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...
Read MoreAfter a rather structured morning that took us around Ndola to see and learn about the effects of colonialism, slavery and HIV/AIDS, Jamie, one of our trip participants, and I were certainly feeling a bit weighed down.I find that it's precisely in these moments when...
Read MoreMargaret, who used to be the manager of a major bank, is the deputy director of Hope Ministries. She is also a tall and wonderfully hilarious woman who has consistently had the best one-liners on every single trip I've taken here.Half the time I feel...
Read MoreAlthough in Zambia education is supposedly free from Grades 1-9, costs for school fees, uniforms, books and supplies add up to the point that many students cannot afford to complete even this level of basic education.To ensure that Hope's Grade 7 graduates (who have performed...
Read MoreIs it odd to say that 2.5 hour budget meeting this morning made my day?! :)I got to spend the bulk of the morning with Charles and Margaret to work on solidifying Hope's 2012 monthly budget. Going line by line with everything from textbooks to...
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I love seeing ingenuity anywhere, but somehow when it comes from kids, it always seems extra amazing.This morning, the son in my host family, Nkhongono, showed me an incredible and resourceful game he and Jeff, one of the children at Hope House, made over the...
Read MoreOne of my favorite things to do when I come to Zambia is to record what we call Transformation Stories. These are stories of children in incredible and challenging circumstances who are steadily transforming their lives through education and the support of Hope Ministries.Today, Pastor...
Read MoreIt’s been a morning of reunions here at the Hope Ministries office. It is always fun to see and reconnect with the wonderful Hope staff members like Pastor Judy, Ba Margaret and Mama Agatha as well as meet the newest staff members, including Thelma and...
Read MoreFor most people I know, jet lag means waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep. For me, jet lag normally means sleeping twice as much as usual, which has made the past day here a bit...
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