Ebenezer
"A place to call home and someone to call mother"
Friends of Ebenezer Child Care Report UK April 2013
It was a very different arrival at Livingstone Airport for us this year. First of all, Ranji, who runs ECCT, was not there to greet us. She had been taken ill while visiting her son's family in Cape Town and was in hospital. After treatment, she returned to Livingstone only three days before we flew home. But at least we did get to meet up with our dear friend again, albeit briefly.
How amazing, then, that the couple who felt it was right to come and assist Ranji in Ebenezer actually arrived right at this point of need! After years of discussion with us, plus much heart-searching and prayer, they left 19 years of life in Lesotho behind them and set off in faith.
Meet Dr. Prithiviraj and his wife, Delrine, Prithi and Del:-
Prithi has degrees in Dentistry and Theology. In Lesotho, he had been in charge of the dental department in Q11 Hospital, Maseru for 6 years, after which he became the Business Manager of 3 Primary Health Care Clinics, managing 150 staff. Delrine is a qualified nurse with additional training in play therapy. We have seen them both in action and are thrilled that their many skills will be a blessing to staff and children alike at Ebenezer.
Two Cornish Schools have provided a bright new school uniform for the Ebenezer Schoolchildren.
This year we carried out three suitcases full of uniforms and sports equipment for these vulnerable children. The smiles on their faces say it all! Roselyon School decided to change their school uniform and telephoned us to ask if we would like to take these delightful red gingham dresses out to the Ebenezer children. Of course, we were thrilled to do just that! Summercourt School also support Ebenezer and, with money raised from various events, red t-shirts were purchased for the boys. There were even enough for the teachers!
Best and Annette want to say a very big thank you to the staff and children at Roselyon and Summercourt Schools.
Summercourt School also sent out footballs plus cricket and rounders equipment. Football is their favourite game, but we had great fun teaching them cricket and rounders!
Completing a Rounder!
Tockwith School also did Ebenezer proud again this year with their delightful dresses, “HANDMADE WITH LOVE.”
Clothes for the toddlers were hand knitted by Judy Allen in St Austell.
At school the children have been using visual aids made by Pensilva primary School, Liskeard, including laminated letters and numbers:-
The Farm
Keith visited the farm with Prithi, Ian and Andrew, who is Ebenezer's faithful driver. They brought back juicy oranges and a truckload of maize cobs which later had their kernels removed by the gardeners and older children. The kernels were then stored in bags ready to be ground into flour and boiled into the Zambians' staple food called "NSHIMA."
Minimum Wage
The Zambian Government is introducing a mandatory minimum wage throughout Zambia from 1st June 2013. This will impact on the running costs of ECCT quite considerably. Your continued support of ECCT is hugely valued.
New Development
Ranji’s husband, Dr. Nage Chara, is planning to set up a medical centre on a plot of land adjacent to where the new Ebenezer school buildings will be erected. He has planning permission, and a grant from WWDP in the UK to make a start on Stage 1. Keith and Anne were appointed to the committee along with four Zambian nationals and attended two committee meetings during April.
Because the medical mission will be run on a business model with a charity heart, it has to be formed separately but alongside ECCT. Patients who can afford tests and treatment will be charged at the set rate. There will be a subsidy for those who cannot afford it. No one will be refused. All orphans will be free.
Dr. Chara is standing by the structure which will support the water tanks. It will double as a home for the security guard.
The second committee meeting was hosted
by Mrs. Gladys Kristofar.
And congratulations to Head Teacher, Leah, and to Administrator, Ian, on the birth of their son, Israel Maliseni.
We hope you have enjoyed reading the news and updates from our 2013 trip to Ebenezer, Zambia.
Thank you so much for being friends of Ebenezer Child Care with us,
Keith and Anne Olford
