942.6 kilometres

Amos out in the bush

Amos (our Toyota Prado) and I took trip with the church’s Compassionate Ministries/Economic Development office last week. I drove; Amos motored. We covered 942.6 kilometres on our cross-province trek to Sesheke, Zambia, a border town with Katima, Namibia.

Sesheke is a small, rowdy town lined with strips of shack shops and decorated with empty beer bottles. It boasts the only bakery within a three-district radius, and is also home to a 24-hour disco nite club. No joke.

The surrounding communities of Sesheke are full of poverty and AIDS. In many areas even basic sanitation needs are still unmet. If there are pit toilets, the holes are mostly surrounded by sticks and maybe a bit of cloth or some old pieces of wood). In some areas people routinely walk 2.5 to 3 kilometres just to fetch water. Often, families are using the same water (from the Zambezi) for watering animals, washing clothes, cooking, and drinking.

a government school we visited (still in use)

With minimal education opportunities and almost no developed industry in the area, our work in Sesheke focuses on what Sesheke has—like trees (timber), sand, land, and even the mighty Zambezi which winds its way between Zambia and Namibia.

an HIV Support Group named God Knows

Sesheke also has community. It was a pleasure to visit two HIV Support Groups. These support groups meet together to encourage each other in many different aspects. Topics discussed and promoted in the groups include adherence to HIV medicine treatments, care of orphans and widows (specifically HIV orphans), and ending gender-based violence (husbands beating their wives, adults beating children, men using women as objects, etc.).

handicrafts

data collection

a second HIV Support Group named SEEDS

In addition, the support groups are working on small income generating projects to fund their community involvement. Two of the groups’ projects have been rearing chickens (practicing techniques learned from one of the church's agriculture officers), and making and selling hand crafts.

a diagram I drew of a mango seed for the economic development workshop
"Think Livelihood"

workshop participants

use what God has given YOU

After hearing so much about development work going on in Sesheke, it was really great to visit the area, meet new friends, try my mouth at greetings in yet another language (we have over 70 languages here in Zambia!), and see some of the progress that is happening. It’s good to know God meets us where we are and His love and approval are not based on any circumstances that surround us.

at the Zambezi with two co-workers, the Sesheke BIC pastor, and another man

If you’d like to partner with economic development work in Sesheke (or in other parts of Zambia!), please contact me. The motivation behind the church's development training efforts is God's holistic interest in people. It’s beautiful to partner with the church in reaching out to meet not just spiritual needs, but also social, emotional, and physical needs as well.

the Mighty Zambezi