We are soo grateful to all of those who have and who continue to contribute to Take Heart! Below is an update describing the good the money is doing for so many people.

Kapoma School: The well we dug, funded by a donor, now needs maintenance that will restore clean water to the school once again. The challenge is that the original teachers have left the school, leaving only two teachers and a headmaster to teach over 200 pupils each day. The government has promised to hire more teachers, but we have no direct contact with the school right now. Gilbert Mwamba checks in from time to time and sent us these photos this month (January 2021). Pupils continue to meeting both in the old building — which has not been upgraded — and in the new building, which was constructed by Take Heart. The new building needs some repair and paint, which will happen sometime this year during a school break. Gilbert will oversee the maintenance.

Scholarships: For the past 4 years, Take Heart has sponsored one of Gilbert’s twin daughters at boarding school; his kids must travel in order to attend intermediate and high school. Mary and Memory — his oldest children — finished high school in December 2020 and took the national examinations. When the results are posted later this month, they will apply to nursing college and hope to begin their nursing course in May. Nursing college usually take 3 years. Take Heart plans to cover most expenses.

For the past year, Take Heart has also sponsored Collins, Gilbert’s youngest brother, in nursing college. Fees are $1500 / year, which includes room and board as well as tuition. He also needed a laptop, uniforms, and other materials. He took his first year exams in December and has started year two of his program.

Take Heart also sponsors Boniface, the pupil whose club feet were surgically corrected courtesy of Take Heart 9 years ago. Boniface will enroll in a computer course in February 2021, sponsored by Take Heart. This course should enable him to find a stable job after he completes the one-year course. (Below is a photo of Boniface recently, and a photo from before his surgery 9 years ago.)

Finally, Take Heart sponsored the education for Amos Phiri from when he was 14 until he graduated from the University of Lusaka. Amos now teaches at a rural school, and has wanted to purchase land for a farm to enable his brother and sister — both farm laborer — to have a better life. Amos planted bananas and pineapples — long term crops — and maize, a short term crop. His brother’s younger family now lives in the small house on the farm in exchange for labor. Amos may need further assistance from time to time until the bananas and pineapples are ripe and ready for market. Amos was the first in his extended family to attend school. We hope the farm will allow his brother’s young family to attend school and have a better future. The pandemic has presented several challenges to this teacher.

Amos has 2 little girls: Shirley, born in June 2018, and Shirleen, born in September 2020. Amos paid the fees for his wife to complete college after their marriage.