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Meet our energetic, cheerful, and beautiful Marian Mulilo. She is one of the girls in the program here at Living Compassion. Marian helps around the sewing room and with anything that needs to be done. She has been with Living Compassion for some time. Her mother has gone away and the children are on their own. We love Marian!

This is Charity, a loving mother and a dedicated staff member. She carries herself with warmth and patience, balancing her responsibilities at work with care and attention. Charity is a mother of six, two boys and four girls, and a grandmother of three. Here she is washing a pot after serving the food.

Veronica takes some time at the end of her work day to prepare food for her family at home.

Aunties Beatrice and Audria sitting on the veranda at Living Compassion. Auntie Beatrice is a tutor and teaches our four-year-olds. She is also a proud mother of seven boys and one girl, all grown up. Three of her children are teachers, and her husband is also a teacher. This is a family of teachers! Auntie Audria is a volunteer who cooks for the children here. She is a mother of seven children. The youngest of her daughters is at Oremus School in town. Living Compassion is sponsoring this daughter, enabling our girls in Kantolomba to make a difference in our community.

Here are our little ones from Beatrice's class, sitting outside warming themselves in the sun before class. They are carrying lunch boxes with them to bring food home. This has become a norm with the little ones. Such cute hearts--they think of their siblings at home.

Our Aunties Zilo Lungu and Prisca Sinkamba are clearing a pile of sand in the area where the children play. The playing field needs to be leveled so our little ones have a nice place to play.

Emelda, Florence, and Elizabeth prepare veggies in the kitchen. The Team starts preparing food for the day very early in the morning so that it is eaten fresh. Our menu is as follows: On Monday, green veggies and soya chunks with nshima. On Tuesday we have rice with eggs, which is a delicacy and is loved by both the adults and children. On Wednesday we have nshima with beans, which is prepared on Tuesday as it takes time to cook again. This is delicious and we really enjoy it. On Thursday we have nshima with soya chunks and cabbage. On Friday we have our favorite, peanut butter rice. On Saturday we have time for activities. We play with the children's ball and reflect on our week's work. On Sunday we go to church and prepare for Monday.

Joyce dances while the little ones sing for her. This is great exercise and is good for warming up, as the weather is chilly in the morning.

One of our girls, Cheri, enjoyed breakfast in the kitchen area. She is eating goodies made by our bakery team.

We are glad that after graduating from nursing school, Mirriam Mutale is slowly being given some tasks here in Kantolomba. Here she sits with Marian after a health talk. Marian has stomach upsets and has visited the clinic. Mirriam has been assigned to oversee the progress of Marian's health, since Mirriam is Marian's nearest contact person in Kantolomba. Mirriam has also been assigned to Cheri, and Cheri's baby is doing well so far.

Our mothers do in style here what they know best, which is cooking. Here Elizabeth, our very own Regina's daughter, cooks veggies in a huge pot in the kitchen. Elizabeth is now responsible for taking care of her mum, who is unable to volunteer here due to an injury.

Our mother Mirriam Sibale shows off the buns made by the bakery team. Aunty Mirriam has learned from the girls on the team how to make some of the goodies they make. She said that with the next loan she is getting from the Living Compassion Co-operative, she will buy herself a charcoal oven so she can start making scones for resale at home in her free time.

Our mothers sit in the sun to warm themselves as they select the beans in preparation for our next day's meal.

Ester, the late Peter's daughter, dishes up nshima from the huge pot. Ester is taking care of her family after the death of both of her parents. She says thank you to Living Compassion for being there for her and her siblings.

Here is five year old Gift Mulambia, one of our little ones in Teacher Memory's class who are learning to write numbers and to color.

Our mothers Aunty Mirriam Sibale and Elizabeth Kuyela all smile at the kitchen area. We say a big THANK YOU to our mothers for the work they do. Aunty Mirriam is a mother of eight and the bread winner of the family. She is also the mother to Mirriam Mutale and Bertha Mutale, who are both in the Girls Program here at Living Compassion. Aunty Elizabeth is a mother of one and is the daughter of Regina Kuyela, who is unable to volunteer at the moment because of her leg problem. Currently Elizabeth is taking care of her mom and is supporting the family.

We were so happy to have Aunty T back at Living Compassion after a time of her not being well. We were so glad that she was able to come, though she was limping. Here she is holding Cheri's son Tinashe, who was not feeling well. He had malaria and was taken to the clinic where medication was given. Today he is much better and is eating properly.

Our mothers Aunty Pauline and Aunty Foster Phiri are sorting the beans in preparation for our Wednesday lunch. These Aunties are two of our longest serving volunteers here at Living Compassion. They have been cooking for the children for a number of years. We appreciate them for the work they do and the yummy food they serve each day. Kudos to all the Team Members of Living Compassion here and abroad!

Our cute girls, who are the next in line to be in the Girls Program, sit in the sun to warm themselves. The weather is something else these days. We are in July and it is as if we are in June, our coldest month.

Meet little Martin Simbeye, who is in Teacher Malila's class. Martin is a double orphan and lives with his elder sister who works as a maid in our nearby community of Lubuto. She finished school two years ago and did a short course in psychosocial counseling, but due to the difficult economy, she is unable to find a proper paying job in her field. She struggles to make ends meet with her job as a maid and is grateful her little brother is able to get nutritious meals at Living Compassion.

Our little ones also participate in drawing. Here is Mishek drawing in class in her notebook. She loves to sit on the floor as she draws.

Our cute face for this week is little Christina Nsama, who is in Teacher Memory's class. She is an orphan and stays with her grandmother here in Kantolomba. Living with HIV, she is cared for by her relatives who always make sure that she takes her medication. They always take her to see her doctor in Lubuto every three months. The relatives were open to us about her condition so that we understand when she feels unwell.

Doreen and Elizabeth enjoy making sure food is served to every child under the Living Compassion wing. On the table is one of the huge pots that holds the food. Like many on the team, these two mothers are grateful to everyone for the wonderful donations that help feed these children.

We are glad that Starlink is working perfectly and we are able to send photos from Kantolomba. Here is a photo at lunch time of our little ones from Teacher Memory's class, all four years old: Grace, Mildred, and Sasha (in the rear).

The team eats together during lunch time, and now that we are experiencing cold weather, some enjoy their food in the sun. Here Memory, Malila, and Susan are eating nshima with peanut butter, veggies, and okra.

Our beautiful tutors Rechel, Malila, Veronica, and Memory, standing at the entrance to Living Compassion.

Joyce with the three huge 5,000-liter tanks, which are working very well at holding the water. The water is used here as well as providing for the community. THUMBS UP LIVING COMPASSION!

The weather is getting chilly by the day, but this does not stop little Julius and Dave from coming to school. Their mothers dress them in warm clothing before they come to learn.

These happy, well-fed children are bubbly and smiling. Lillian (5 years old), Mary (6 years old), and Monica (6 years old) are best friends and live right here in Kantolomba. They play together, eat together, and sit together at the same desk here at Living Compassion.

Our monthly delivery of mealie meal for the team members and for feeding the children. The mealie meal brand is Star Milling.

The girls having a moment to themselves after a reading session. Here we have Memory and Mirriam, who help girls who struggle with some of the English words.

Here are Angela and Mary reading. They have started with the little books that six-year-olds read to improve their English. The books have simple English words and are easy to understand.

Joyce is not only our photographer, but she also helps in the garden. Here she prepares the land for planting new veggies.

Meet Jackson Kunda, one of our security guards. He received a loan and bought a brand new bicycle for his family. He says this will help them a lot. His wife sells vegetables at the market across the stream in Twapia, and now she will not have to worry about transportation costs when buying veggies from Masala market because she can ride the bike to Masala and back.

Here is Docus, one of the team members, enjoying freshly baked buns from our small bakery. The buns are usually enjoyed hot, with a cup of tea.

Susan is feeling much better and is still doing her physical therapy. We are helping out by making sure she does not miss her sessions. Today Olina and Ester took her for therapy. Here she is at her home after she returned. She said jokingly that she wants a photo by herself in case you have forgotten about her. She says she is still strong and appreciates everything that has been done for her.

The team is looking for land to plant maize to provide for the nutrition program. This is the first farm that we saw today. It is 7 hectares and rents for 5,500 kwacha per season. To get there from Kantolomba took us an hour on motor bikes.

Memory and Blessing were so excited to see the farm and were eager to tell the rest of the team about their adventure. They said "the farm looked very big as we walked through it."

We learned that when starting to harvest maize, you start by heaping it together so that it dries out properly before transporting it home.

The farm has a stream passing through it. People on the other side of it use this water for irrigation and for consuming at home.

Beatrice is with some of the children early in the morning, warming up and waiting for others to come. The weather has changed and it is chilly, especially in the morning and evening. The tutors do warm-up exercises with the children before taking them to class.

Lunch time is always fun. Our little ones enjoy every meal that is served each day. Here is a young one as she leaves to go home after getting her lunch.

Our cute face for this week is Juliet Musunga. She is 7 years old and is in tutor Malila's class. Juliet lives with her mother, who sells veggies in the nearby Lubuto community. By the time her mother comes home, Juliet has had her meal at Living Compassion. This is a big help to her mother.

Meet our hair stylist Christin Kalenga. Here she is plaiting tutor Malila's hair. Christin is very skilled in what she does, and people come here to have her do their hair. You only need to tell her the style you want and she does it. She plaits the tiny cornrows very neatly, and she is fast!

Jowan, one of our mothers, prepares beans for Wednesday's lunch. Beans are affordable and are one of the main dishes in most households here in Kantolomba. People grow them in the small gardens around their homes, and some people grow them on their farms. We saw some at Aunty Theresa's farm when we went to see her maize growing.

Aunty Theresa and Aunty Martha share a light moment as they walk around Living Compassion making sure that everything is in order. Our leaders, together with other team members, make it possible for us, the younger ones, to follow in their footsteps. We ask questions about the project and are amazed at how these older folks have kept it afloat all these years. It looks tough, but Aunty T says it comes from the heart, from determination, hard work, and the love of working with people.

Doris helps community member Bana Lunda buy some veggies from our garden. Bana Lunda was jokingly saying she has contributed something for the next seedlings for the garden. She said 5 kwachas goes a long way and we laughed and thanked her. What a cheerful mother!

Onester, who was once shy when she came to visit Living Compassion, has become used to being around the loving Team members. Her mum died recently and she is taking very good care of her siblings, becoming a mum to them. She makes sure that they are getting enough to eat each day, and the Team helps her. She is so grateful to have a family. Here she is in class helping teacher Memory with the little ones.

Regina, one of our very own mother members of the cooperative, has not been well for a year. She is finally doing much better and came to visit. Regina fell while working in the garden here and has been to the hospital several times. Two months ago a pin was put in her hip and although she limps, now she is able to walk.

Here are two of our little ones from Teacher Memory's class. They are the first to eat. The little ones beam with joy when school is over and it's time to eat. And there's joy in taking food home to share.

Here is a pot of pumpkin leaves in peanut butter sauce that we call iyakushashila. It is very tasty!

Ester and Elizabeth make sure that the dishes used in the kitchen are sparkling clean. They wash them using our clean water from the Living Compassion tap.

Pauline dishes out nshima from the huge pot. She is a mother of six and has been with us for a long time.

On Sunday we visited Aunty Theresa's farm and saw that with the rains we have been receiving, the maize is growing very fast. She has done a great job.

Another part of the farm where she has grown more maize.

Martha Mwanza weeding outside Living Compassion. When she and the others are not on duty cooking, they clear the surroundings to make sure the property looks neat.

Everything is prepared with love in the kitchen here at Living Compassion. The women work hand in hand to prepare delicious meals for the children.

Avocados are in season, and we have two trees that bear fruit. Martha is counting the ripe avocados to give everyone their share.

Tom Mwansa is 4 years old and in Teacher Memory's class. He is an only child and loves smiling. Each time he sees the camera, he asks for his photo to be taken. So cute!

Little Mofiya holds her food tightly so she does not drop it. She is in Teacher Beatrice's class.

Little Jackson Kunda is playing under the shady guava tree. The children love picking the fruit during their break time. And they love eating the guava fruit!

Our beautiful mothers Pauline and Mirriam prepare nshima to feed the hungry little ones. This is the first pot of nshima of the day, and the preschoolers are the first to eat.

Beatrice, one of our beautiful mothers, sells ice lollies and water at the graveyard to people who come to bury their loved ones. She is a resident of the community and sells these in order to feed her children. Two of her children are in our feeding program.

Our little student Sobwe Kaluba with a packet of sugar that his mum sent him to buy from our tuck shop. Sobwe is a student in Beatrice's class.

This is our tuck shop. Community members who live near Living Compassion shop here.

The tuck shop is open in the morning and the afternoon. Here a parent with two kids is buying fritters in preparation for breakfast. 

One of the beautiful mothers, Jowen, weeding on the grounds. Weeds are growing fast, as the rain is pouring almost every day.

Girls at Twatemwa School during break time. Loveness and Mable are facing the camera. They are both in Grade Six.

When coop member Margaret retired, her daughter Mary took her place in the cooperative. Margaret is now 64 years old, and Mary takes care of her. Here Mary is collecting garbage at Living Compassion.

This is our little Jonathan. He is 4 years old and is in Teacher Beatrice's class. Jonathan comes to Living Compassion to learn and to eat after class. He walks alone from home to come to school. Here he is passing through a huge overgrown hedge. He is a very brave boy!