WIPHAN’S SEVENTH-GRADERS OF 2009 GET 100% PASS MARK – GLORY BE TO GOD!

Wiphan feels greatly humbled and at the same time, rejoicing, celebrating and dancing at the remarkable results
obtained by Wiphan’s seventh graders, who did their grade seven nationwide exam and have all made it into grade 8.

REMARKABLE RESULTS, SUPER RESULTS, EXCELLENT RESULTS, AMAZING RESULTS AND ONLY GOD, CAN
MAKE SUCH SUCCESS, A POSSIBILITY – GLORY AND HONOR BE TO HIS HOLY NAME.  GREAT THINGS HE HAS
DONE AND HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!!!

God richly bless you for loving and supporting the orphans of our city, Ndola.  A million thanks for your great
financial support which is enabling orphans at Wiphan to pursue their education with no challenges at all.

Wiphan’s  36, seventh graders of 2009, who wrote the national wide grade seven exam, with the help of their teachers, worked very hard and performed excellently and have all made it into the eighth grade and will soon be taken on by government basic schools – Praise be to God!!

Kanini Basic school, (which is Wiphan’s exam center) has taken on 17 students from Wiphan school – praise be to God.
The remaining 19 students shall be put in various schools.  We shall go around Ndola basic schools this week to find places for  the 19 students.

In the past, and even now, Zambia has had orphans and vulnerable children (13 yrs or 14yrs, very tender age) get into evil devices like DRUGS, PROSTITUTION, STEALING, because they had no parents to take them to school or parents are too poor to afford school for their  children.

Thank you for educating Zambia’s future leaders.  You have not just educated the orphans and the vulnerables at Wiphan, but you have prevented their lives from being destroyed through evil devices.

TONNES AND TONNES OF LOVE,

Kunda for Wiphan.

Beloveds,

Glory, honor, adoration, praises and thanks be to the Lord, our God, who, through His son Jesus Christ, enables
us to do all things!!!. No wonder Paul has said, “we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.” Wiphan Care
Ministries, that was once JUST A DREAM, by the grace of God, has now become a REALITY – PRAISE BE TO GOD!

WIPHAN’S CHRISTMAS FEAST!!!
On behalf of Wiphan-Zambia’s widows and orphans, I would like to express LOTS OF GRATITUDE AND DEEP APPRECIATION FOR SUCH A GREAT AND WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS FEAST the widows and orphans enjoyed on Christmas day.

Because of the high levels of poverty and hunger in Zambia, widows  and orphans are the most hit and affected by hunger. Aaron, the caretaker at Sinia Center, took up the challenge and went around Sinia inviting Wiphan widows and orphans to a great Christmas feast, the following day.

THERE WAS DANCING AND JUBILATION AT WIPHAN’S SINIA CENTER ON CHRISTMAS DAY AS WIDOWS AND ORPHANS GATHERED FOR A SPECIAL FEAST!  WIDOWS AND ORPHANS EXPRESSED GRATITUDE OF HEART FOR SUCH A SWEET CHRISTMAS GIFT. WIPHAN’S WIDOWS AND ORPHANS WILL LIVE TO REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS FEAST!!!

FROM HAVING NSHIMA WITH MANGO LEAVES TO A NUTRITIOUS DECENT MEAL

Mama Mary Banda testifies….

Mama Mary Banda, a widow, in her mid 50s, lost her husband 15 years ago.  She underwent property grabbing and rejection from her in-laws.  Life became very hard for her and it became hard for her to take care of her 15 children. She had 8 girls and 7 boys.  She later thought of marrying off her girls believing that could solve her financial challenges but unfortunately all her girls died of AIDS, leaving her with 8 orphaned grandchildren.  Her 7 boys went into drugs and stealing at their tender age and all of them were shot dead because of engaging in armed robbery in nearby Kitwe. Mama Mary Banda lived in Kitwe for years and she just moved to Ndola this, just ending year in November.

Mama Mary Banda is new in Ndola, Sinia and knows no one. Mama Mary Banda testifies that when she came into Ndola, Sinia, in November, she only had K30,000 ($7 US equivalent) and when she paid K25,000 ($6 US equivalent) rent for her house, she remained with k5,000 ($1 US) which she spent on their food that day and that was it. She started going around Ndola, looking for piece-works (part-time work) that could help her earn some money but to no avail.

Towards the end of November, she managed to find a home where she was asked to do washing of clothes and she would be given little mealie-meal as a payment.  Mama Mary says the first time she did washing of clothes and was given little mealie meal and just enough for one meal, her next question was, ‘WHERE WILL I FIND RELISH TO DO A MEAL FOR MY ORPHANED CHILDREN?’

Mama Mary says that it was hard for her to find relish to give to her grandchildren, and she later thought LEAVES OF MANGO COULD DO AND SHE HER 8 GRANDCHILDREN, HAVE BEEN LIVING ON MANGO LEAVES
WITH NSHIMA.  MAMA MARY SAYS THAT MANGO LEAVES ARE BITTER BUT THAT WAS THE BEST SHE THOUGHT SHE AND HER GRANDCHILDREN COULD LIVE ON.

Three days before Wiphan’s Christmas feast was announced, Mama Mary, was asked to stop washing because the owners of that home left for Lusaka meaning  no work, no mealie-meal and no shima with Mango leaves.  THERE WAS HORRIBLE STARVATION IN HER HOUSE Mama Mary testifies.  To overcome hunger, Mama Mary would get pieces of fabric, tie them around her grands tummies and her tummy, to defeat hunger, close the door and force themselves to SLEEP AND WAIT TO DIE but death seemed TOO FAR AWAY FROM THEM.  God, by His grace and mercy, Mama Mary heard Aaron inviting Wiphan widows, she went and pleaded if she and her grands could come, explained her predicament to Aaron and THE STARVING WIDOW AND HER GRANDS CAME TO THE FEAST AND HAD THEIR LIVES PRESERVED.  GLORY BE TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!!! God must have seen Mama Mary and her grands, almost dying of hunger and He was gracious to meet Mama Mary at the point of her need through WIPHAN’S SPECIAL CHRISTMAS FEAST.

Mama Mary testified that they haven’t had a decent meal in a very long time.  Sausages and meat, beans and cabbages with Nshima on Wiphan’s Christmas feast was such a WONDERFUL MEAL TO SHE AND HER GRANDS.  She says that indeed Jesus was born to save mankind and from now on, she will live to love and worship God and she will live to treasure CHRISTMAS because God has served them from dying of hunger, using Christmas.  Mama Mary says that she loves
Wiphan a great deal.  Praise be to God!!!!

Mama Mary has been taken on as a new student at Wiphan’s skills training and has shown great eagerness to learn a skill that would help her earn a living in future.  Her grands too, have been enrolled at Wiphan’s Sinia center.  Aaron and the cooks saw it fit to give Mama Mary some mealie, beans, Kapenta from Wiphan’s pantry, that could help her feed her orphaned children – PRAISE BE TO GOD, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE AND HE IS GREATLY TO BE
PRAISED.

All the widows and orphans who had attended the Wiphan’s great Christmas feast expressed deep hearfelt appreciation for the delicious meal that was provided for them.  All of them testified that they hadn’t eaten sausage or meat in a very long time and the meal they had on christmas was extremely special.

The song that is being sang at Wiphan is ‘BECAUSE OUR REDEMMER LIVETH, WIPHAN-ZAMBIA SHALL FACE TOMORROW’.  A people,whose life was covered with gross darkness, now have the light of God shine on them. A people, who once had no hope now have hope of facing their future with lots of confidence in and through Christ – glory be to God.

TONNES AND TONNES OF LOVE,

KUNDA FOR WIPHAN

See photos below from the feast…

This is how Kunda describes Christmas in Zambia for she and her family as well as how our orphans and widows will experience this day…

WHAT IS CHRISTMAS TO A ZAMBIAN?
Christmas day to a Zambian means the day THE SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WAS BORN. For believers in Christ, Christmas means the day our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was born. For Christians, Christmas is a very special day when the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ is celebrated and greatly appreciated.
Zambia, being a Christian nation,Christmas day, is a public holiday and most Zambians go to church on Christmas because we do have a church service similar to the usual Sunday service which would be from 9.00hrs to 12.00hrs. The service is centered on the STORY OF THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH. The pastor usually preaches on how Jesus Christ was born, why He was born, His death and resurrection.

HOLY COMMUNION also takes place on Christmas and thereafter, people are free to go back home but they are expected to go back to church from 17.00hrs to 18.00 hrs, for a CANDLE-LIGHT SERVICE AND CHRISTMAS CAROLS ARE SUNG.

After attending a church service, people are free to join friends elsewhere and continue celebrating Christmas. Some people (those who can afford) do have simple family gatherings, invite friends and just celebrate Christmas together. A few people (those who can afford) buy and exchange gifts but the majority don’t do that because they can’t afford.

CHRISTMAS FOR AN ORPHAN AND WIDOW IN THE COMPOUND.
Christmas for an orphan and widow, is a very special day when an orphan or widow thinks of bathing to look presentable and wear a clean set of clothes they probably washed the previous day. They also attend the church service within their area where they are told the story and birth of Jesus the Messiah. After the church service, they return home and have a very special meal, most likely something they haven’t eaten in a long time like chicken or meat – this happens because these families live under a dollar a day so on a daily basis they can only afford caterpillars, small fishes called kapenta, beans and vegetables. So most widows make sure they find piece-work (part time work) and work hard, early December to try and gain K25,000 (this is equivalent to 5 Dollars) to enable them buy chicken and have a delightful meal on the day.

Sadly, if the widow fails completely to find some piece-work and has no money to serve for Christmas, she would then take her children to go into the bush, find fields to hunt for RATS. When rats are caught, they are cooked and eaten with nshima and that can be VERY SPECIAL FOR A WIDOW AND ORPHAN. Rats also make a very memorable meal for orphans and widows.

Praise be to God, for Wiphan supporters, for the meals provided to the orphans at Wiphan. Wiphan orphans will enjoy a very nice meal with soya-chunks on Christmas day. Once again a million thanks for food provided to orphans at Wiphan and the mealie -meal widows and care-givers receive on a monthly basis. Hunger has been lifted off from the homes of widows that come to Wiphan centers. Wiphan-Zambia will remain grateful for the HUNGER-RELIEF PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTANCE FOR THE PAST TWO AND HALF YEARS NOW. GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU WIPHAN SUPPORTERS FOR CONTRIBUTING TO SUCH A NOBLE CAUSE.

GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU ALL. SHALOM AND ENJOY YOUR CHRISTMAS.

Kunda Tumelo

Febby Nguni, a single orphan, is doing her 2nd grade at Wiphan’s Sinia center. Febby Nguni says that her father died when she was very young. Her father died of HIV/AIDS and her mother too is infected with the virus and is on ARVS. Febby says that before she came to Wiphan school, she had very POOR HEALTH. Her sick mother , concluded she too was infected before an HIV test was done but after the test was done, Febby tested negative. The Doctor told Febby’s mother that POOR-NUTRITION WAS THE MAJOR CAUSE OF FEBBY’S POOR HEALTH but Febby’s mother could do nothing about Febby’s poor-nutrition.

When Febby’s mother heard about Wiphan schools, she decided to have her daughter enrollled to Wiphan’s Sinia center. Last year, in January, 2008, Febby got enrolled into the first grade. Febby’s health was very bad. She had SCABIES OVER HER WHOLE BODY AND HER CONCENTRATION IN CLASS WAS POOR. Sister Mary took note of Febby and the challenges she had. Febby became a VERY SPECIAL CASE AND WAS GIVEN VERY SPECIAL ATTENTION BY Sister Mary. She helped the young gal by providing SOYA FOODS apart from medicines. The soya foods, the school meal-program and the medicines from Wiphan’s mobile clinic HAVE HELPED TRANSFORM FEBBY’S POOR-HEALTH INTO STRONG HEALTH AND FEBBY LOOKS VERY HEALTHY NOW. ALL THE SCABIES ARE GONE AND FEBBY IS ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST GALS IN HER CLASS.
Febby says that her coming to Wiphan has helped HEAL HER AND TRANSFORM HER LIFE A GREAT DEAL AND SHE IS VERY GRATEFUL TO GOD AND TO WIPHAN –USA. FEBBY SAYS THAT IF WIPHAN’S MOBILE CLINIC CAME ALONG TIME AGO, HER FATHER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE.
Febby says that before she and her mother came to Wiphan, they would sleep on AN EMPTY STOMACH most of the days but now she has enough food from school that carries her through the day and she and her mother really are grateful to God for the FREE MEDICATION, EDUCATION, MEALS, BOOKS AND PENCILS, SHOES AND JUST THE LOVE SHE RECEIVES FROM WIPHAN. FEBBY SAYS THAT SHE THANKS GOD FOR WIPHAN-USA. WIPHAN-USA, IS A GREAT BLESSING TO HER FROM GOD.

Kambobe Mesha, 13 years old, is doing grade 2 at Wiphan’s Sinia center. Kambobe says that his both parents died almost at the same time, when he was very young. Relations from both his mother’s and father’s side rejected him and never wanted to have anything to do with him. His grandmother, from his mother’s side (in her old age) decided to get him.
Kambobe’s grandmother, being too old had very little help to offer to Kambobe, apart from shelter. Kambobe testified in an interview that food at his grand mother’s house was very scarce and that they would go without food for several days and such a life became ‘hell’ for Kambobe.
Kambobe’s grand mother started asking him to get down town to beg for financial help but that yielded very little help and life for Kambobe kept getting harder and harder. Each time Kambobe returned home without nothing, his grandmother would even beat him up. Kambobe testifies that he and his grandmother slept on an EMPTY STOMACH most of the days. The young boy started wishing HE WAS NOT BORN. Because of hardships, hunger, rejection and unbearable challenges Kambobe faced at a very tender age, he attempted to commit suicide but God saved his life.

In 2006, Kambobe, joined friends who were RAT-HUNTERS. Kambobe’s friends were a little older than him and had been RAT-HUNTERS FOR SOME TIME. Usually, rats are found in the bush and especially in MAIZE AND GROUNDNUT FIELDS. Kambobe learned RAT-HUNTING SKILLS from his friends in the month of May,of 2006. Kambobe testifies that each time they hunted rats, he would take the rats he hunted to his grandmother. The grandmother would go around the Sinia compound begging for mealie-meal. Whenever the grandmother managed to find mealie-meal, she would make nshima, boil the rats in salt and they would eat and that would ‘make their day’. Because of difficulties in finding mealie- meal, Sometimes Kambobe and his grandmother would just eat boiled rats, drink water and that would be it for that day .
Friends to Kambobe forgot to tell him that RAT-HUNTING was not allowed during the rainy season (from November to April) because it is the time FARM-OWNERS till their fields and plant their crops – MAIZE, GROUND-NUTS, POTATOES, MILLET, SORGHUM, CASSAVA, PUMPKINS, ETC, ETC. Kambobe went on with RAT-HUNTING because that became means of SURVIVAL for him and the granny.

In November, 2006, the FARM-OWNER where Kambobe hunted rats from had his farm tilled and crops planted as usual. Kambobe tells his story that he did not stop hunting for rats even after he had seen that the farm-owner had planted crops in his farm. Kambobe BECAME A GREAT DISTURBANCE TO THE FARM-OWNER because the young boy would end up destroying beds and crops that were planted as he SOUGHT FOR RATS TO HUNT. The owner of the farm prayed to God and asked Him to EXPOSE the person who had become a DESTROYER of his farm.

In January of 2007, Kambobe was CAUGHT by the owner of the farm with a lot of HUNTED-RATS. THE OWNER OF THE FARM TOLD KAMBOBE THAT HE WOULD NOT TAKE HIM TO THE POLICE TO HAVE HIM BEATEN UP AND DESCIPLINED BUT WOULD HAVE HIM ENROLLED INTO SCHOOL BECAUSE SCHOOL WAS THE BEST THING KAMBOBE NEEDED. The farm-owner told Kambobe. For sure the farm-owner, brought Kambobe to Wiphan’s Sinia center and had him enrolled into the first grade, without the knowledge of the grand mother. The farm owner met with Kambobe’s granny after the enrolment.
Kambobe testifies that he and the grandmother REALLY THANK GOD FOR THE FARM-OWNER, WHO HELPED HIM FIND WIPHAN SCHOOL. KABOMBE SAYS THAT FROM THE TIME HE CAME TO WIPHAN SCHOOL, HIS LIFE TOOK A NEW TURN. THE YOUNG BOY ENJOYS SCHOOL AND HE IS VERY DETERMINED TO STUDY HARD AND BECOME A DOCTOR. KAMBOBE IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE MEAL PROGRAM AT SCHOOL AND THE BAG OF MEALIE MEAL HIS GRANNY RECIEVES FROM WIPHAN. HUNGER IS NOW A THING OF THE PAST AND HE AND THE GRANNY ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR WIPHAN-USA FOR THEIR LOVE AND CARE.

Improvements to this campus are coming along nicely. The new addition is quickly going up, water is running and we have power as well!! Thank you to all who are helping make this possible! Check out the pictures below…

Progress of new addition.

Water at Sinia Campus

Notice anything different in this picture? We have lights!!

Here are Kunda’s interviews…

Priscilla Katongo

Father to Priscilla is deceased. He passed on, on 02.08.2006. When Priscilla’s father died, her mother took custody of her and the rest of her siblings. Priscilla, testifies that as a family, they went through a lot of rejection after the death of her father. No one (both neighbors and relatives) wanted to associate with them because everyone believed they (as a family) were carrying their late father’s GHOST.
Wherever Priscilla went, friends would shun her and run away from her. Priscilla, was at a certain community school before she came to Wiphan and she left her first school because her classmates were running away from her because they believed she had a GHOST OF HER LATE FATHER. When the mother heard about Wiphan Care Ministries and discovered it was embracing widows and orphans, right away Priscilla’s mother brought her and enrolled her at Wiphan’s Sinia center.
Priscilla is very grateful to the Lord for the LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE she has found at Wiphan. Priscilla says that she feels very much at home being at Wiphan. After being prayed for, Priscilla no longer feels she has a ghost. She feels very FREE AND LIBERATED, spiritually and emotionally. Priscilla says that her mother has no job. She just does piece-works and earns very little money and because of that they have little food at home and Priscilla is very grateful to God for the meal-program that has been introduced for the kids at Wiphan schools and also the bag of mealie-meal her mother gets once a month from Wiphan, have been of great help to them as a family. Priscilla says that HUNGER , AT HOME, IS THE THING OF THE PAST. Priscilla now concentrates more in class than she did at her former school and she is very grateful to the Lord. Priscilla feels God loves her so much by being connected to her pen-pals in the States and she is extremely PROUD OF HER U.S.A PEN-PALS.
Priscilla says she loves and appreciates Wiphan-Usa a great deal because they have been a great blessing to her.

Davison Chanda

The father to Davison is deceased. He passed on approximately when Davison was 4 years old. Davison also testifies that he and his young sister, Memory Chanda (doing grade 1 at Wiphan’s Sinia center) suffered from REJECTION because people around them believed they carrying a ghost of their late father. Davison’s mother does piece-works on farms and goes away for long periods of time, hence they are left with the grand-mother to fend for them. Grandmother is too old to do a thing, therefore, there’s little or no food at all at home. Davison says that he has found a SWEET LOVING AND CARING FAMILY AT WIPHAN CARE MINISTRIES. Davison says that, he and his sister Memory, have found A WONDERFUL HOME AT WIPHAN.
The food they receive from Wiphan’s meal program has been of great help to them and has kept them nourished and helps him concentrate a lot in class. Davison says that his former school never provided food and so it was very hard for him to concentrate in class because they would go without food, at home, for 2 – 3 days but now it is easier for him to concentrate with the meal programme and that is also one of the reasons Davison is top in class. Davison is very grateful to God for the pen-pals he has in the USA.
Davison says that he is very determined to study extra hard, get educated and become a dignitary in society. Davison says that he is very grateful for the shoes, t-shirt, pencils, books and all the blessings he’s been receiving from Wiphan-Usa. He says he will hold Wiphan-Usa in GREAT AND HIGH ESTEEM ALL HIS LIFE, for all they have done for him. Davison says that, God bless Wiphan-Usa abundantly and richly, for being such a great channel of blessings to him and his young sister.

Tonnes and tonnes of love,
Kunda for wiphan

From Kunda…

MICHEAL’S ESCAPE FROM WITCH-CRAFT
Micheal Ngandwe tells his story……….

Micheal Ngandwe, now doing grade seven at Wiphan Mapalo center, was born in 1994.  father died when he was 3 years old. Micheal is now kept by his widowed mother, aged 50 years.

Micheal testifies that when his father died, the young brother to his late father decided to get him so that he could raise him up. The most unfortunate thing was that Micheal’s uncle had a TERRIBLE AND EVIL AGENDA against Micheal. Micheal’s uncle used to be a WITCH and wanted to initiate Micheal into witchcraft. At age 9, Micheal started having very strange dreams. He would dream someone RIDING ON HIM and taking him to different homes and being used to kill people. Sometimes Micheal would dream he was in the graveyard doing witchcraft rituals with his uncle but he kept failing to understand what was really happening to him because he was too young to grasp a thing. Then suddenly Micheal fell very ill to a point of death. Micheal’s uncle cared less and never bothered to inform the mother. Later, concerned neighbors made efforts to inform the mother about Micheal’s illness. Micheal’s mother traveled and got her son from his deadly uncle.

Micheal’s mother, a believer in Christ, and a member of Wiphan church,  trusted God for the healing and deliverance of her son and with the help of other Wiphan church members, Micheal was prayed for and thank God that God touched and Healed Micheal miraculously.

A month later, Micheal’s mother decided to have her son enrolled at Wiphan school in Mapalo. Micheal testifies that Wiphan school has been a GREAT ‘HOME’ for him. Micheal says that his life has been blessed beyond what he can explain. He never knew how to read and write but now he knows. He says that he is very determined to study extra hard so that by the grace of God, he will become one of the DIGINITARIES in society who will bless his family and the nation of Zambia.

Few months later, Micheal’s uncle visited and made an OPEN CONFESSION. He confessed it was him who killed the father to Micheal so that he could initiate Micheal into the witchcraft he was involved in. Praise be to God that Micheal’s uncle was told the word of God and was helped to repent and later threw away the witch-craft he had.

MICHEAL SAYS HE WILL LIVE TO PRAISE AND HONOUR THE NAME OF THE LORD BECAUSE OF THE GREAT THINGS GOD HAS DONE FOR HIM AT WIPHAN – PRAISE BE TO GOD.

BRIDGET NDASHI TELLS HER STORY……………

Bridget, now doing grade seven at Wiphan, Mapalo center, was born in 1993. Her father died in 1998, when she was 5 years old. Relations from her late father’s side rejected them. Bridget and her mother had nowhere to turn to. When the mother to Bridget heard about Wiphan, she had her daughter  Bridget enrolled to Wiphan school, at Mapalo center.

Bridget testifies that life became extremely hard after the passing on of her father. Food in their home became scarce and HOPE to face TOMORROW
was all gone. At age 8, an evil man, (from the neighbouhood) took advantage of Bridget’s and her mother’s poverty and started to ABUSE the young gal. The first time Bridget was sexually abused, she was given money (very little money) AND  was warned not to mention it to her mother or anyone. a few days later, Bridget was found with a sexually transmitted disease and after being interogated by the mother she disclosed the evil that was happening to her. Thank God that the abuser was caught and jailed.

When the mother heard about Wiphan, she started bringing her daughter for prayers and later, had her enrolled into Wiphan school and Brigdet testifies that life took a NEW TURN from the time she enrolled at Wiphan school. She testifies that illiteracy has gone off her life and she is determined to study extra hard and become a nurse.

Bridget says that she enjoys learning, she enjoys the meals and she thanks God for the shoes they got last year. Bridget says that she never had shoes for many years and most of the time she had deep wounds becuase of hitting her feet against stones and sometimes becuase of stepping on sharp items. Bridget says she is very grateful to the Lord that WIPHAN EXISITS – PRAISE BE TO GOD.

GLORY AND HONOUR BE TO THE LORD, OUR GOD. GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE AND HE IS GREATLY TO BE PRAISED.  Many stories about the goodness of God to His people at Wiphan shall continue coming.

TONNES AND TONNES OF LOVE,

Kunda for Wiphan

Many, if not all of these orphans, come from under privileged communities. And when they go to a community school, it is likely that they are going to school for the very first time, regardless how old they are. So when asked about their ages, they simply do not know.  The reason why the children do not know their dates of birth is simple…many of them were never told.

The orphaned children might have lost their parents at a very young age so they have no way of knowing what-so-ever when their parents died or how old they where and so they might have a year in mind, except no exact dates of when they were born. As it is at now in Zambia, the government does not have any program that takes care of orphaned children. And so when children are orphaned it is up to relatives of the deceased parents to take care of them (if the relatives are willing that is or if there are any relatives at all). So when there is no relative willing to take in children when they are orphaned, these children are on their own. They start living on the streets, because they have no shelter. They start fending for themselves and life for them is about surviving. For young girls, they are forced to get married.  They do not care how old they are, that’s if they ever knew how old they were. When and if they get a chance to be in school, they have no knowledge of how old they are at all.

In some situations, some orphans are fortunate enough to be taken in by relatives. These, however, are not their parents and they don’t bother, or even think it is their responsibility to find out anything about these children. For them, taking care of these children is help enough that they don’t want to go looking for information like birth certificates especially when they haven’t found any use for such information and so again.  They don’t know care to remember when the children were orphaned even though it is likely that they might have a year in mind so it is all about making estimations at the end of the day.
For some children that are single orphans living with either their mothers or fathers, it is not the fault of the child at all. The parent does not know or even care to remember when their  own child was born. Most of such parents are those that have never had an education. They have not known how important it is to know or be aware of one’s own age. What happens in Zambia is when someone is born, they are given a temporary certificate of birth. So it is then up to the parents of that child to purse an original certificate of birth later on. It is a long process and so when a parent doesn’t understand the importance of the certificate they simply do not follow through on the permanent certificate.

Wiphan is working hard to try to provide support for these children and caretakers.  Wiphan’s role in these communities has already created positive and necessary change.

Abigail for Wiphan

Glory, honor, adoration, praises and thanks be to the
Lord, our God, who, through His son Jesus Christ, enables us
to do all things!!!. No wonder Paul has said “we can do all
things through Christ who gives us strength. Wiphan Care
Ministries, that was once JUST A DREAM, by the grace of God,
has now become a REALITY – PRAISE BE TO GOD!

As usual and as per Wiphan custom,  Monday, being the assembly day, assembly, at both centers was conducted, where the Word of
God was shared to the kids, (by Aaron, this time around and also prayers were conducted to commit the week in the hands of the
almighty God. Pastor Aaron is proving to be a great blessing to Wiphan kids and we greatly thank God for his skill of playing the guitar.
An additon of singing songs with a guitar, as Aaron plays the guitar and the kids singing along side him, has brought a lot of joy and excitement both to the teachers and the kids. Assembly for kids, has become such an exciting thing ever!!!!!Aaron ministered to the kids at Mapalo and it was extremely exciting.

Wiphan-Zambia is already considering music and learning how to play a guitar, as one of the skills that can be taught to the kids.  A million, million thanks to Adam and his wife for donating such a wonderful gift – GUITAR. God richly bless you, wonderful saints.

When assembly time was over, kids could not let Aaron go – ha, ha, ha, ha!

Sr. Mary was called upon to attend to the students who had very serious Malaria cases and praise be to God that today all are well and strong.

Wiphan-Zambia ended her ministerial activities on a very
inspiring conference call with Wiphan-Usa.  It
was good to hear the voices of the wonderful saints in Christ.

WIPHAN-ZAMBIA HAS BECOME A ‘CAPE’ OF GOOD HOPE’, A PLACE OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE FOR THE ILLITERATE, A PLACE OF ACCEPTANCE FOR THE REJECTED, A PLACE OF JOY AND EXCITEMENT FOR THEM THAT GRIEVE and hope for the
hopeless widows and orphans and the vulnerables generally speaking.  Orphans who completely lost hope of having an opportunity to go to school, now have hope to at least even get basic education and skill that will sustain them, to the glory and honor of the almighty God.

The song that is being sang at Wiphan is ‘BECAUSE OUR REDEMMER
LIVETH, WIPHAN-ZAMBIA SHALL FACE TOMORROW’.  A people,
whose life was covered with gross darkness, now have the
light of God shine on them. A people, who once had no hope,
now have hope of facing their future with lots of confidence
in and through Christ – glory be to God.

More news next week and bye for now.

TONNES AND TONNES OF LOVE,

KUNDA FOR WIPHAN.