambia

2009-07-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Helen: Arrived in Zambia tired but well, but without our luggage! We went to Leah's church this morning in our 3 day old clothes. Luckily African's are very welcoming. They had amazing worship and an inspiring preach and after that we had the opportunity to meet the Bishop.

Ou bags finally arrived so we could change and have tea with the Vice President's wife. It is amazing to realise a shared passion for this country and she has invited us back on ourlast day to meet the first lady of Zambia-quite a day! We journey up to Serenje tomorrow.

Sent via text message from Zoe's phone.

We're off!

2009-07-24T02:46:00.001-07:00

Well tonight at 9pm we fly from Heathrow and head for Lusaka. We'll be in Lusaka for a couple of days and then on Monday we'll drive 5-6 hours north east to Serenje. I received an email from Leah (who heads up what we're doing in Serenje) on Thursday mentioning what we'll be doing this Sunday:

I have been talking to the second lady Mrs Ireen Kunda, the wife to the Vice President of Zambia about the work the EFZ churches are doing in the Serenje communities with the partnership of Kerith church. The Vice President is one of the members of Parliament for Serenje.

Mrs Kunda is very excited about the partnership Kerith church has extended to serve in Serenje and has therefore invited the Kerith Summer team to tea on Sunday 26th July 2009 at 1500hrs (3pm) at Government House. I am making relevant security preparations for the team to get to the Government House and visit with the second lady.

How exciting is that! What an amazing opportunity.

A quick update on the shoes and coats - they're still in Lusaka awaiting government clearance. Please pray they get through whilst we're out there. We'll have a chat with the 2nd lady on Sunday and see if she can put in a good word!

Thanks for all your support and prayers.

We're off to Serenje

2009-07-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

So this Friday evening a team of 8 of us are heading to Serenje for 2 weeks. The team are: Peter and Barbara Knight, Jonathan Hanbury, Rob Plant, Pip Reeves, Helen Cottee, Ed Garton and myself. We are going to be doing a whole range of things, from writing business plans for a guesthouse to go on the land we bought (this is where the dormitory will be built. The guesthouse will bring in money to ensure this project is sustainable), teaching sport, gardening, family planning sessions, sessions with young people on abstinence and respect, setting up a library and much more! We are hoping that we will arrive in time to see the shoes and coats we sent being distributed. We're also taking out a football kit that Binfield Football Club kindly donated through Ian Hudell.

We'd really value your prayers whilst we're away. Please pray for:
- the team in Serenje who have done so much to prepare for our arrival, in particular Alex and Leah.
- that we will be a blessing and make a contribution that will last
- safety in travel
- good health
- God to be at the centre of all that we do.

Thank you for your prayers. We'll keep you posted on how we're getting on!

Thank you

2009-06-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who donated shoes and coats to send to Serenje. It was a real community effort with children from Sandy Lane, mums and children from Sparklers and church contributing. In total we gave 240 pairs of shoes and 160 coats to the children in Serenje. That's a lot of children who can now go to school in the winter because they've got a warm coat and a decent pair of shoes for the long walk. You can see the boxes being collected by DHL from church on Thursday, ready to be flown out to Serenje. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this possible, in particular Penny Lander who headed this up. It's so exciting to know there will be more children in school because of these shoes and coats.

Sharing

2009-06-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

I was watching one of these fashion make-over programmes and they were saying that you should throw out anything you haven't worn for 6 months. One statistic I read recently said 'Women spend £1,000 a year on their wardrobe but only wear 30% of their clothes'. Wow.

We live in a throw away culture don't we? The fashion changes, the size of our body changes (sad but true!), we're bored of it, we don't know why we ever bought it in the first place etc etc.

I have to be honest and admit that I enjoy getting new clothes, and feeling lovely in my new outfit. But when I was in Serenje we met a family whose children wouldn't be able to go to school because they didn't have a warm winter coat or shoes for the long walk to school. And suddenly two such different worlds collide. I have a wardrobe full of clothes and they will miss out on essential education if they don't get a coat and a pair of shoes. Crazy isn't it?

It isn't about guilt, it about sharing what we have, with those that don't. What a privilege to be able to give stuff away. To a friend, to a charity shop or if you have some children's shoes and winter coats in your cupboard, to Serenje. From
Sunday 14th to Monday 22nd June we're collecting shoes and coats to send to the children in Serenje. What we need is:
Shoes for children aged 5-15 (need to be hard wearing-for cold weather and long walks!)
Warm winter coats for children aged 3-15
Please take them to reception and let them know that they're for Serenje.

So while I do enjoy new clothes, I've got a feeling giving some away is going to feel a whole lot better.

Connections

2009-06-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

It's so exciting to see how our connections with Serenje are growing all the time. We had our first team meeting for the group going out to Serenje this summer last week. We're going from the 24th July to the 9th August. Please pray for Alex and the team at EFZ as they prepare for our visit. We're going to be doing a range of things:
-teaching sports and games to schoolchildren
-helping to set up and organise a library
-write a business plan for the guesthouse (this will be on the plot of land we've bought, along with the dormitory)
-teaching gardening skills to a youth group who want to set up a gardening project

But there are a number of other connections with Serenje which are developing. Following on from Sandy Lane partnering with Kankoso primary school, a number of Bracknell schools have expressed interest in partnering with schools in Serenje, so Alex and his team in Serenje are looking into what this will look like.

While we were there in April we heard about 5 deaf children who aren't able to go to school and 2 children who need wheelchairs. We're in the process of getting costings for the deaf children getting to school as well as exploring the best way to provide wheelchairs, with support from an organisation called Wheelchairs for Africa.

We're also collecting shoes and coats for children who stop going to school in the winter because it's too cold for them to walk. For some of them the trip to school can be up to 5 hours there and back. Penny and myself will be providing more details of what's needed and where to bring donations, shortly. The above photo is of Lee and some of the children we met in a village in Serenje called Kashitu, who need coats and shoes for the winter. As you can see they're gorgeous and love seeing themselves on film!!

So it's really exciting and there are lots of ways to get involved with what's happening in Serenje. We are gathering a team to help organise the various projects I've mentioned above. If one of these particularly interests you and you'd like to get involved please contact me (Zoe) - I'd love to hear from you!

News from Serenje

2009-05-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Those of you who were at last night's Prayer Meeting will have seen a 5 minute film from our recent visit to Serenje. Seeing the film reminded me again how exciting it was to seeing the amazing things that are happening there and what a privilege it is to be partnering with such special people.Things are developing all the time.

As Simon has mentioned, we're buying a plot of land. The plan is to build a dormitory and a guesthouse on it. The dormitory is so that when girls move from primary to secondary school they have a safe place to stay. Rather than having to rent accommodation locally and put themselves at risk. The guesthouse is for income generation so that the project is sustainable. I heard today that money for the land is being handed over to the buyer tomorrow. This is great news as it means we've definately got the plot we wanted! You can see from the photos it's a big plot of land.

I also heard that they have been able to purchase 10 bicycles. They will be offically handed over to the Serenje Project Committee tomorrow. Two bikes will be given to each of the 4 communities that we're working in and then 2 bikes will be given to Alex (on the right), who is our amazing Project Officer based in Serenje.

The bikes given to the communities will be loaned out for use in the work of the project - for example pastors or volunteers visiting people living with HIV. By foot these journeys could take hours. You may have heard stories of Alex flying around Serenje on his motorbike while we were there. I learned today that the motorbike isn't his and has to be hired out each time he uses it. So now he has his own bike and another one for people joining him on visits to the communities. What a difference a few bikes can make.

A different future

2009-05-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Serenje is a district of around 144,000 people and we're working in 4 communities. The first of these is a place called Kashitu. The community only has one primary school and because of this, some children walk 56km to get there. This can be a 5 hour round trip. As it's such a long journey some of them sleep on classroom floors Monday to Friday and go home at the weekends. You can see Simon and Alex (our Project Officer in Serenje) standing in front of 2 of the classrooms. Around 30 girls and 30 boys sleep on the floor of these classrooms. As we walk inside my heart drops. They are empty rooms with cold stone floors. In the boys room there is rubble all over the floors and a old wheelbarrow. There are no beds or anything to indicate that children sleep there. The other photo shows how the toilet blocks have sunk into the ground because of the rain.

We chatted with 2 of the teachers in a small room. There were lots of educational posters on the wall, but I noticed on the wall a hand written chart, with the following columns:
-Grade
-Number enrolled
-Girls
-Boys
-Deaths

Deaths. One those poignant reminders of how different our worlds are.
This was our first visit of the trip and it was all very sobering.

But then we walked into one classroom and there were 18 young people and children studying. And we are told that these are children we're sponsoring to go to school. I can't stop a massive smile spreading across my face. Most of them are orphans and they had dropped out of school. But now they're having extra lessons to help them catch up. If you were at church on Sunday you'll have seen Simon show this photo of Mapwe who is 15 and is one the young people we're supporting.

There are lots of challenges in Kashitu, but 18 young people are now going to be part of creating a different future for that community and their families.

Back Home

2009-05-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

It's weird to think that on Tuesday I was watching an African sunrise in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. And now I'm back in Bracknell straight into the routine of work and everyday life. How can two such different places exist in the same world? I'm struck again by the luxury and convenience of my world. In Serenje we stayed in fairly basic accommodation, where we washed using a bucket, the toilet didn't flush properly, we couldn't drink water out of the tap and we ate the same food every day. And yet this was incredible luxury compared to most of the people we met in the villages. And now I'm back home and I have my hot shower, my flushing toilet and my fridge full of my favourite foods. So what do we do with all this? How do we hold these two extremes together?

One way is to stay connected with what's happening in Serenje. I'll be updating this blog around once a month with info, stories, photos and prayer requests that I hope will connect us with individuals and their lives. Please encourage your family, friends and Life Group to sign up to this blog, so we can share what's happening with as many people as possible. Hillsong worship leader Brooke Fraser went on a trip to Rwanda and wrote a song about a little girl she met called Albertine. One line from the song says: 'Now that I have seen I am responsible. I will tell the world, I will tell them Albertine.'

Let's tell the world what's happening in Serenje.

Heaven touches Earth

2009-05-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Our trip is coming to a close and we will be flying home tomorrow a.m. As always the sun is shining and the beautiful green African countryside is at it's best. It has been inspiring spending time with the team in Serenje who are doing such a good job.

I am humbled to see all that God is doing here. We have met orphans who are now at school, we have seen fields full of crops and women who visit those with HIV and pastors who love their communities. The task is huge but many lives are being changed. God a here and something of heaven is touching earth.

Zoe

4th Village

2009-05-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

We visited the 4th village in Serenje that we are working in today. We were met by singing and dancing. We all joined in with the dancing at some point and busted out some moves! Very funny.

In the communities we've visited they have given us a gift. This village overwhelmed us to the point of tears by giving us enough food to cover a rug. I've never wirtnessed such generosity, people who have so little giving so much. The lady giving it said that it is more blessed to give than to recieve. Wow.

Zoe

Alex

2009-04-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we met Alex who is the Project Officer for all we are doing in Serenje. He is an amazing guy who visits the communities every week and helps them in their fields. So far we have sponsored 190 orphans to go to school and meeting some of them today brings it all home.

Today Simon and Sean lead some training for the lcoal pastors, and Lee and Sarah worked with the children's workers and Catrina and I spent time with the women's leaders.

It is so inspiring hearing from women who have lost their husbands to HIV but who are trusting God for their future. They were very keen to be in touch with the Kerith women and many of them wrote letters for us to bring back.

Zoe

Seeds

2009-04-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

We also met a family who we helped buy seeds. It was great to see their field of crops. Recently because of the cold, their previous harvest ran out but because of the extra seeds they didn't go hungry.

Tomorrow Catrina and I are meeting with the women leaders. Please pray that this is a special time of sharing together. Thanks. Zoe

PS. These messages are quite short because they are being sent as text messages via my mobile phone as there is no Internet connection in the area we are visiting.

Wish You Were Here

2009-04-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

I wish all of you could have been with us here today to see what is happening on the ground. This morning after visiting the District Commissioner (the Government official overseeing Serenje) we went to visit Kashitu, one of the four Serenje districts we are involved in.

Although the schools here are on holiday there were 18 orphans who we are sponsoring having catch up lessons to miss up for all the lessons they have missed-how humbling! We also visited a family who have been given seeds as part of the project. Big revelation of the day for me was that monkey nuts(peanuts)grow underground!

From there we travelled about 20 miles to Kankoso School which has partnered with Sandy Lane Primary School in Bracknell-again very exciting to see some of the early results of that-including a garden where they use what they grow to feed the orphans attending the school and to raise money for books.

We also got given a chicken that may be tea tonight! I do wish you could come here and see what is going on here-I think you would be excited by it all.

Hopefully the blogs, as well as the videos and pictures we are going to bring back will provide some substitute.

Simon

Arrival in Serenje

2009-04-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Having got to Lusaka airport at 6 a.m. this morning Zambian time (Zambia is one hour ahead of the UK) after going to a guest house for a shower and some breakfast we went to the the offices of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (the partner we are working with in Zambia) to meet the bishop who leads EFZ.

We then had a five hour drive to Serenje (North East of Lusaka) to meet a group of about 20 pastors and then to a guest house for tea and the comedy of putting up the mosquito nets!

We are all off to bed in a minute as none of us really slept on the plane. Tomorrow we go to see what the project has achieved in three of the four districts in Serenje.

Howard Reece-Smith is off to the local hospital to see how they could partner with the hospital where he works-all very exciting.

I have also been praying for the Alpha courses starting this week-can't wait to hear how they went.

Simon

P.S. I watched Slumdog Millionaire on the plane-very good but I was expecting more laughs and less challenge!

Meeting Bishop Paul Mususu

2009-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Lusaka in the early hours of this morning. After a quick breakfast we met with Bishop Paul Mususu. He talked about the enormity of the issue of HIV in Zambia. He explained that although they can't help everybody they can make a difference.

Together with EFZ we can make a difference in Serenje. He also talked about how the recession has increased the price of maize, which is the staple food. This will impact on huge numbers of the poorest.

We are travelling five hours to Serenje now and will meet with the pastors when we arrive!

Zoe Hayes, Lusaka, Zambia

Welcome to the Serenje blog

2009-04-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

We thought this would be a great way to communicate what we're doing in Serenje, Zambia.

Since our first Kerith trip to Serenje in November 2007, we've developed a 5 year plan in partnership with Tearfund and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ). Here's a reminder of what will be happening over the next 5 years:
• 3000 vulnerable children of school going ages will access education support
• 600 people living with HIV will have access to improved home and community based care through 100 well trained caregivers
• 1000 small scale farmers will have access to improved farming techniques, crop knowledge and seed varieties resulting in household food and income sufficiency
• 120 leaders will be capacitated to initiate and sustain local development programmes.

How exciting to be part of this vision.

In November 2008 we had our first gift day and raised over £100,000! Thank you so much to everyone. A small team of us (Simon and Catrina, Sean Green from the Reading Church, Lee Layton-Matthews, Sarah Boyle, Howard Reece-Smith, Lindsey Reeece-Smith and myself) are going back to Serenje on Monday. We're really excited about seeing everyone again and seeing the difference the money has made to people's lives.

We'd value your prayers while we're away and we'll keep you posted on how we're getting on!