We were finally able to deliver a container of goods to the Helen DeVos Christian School that was sent by Operation Outreach in Washington Courthouse, OH. We say finally because it took Customs nearly a month to release the goods to us. They were on strike! How thrilled we were to finally see 149 brand new desks, donated by Goad International, Orlando, FL. You cannot imagine how much excitement could be generated by new desks! The ones the students were using were kept together with "sticks and glue."

Classes were completely disrupted when the loaded truck pulled into the school yard. Boys and girls ran outside to the truck jumping and shouting. They had all the new desks unloaded and in the classrooms in minutes. No longer would they have to sit squeezed three to a bench. They each would have a brand new desk, one of their very own!

January 2008, the Helen DeVos Christian School is targeted to open with a new structure for over 350 pupils. Students who have been attending our Faith Works primary schools in the community of Kanyama will be enrolled. These young people are all either orphans, or come from very vulnerable households. Until the Faith Works schools opened, they were not able to attend school at all, but now they are part of a school system that aspires to excellence. Knowing that their future life depends on their studies today, Faith Works pupils work hard to take every advantage of the opportunity to learn. Each of them realize that together, you the friends that give and pray, and they, the ones getting good grades are glorifying God—and it is good.

Gifts for the DeVos matching fund are coming in, but we still have a ways to go. You can give by choosing the DeVos matching fund option at Support ACE.

Posted by ACE Staff at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier this year forty people, most of them women, were chosen to participate in a micro-enterprise program designed to help them start a small, but sustainable business. Many of the participants are guardians of children at House of Moses or our other Crisis Nurseries. With the help of this program, called Heaven's Blessing, these guardians will be able to provide a home and food for the children of relatives who have died.

Heaven's Blessing is a two and a half pound plastic package of ground corn, or "mealie meal", the staple food for Zambian families. Maize is ground and packaged at our hammer mill in the center of Kanyama, a Lusaka shantytown. Participants are grouped into cells, with five in each group. Ten packages of meal, each called a pamela, are given to each participant each day for six weeks. As they sell, they pay back the "loan" at the wholesale price of the mealie meal. In six weeks the new business people can have their loan paid and own enough mealie meal to keep the business moving at a level that will give them support for their families. We are extremely proud of all the participants, and we pray for their success as they work to care for their own children.

The Saturday before the first pamelas were to be distributed, students from our 8th grade showed up to volunteer with the packing and weighing. Having been helped themselves, they were quick to offer their help to others.

Posted by ACE Staff at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"My name is Anne Warfield and I am a pre-school teacher at Webster Groves Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. This past December (2006), I attended a concert performed by the African Children's Choir... "That's how zambiakids.org begins and it's well worth exploring this outstanding website in depth.

Anne has spent a lot of time building the site documenting her visit to Zambia and we here at ACE are truly blessed by her effort. We highly recommend visiting zambiakids.org and spending the time to explore the photos and read Anne's comments and impressions of Zambia, Zambian kids, and the work that Alliance for Children Everywhere does in Zambia and in the U.S. Kudos to you Anne for a fine job!

Posted by ACE Staff at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)