In our two most recent meetings, the first with the District Commissioner and the second with the Mayor, we received not only a warm welcome, but helpful advice, and much encouragement.
Waiting to see the District Commissioner.
Items discussed with these gentlemen:
Water: Zambia has plenty of water though it is all polluted. The government is attempting to address this issue, but the chemicals required to make the water safe to drink cost one million kwacha ($3000.00 USD) each day, an untenable amount for such a poor economy. What is needed is to replace the pipes for the city, but again the cost is prohibitive.
Group shot with the District Commissioner.
Projects: Secure several acres of land near Kantolomba for a farm; get bicycles for people to get around; bring medical people from the states to train locals in midwifery, ARVs (AIDS drugs), nutrition, water purification techniques, etc. (mayor would give certificates to people who complete the programs); begin a mosquito netting factory (this idea was very well-received as there are no factories for netting in the Copperbelt Province); ARVs are free at government clinics, but CD 4 count tests (a requirement for getting ARVs) are only performed at hospitals and cost 40,000 kwacha (about $12). We plan to find out how much a CD 4 machine would cost and to purchase one for Kantolomba. Our plan for a Community Center (a building including the medical center for testing and distribution of ARVs, mosquito nets, and other simple health care services, a school, the sewing cooperative, adult education including literacy, pre-natal, computer lab, general health care, etc.), was most enthusiastically received.
A poster in the Mayor’s office.
At one point the Mayor said to us, “We have so many angels who come here to help us. You come to invest in us, in our community. We want to do everything we can to help you help us.” He then explained to us the very simple land policy that exists in Zambia. Deeds are granted for 99 years, land is readily available, and will be made available to Living Compassion for the community center and a farm. We apply, with the aid of our area councilor, to the city council which meets once per month to decide whether or not to agree to such a proposal, and once the application is accepted the land will be deeded to us in one to three months. When asked what he sees as the primary problem in Ndola, the Mayor answered that in his opinion the standard of living in the compounds is the greatest difficulty the city faces.
Cheri shaking hands with the Mayor.
During our visit with the District Commissioner he said, “Those children at Masala, the nine children from Ikelenge, the children of Kantolomba, never dreamed someone from California whom they don’t even know would come all this way, not even knowing them, just to help them.” Having been to the States he knew very well the seventeen hour plane ride and once again acknowledged our commitment.
Group shot with the Mayor.