Do Dreams Become Reality?
Friday night before Joann and I left we had one fantastic last dinner at Hope House with the children and staff. It was the first time I had “village rice”–which I loved, but anyone who knows me won’t be surprised at that. When I asked about the rice and told them how good it was, Margaret did her “laugh of approval” and Charles said that this officially made me a Zambian. After dinner, with the children sitting on the floor in the family room and the staff squeezing onto sofas behind them, Margaret delivered a great speech. She spoke directly to the children but we were all listening intently:
“Three years ago Charles, Rich and Mr. Mwale stood right here on this land and it was bush—nothing but weeds and dirt, no people, no houses, no buildings. But as they stood on this land, they dreamed this would be the perfect place for an orphanage and school, a place where children would run and play and learn. Look where we are today—we are here in a new home, the school is opened, we are feeding and educating hundreds of children including all of you here in this home. This dream became a reality. And that is why it is important for you to dream. Because when you dream, you open the opportunity for it to become a reality.”
It was a strong reminder to me of why we do what we do. We build partnerships that help vulnerable children achieve their potential. And the Spark-Hope partnership is doing just that. Our dreams for the children of Ndola, Zambia are becoming a reality…thanks to so many people who have believed in this dream with us and trusted and invested in Spark Ventures.