Goodbyes in Ndola
Today was a bittersweet day as we said goodbye to the staff and students at Hope Ministries in Ndola. Tomorrow morning we’ll drive to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to see the poultry farm that Spark helped to launch in May 2011 and that has already started to help fund Hope Ministries’ child programs.
I’m particularly excited about visiting the farm after having visited the building that Hope used to rent as a school building before Spark helped to build the Shelby Goldstein Schoolhouse. When we came upon the school yesterday, we saw that there was another school in session.
Two teachers were juggling seven grades with a total of 130 students in two classrooms. When founded only a year ago, the school had received its funding from a wealthy Zambian donor. The donor pulled the support just a few months into the project, and how the school is struggling to survive.
I had heard of this school from Hope earlier, and seeing it for myself immediately made me think of just how important the farm will be to Hope’s long-term strength, empowerment and success. I’m looking forward to sharing with our investors our vision for how local businesses can sustain social impact for children around the world.
Wish us luck and good weather for our five-hour drive! 🙂