News

Memory taking account of all her students. All the teachers are doing this before the end of November as part of our annual registering of every student in the project.

Audria brings in a sack of veggies from harvesting at the coop garden.

She displays the pumpkin leaves, which are called chibwabwa in Bemba. They are prepared with peanuts or a little cooking oil and eaten with nshima.

Blessings will take some home to her mum.

Good friends Onesta and Benadette after lunch. Comfort is resting on Onesta's back.

Former cooperative member Eugenia’s daughter Elizabeth is so happy. She is a mother of four, and one of them is Jennifer. Elizabeth says it’s a blessing to all of us to have a source of our staple food each month.

Coop member Mary carries her bag of mealie meal. Mary is former coop member Margret Chisenga’s daughter and took her mum’s place when Margaret retired. Mary takes care of her family, including her mother.

Docus gives a big smile to say thank you for the mealie meal.

The delivery comes in a huge truck.

Susan Mwanza sweeping the corridors. She participates in the micro business ventures and is a very good cook and helps Benadette baking. Her goal is to open her own restaurant.

Brenda and Mary Bwalya helping each other sweep. It was windy and much help was needed to tidy the compound.

Docus helps out, too, and avoids the dust by wearing a scarf around her head.

Blessings with her cute smile sweeping the compound. She loves helping out.

Here are Felistus, Olina, Angela, and Christin after working in the garden.

Christin Kalenga doing Malila’s hair while waiting for our Tuesday call with the U.S. team.

The boys just love to gather and play games like football after lunch. Here is Davies.

And Sailas.

As the big truck makes the monthly delivery of mealie meal, some of our little ones in the Program, like John and his friend Bupe, smile for the camera and say thank you for the mealie meal!

The new fuel-efficient stoves are a big hit in the whole community. Living Compassion gifted a stove to each coop member. Word got around the community and we have started a program for people to be able to pay for a new stove in installments that work for their budget. This will save people a lot in the long run and is very good for the planet as well! Here community member Doreen Nankamba shows off the stove she is paying for.

Meet Debora Mwansa, another happy customer who is paying for her stove. So far she has paid K400 and only has K100 to go!

Coop member Joan with a happy smile and the brand-new stove belonging to her neighbor, Mercy’s grandmother. Mercy is in the Girls Program and lost her mum a few months back. Joan is helping watch over them and make sure the family is OK. This is a big part of how we take care of each other in the Living Compassion community.

And it’s wonderful that we have beautiful veggies in the Living Compassion gardens that we can cook in our new stoves. Here is Doris showing the green leafy veggies that she’ll take home tonight.

Here are some faces of Kantolomba! Patrick Banda, age five, is in Memory's class.

Nambela Chushi, age ten, is in Grade Four at Twatemwa School.

Jane Chanda, ten years old, is in Grade Four at Twatemwa School.

Victor Chileshe is eleven years old and goes to Twatemwa School.

Our girls Marian, Christin, and Angela show the recently introduced K200 notes they received in their stipend.

Remember the little baby who was sitting outside his parents' house a year ago? Yes, this is our very own security guard’s son Stanley, all grown up and going to school. He is three years old and so cute.

The team resting in the shade after lunch.

Memory and Malila showing the instant porridge they brought to Living Compassion for breakfast. The porridge is made of maize meal and powdered milk and comes in little sachets. It is mixed with hot or cold water, according to one's liking. It’s yummy to both grown ups and little ones.

Theresa’s granddaughter just turned 2!

Here is Charity, Regina’s daughter Chola, and Beatrice. Regina is in the hospital, recovering from an injury to her leg. Chola came to Living Compassion after visiting her mum to say "thank you" to all the team members who are helping take care of her mother.

Docus with her baby, Natasha, and Ester at Living Compasssion after picking cassava leaves from the garden for their home consumption. Cassava is widely grown here in people’s small backyard gardens. After harvesting, the roots are dried and ground into mealie meal. Most cassava is grown on a large scale in the northern province of Zambia.

Siblings Christin and Jacob after lunch. Christin is in Grade Three, while her brother is in Grade Two at Twatemwa Primary School. They live with their mother, who is a hair dresser. Look how she braided her daughter’s hair!

Joyce Kazembe, 13 years old, is one of our Grade Seven girls at Oremus. She has a little brother and baby sister and lives with her mom, who works as a maid to put food on the table. Joyce loves mathematics and says she likes solving numbers. She is a brilliant student at school.

Little ones Rose, Prince, and Nelia, looking healthy and clean!

This is Natasha Mzinga, the granddaughter to Older Foster Bulasho. She replaced her grandmother when she retired. She loves her work and takes care of both of her grandparents.

Little Kasuba, seven years old and in Grade One at Twatemwa School here in Kantolomba. He loves hanging around Living Compassion at lunch and after school to play football with his friends. He says he wants to play for the Zambian team one day. He lives with his grandmother, who sells at our market here in Kantolomba.

Our faces for this week, Daniel, Purity, and Chanday, are all six years old and in Teacher Memory’s class. They live near each other right here in Kantolomba.

Nelia, Rose, Sandra, and Leticia showing that balancing things on your head starts at an early age. This has been taught by our elders ever since we were very young. The more one grows, the bigger the weight one can carry.

Meet little Mirriam, one of the cute girls here at Living Compassion. She loves school, and each morning she wakes up early to come here even if her mum is not ready. So each day her mum first prepares Mirriam before she heads to work as a maid in nearby Lubuto. Mirriam is only four years old and the only daughter to her mum, who is sixteen years old.

We’ve had some late rains and are planting veggies on our new plot just outside the property. Here Charity and the other team members are preparing the land.

After work it’s time for lunch. Our lunch is always yummy and we enjoy the food prepared. Here the team is lining up to get the food.

Christin and Felistus enjoying their lunch together; these two are best friends.

Mirriam doing Memory’s hair. Mirriam is the mother to Bertha and little Theresa. She is a mother of nine children and lives with them here in Kantolomba. When it comes to braiding, she’s the best. She charges from k15 to k150, depending on the hairstyle, but she plaited Memory's hair for free.

Some of the team members who talked to the U.S. team on Tuesday. We also walked to the part of the property which is bare now and used as a playground by the little ones. It was a fun afternoon, and everyone is looking forward to saying hello to the U.S. team again on future calls.

Joyce is continuing to practice her photography skills. Here is Regina sweeping.

Audria is sweeping, too.

And here is Elizabeth sweeping.

Susan and Jowen. It feels so good to take good care of the Living Compassion property!

Our team is considered frontline workers, and we were among the first to receive the cholera vaccine. Here we all are after getting the vaccine.

Memory took this photo of Rachel and Joyce helping with the cleaning.

Here are Felistus Chisanga and her Dad, Charles, who is one of the coop members. Felistus has been in the program since she was very little. She has finished Grade 12 and is hoping to start studying civil engineering in July.

Coop member Mirriam going to the dining hall with a bucket of nshima on her head. She is the mother of eight children, including Bertha and Mirriam (who is in Grade 11 at Oremus). She is a hard worker and loved by all.

Jowan making sure all the weeds are uprooted. Notice the roofs behind her. This is what our team members' roofs looked like before getting roof loans to improve their homes. Today none of our team gets soaked when it rains. Thank you so much, Team USA!

Pauline loves cooking. She is very proud of her work and is always making sure that food is served on time. We call her The Leader in the kitchen.

Naomi is the cute face for this week. She is seven years old and lives with her grandmother. She is a very bright little girl in Memory’s class.

We had a big celebration on April 18 in honor of Mama Cheri’s birthday! Happy birthday, Mama Cheri!

Some of the team members sharing cobs of maize. Regina harvested the maize in her field the previous day and brought some to share with the Living Compassion team members.

Miracle, Grace, and Peace sending their cute little smiling faces to you. They just love the camera!

Faith and Mercia after lunch, saying "Please take my photo."

Meet little Ishmael, who is in Teacher Memory’s class. He has a very cute smile and loves playing football. The ball they kick around is made of old clothes, which his brother made for him. He lives with his grandmother, as both his parents have passed on. He has a big brother in Grade Eleven at Lubuto Secondary School.

Nelia, Rose, and Theresa enjoying the pictures from one of the books in the library here. The book shows different types of animals from around the world.

The little ones lining up to get their lunch. One can tell just by looking at their faces that they really enjoy it!

Meet little Nonde Chilufya. She is six years old and in Memory's class. She lives here in Kantolomba with her older sister who is married. Her parents and other older siblings stay in the village in Kasama, Northern Province.

This is the cassava root, which is widely eaten in Zambia. The root itself is eaten as it is, and some dry it and grind it into flour which can be prepared into another type of nshima, which is usually made from maize. Other than roasting it, as shown here, you can also boil it and eat it with roasted peanuts. The leaves are eaten as a veggie.

Now that we have both StarLink and solar power, the Living Compassion children have access to the internet, which they use to help research their school work.

One of our young women, Joyce, is starting to do a lot of work assisting Auntie Theresa. We have our eye on her as a potential future leader.

Mirriam and Diana getting ready to plait a customer’s hair.

The Library is cleaned every other week. Here, Younger Foster and Mirriam are cleaning. We do like to have a good time when we’re cleaning!

A member of the community saying to photographer Joyce, “Take a photo of me! I appreciate what Living Compassion has done for our community, bringing clean water.”

Most of the coop members have side businesses they work on in their off-time. Here Martha is showing off her brooms, made of grass that is collected and woven into a broom.

We have been having heavy rain here, and weeding is done every week. Here Joyce is pitching in.

Charles is weeding, too.

Jowan putting a bucket of water on her head, as a member of the community looks on.

More cleaning fun! We clean everything on Friday afternoons. Here are Docus, Emelda, and Felistus cleaning.

Astrida Bwalya, 9 years old, is in Grade 3 this year. She has three older siblings and two younger ones. She stays with her mum; her father left the family to marry another woman in Twapia. Her mum sells veggies at the local market here in Kantolomba. She loves going to school, and her favorite subject is English.

Mildred Mwansa is 8 years old and is in Grade 3. She is the daughter of very own cooperative member Charity. Mildred is the last-born in a family of five other siblings. Her mum is the bread winner. Mildred started coming to Living Compassion when she was small. She loves singing and is doing well in school.

Little Peggy Banda, 9 years old and in Grade 3. She is the first-born daughter of our very own team member Ruth. Ruth is the daughter of Sofia, one of the beloved, original cooperative members who died some years back. Peggy has a two sisters, and they live with mum in their family house. Peggy is a good girl both at school and home and loves teaching her siblings what she learned at school when she gets home.

Meet Christabel Mukwemba, who is 9 years old and a Grade 3 student at Oremus School. She is the daughter of our coop member Audria. Christabel is the last-born in a family of eight other siblings. She lives with her family right here in Kantolomba. Her mum is the bread winner of the family and takes care of everyone. Christabel wants to become a doctor when she finishes school so that she can take care of her mum. She recently lost her sister Docus.

Meet Gloria Nyirongo. She is 8 years old and in Grade 3. Gloria is the second-born in a family of three, with two brothers. Her father was hit by a car in Lubuto as he was coming from work three years ago. To make ends meet, her mum sells fritters by the roadside on the way to Lubuto. Gloria is a very cheerful girl and loves reading.

This is Mercy Bwalya, 12 years old and in Grade 7. She recently lost her mom, and her father is also no more. Mercy lives with her grandmother, who sells vegetables to make ends meet. Mercy is a bright student and loves English. Most of the time when not in school, she comes to Living Compassion to be with her friend Edna.

Please meet Ester Nkandu. She is 13 years old, in Grade 7, and is the daughter of our cooperative member Zilo. Ester is the second-born in a family of four. She is shy and does not talk much, but she’s a very good student. She loves English and reads a lot in the library when the girls come to Living Compassion.

This is Karen Banda. She is 12 years old. Her mom had her at an early age, when she was only 15 years old. Karen has a younger sister and little brother. Karen’s mom and dad recently separated, and her mom now works as a maid. Karen is a great student at school. She loves singing and wants to become a pilot when she grows up.

Edna Phiri, all grown now at 15 years old and in Grade 7. She is the daughter of our very own cooperative member Natasha Phiri, who is exceptional on the team. Everyone loves Natasha, and she works extra hard for her children. Edna is the first-born and has a younger brother and sister. She is a very good student and loves reading and learning computers. Edna wants to become a doctor when she grows up.

Mangoes are in season at Living Compassion. Pauline, Veronica, and Foster share out the fruit.

The rains are finally here and yes, everything is green and weeds are growing fast. Here, Pauline and team are clearing weeds. In the background are our three water tanks!

The team is always in high spirits when it comes to work. Cooking for the children is their passion—along with making sure that the food is served on time! Here Susan, Florence, and Docus are sorting beans.

Memory showing her passion for teaching. After being trained as a teacher, she has helped a lot with the children here at Living Compassion. Parents have come to appreciate how much their children have progressed. Keep it up, Memory!

Theresa doing solar research in town. We had many false starts with our research. We would find a company, only to learn they didn’t have what we needed, or charged far beyond what was reasonable, or never called us back, or.... Finally, Theresa found what we were looking for!

The items have been purchased and installation begins.

More of the necessary items.

Finally we have lighting!

John holds the pipe where our water level is: 20 meters from the bottom of the spring to the top of the water.

The representative from the water company assisting. They perform this service for us free of charge.

Veronica happily smiling as she helps arrange the stoves.

Drumming, singing, and dancing as the stoves arrive.

Vero and Memory in the foreground as the whole team celebrates.

We tie our chitenge to dance as Brenda plays the drum.

Pauline shows off her new stove.

The Team with their stoves, singing while Brenda beats the drum. A big THANK YOU to everyone on Team USA for the stoves!

Docus and Audria collecting stones to prepare the site for the new water tank, one of the projects funded by the proceeds from the Bridge Walk. We are so excited for it to arrive!

JoAnne helping to bring in more stones.

We finalized the purchase of the tank and as it arrived, jubilation and ululation was the music filling the air.

The team was delighted and broke into song and dance when they lifted the tank into place. Our severe drought continues and our good fortune at having a good well means we are the only source of clean water for thousands in our community. Thank you to the whole U.S. team for helping us provide this third tank to store enough water for everyone.

With the Bridge Walk funds, we have also purchased the first two alternative cooking stoves! These stoves will use waste products from agriculture instead of trees (charcoal) for fuel. As in all of Africa, deforestation is a grave issue in Zambia, and we are looking for ways to cut down on the use of charcoal. Very exciting!

The third project we have been able to start thanks to the Bridge Walk is tree planting! Here is Rechel holding two tree seedlings.

These are the two types of trees that are planted in the nursery. The government is encouraging the planting of these two types on a large scale. A group of our young women is being trained at the nursery in how to plant and care for the trees. We will report as the project progresses.

Everyday activities at Living Compassion continue. Here is Memory after lunch, making sure that she marks all the books and prepares the next day's work.

Pricilla, who is in Charles’s class, is ready to go to Grade One next year at Twatemwa School right here in Kantolomba. She is an orphan and lives with her grandmother. They depend on the support of the Living Compassion community.

Meet Lazarous, one of the many children that grow up in the community of Kantolomba without enough food to eat each day. Living Compassion helps little cute faces like him by enrolling them in the program so that they get proper nutrition.

We end with wishing Zambia Happy Independence Day, which we celebrate on the 24th of October each year. Here is Baby Chimwemwe Theresa (Theresa’s granddaughter), who is now 18 months old. She says "Hello U.S. Team and Happy Independence Day!"

We have been tracking each member's health issues and have been helping anywhere we can. If called for, we advise to go to the clinic immediately. Here Aunty Veronica’s blood pressure is being checked. In the past week, it has stabilized.

Lunch time is always the best time here at Living Compassion! The little ones are a beauty to watch as they hold on to their lunch boxes like prized possessions to go and share at home. We feed a thousand and more.

Our nurses and tailor, wrapped in colorful chitenge. From left to right are Esther, Miriam, and Bertha. This was Chitenge Day at Living Compassion.

Our two newest coop members, Esther and Natasha, are doing great! Natasha replaced her grandmother, Older Foster, and Esther is volunteering on behalf of her father, who has not been feeling well.

Micro-businesses continue here at Living Compassion. Here is Angela working on a hairstyle called Mukule in Bemba. 
 

And when she’s not doing hair, another of our stylists, Joyce, helps out all around!

Theresa holding up a beautiful long chitenge dress that was made by our young tailors for a customer from the community. This outfit was for a wedding.

These veggies were harvested from our garden micro-business.

Coop member Emelda smiles for the camera as she prepares the greens she plucked from the vegetable garden. Tonight she is going to have iyakusashila, veggies in peanut butter sauce.

Here is Regina, one of our beloved older team members, feeling well and doing light work. 

Marian helping in the dining hall, handing out the little lunch boxes to the children. She is Josephine’s oldest daughter and one of the young women in the Girls Program. She had not been feeling well but is much better now.

The economy here in Zambia continues to be bad, and we are so grateful for the extra bag of mealie meal Living Compassion provides to each coop family. Here is Aunty T counting the bags carefully as they are being delivered.

Malila with her students in class practicing the letters C and D. This class is preparing for Grade One next year.

Ann helping out with the little ones. She is in the library most of the time, making sure that the students read their books and helping with homework. She is a beloved part of the team!

Some of our girls and little ones with Teacher Memory, in the first row at the far left.

Three of our co-op members are retiring. In each case, we are pleased to welcome one of their family members who are replacing them on the team. Here is Natasha Moyo, the granddaughter of Older Foster Bulasho. Natasha is taking care of her grandmother now and is the mother of one.

Here is Mary Liadani, Margret Chisenga’s daughter. Margret has retired because of poor eyesight, and Mary will be caring for her.

Here is Elizabeth Kasonde, Eugenia’s daughter. Elizabeth is the mum of Jennifer Kabwe in the Girl’s Program.

Cute faces of Kantolomba! Little Matthew and his brother enjoying a ride in a wheelbarrow while their parents fetch clean drinking water at Living Compassion.

Standing between two of the co-op teachers after extra lessons one afternoon is “Baby Cheri,” though now we just call her Cheri!

Our getting-ready-for-Grade-One students in class. With a smile on her face, little Mercy says she wants to become a teacher when she grows up.

When not busy with their micro-finance activities, the girls also help in the kitchen, stirring the pot of nshima. It’s good practice!

The nurses on their rounds checked up on Mirriam Sibale, one of our co-op members who is sick at home. She is being treated for malaria. We wish her a speedy recovery.

Lunch is enjoyed by all! Joyce and Bertha, two of our micro-entrepreneurs, eating together.

Co-op member Brenda enjoys her lunch.

Joanne eats in the company of one of the adorable little ones.

Aunty T with some of the Grade 10 girls. Edna, in yellow in the front, is in Grade 6 but insisted on being in the photo!

Aunty T enjoying a light moment with the little ones.

We were so glad to have Marian back, feeling better and enjoying her food.

The micro businesses are continuing! Bertha hard at work making a dress.

Older Miriam trying on her apron that Bertha made.

The bakery has just started its first test market items! Bernadette, who graduated from catering school last year and is the head of the baking department, shows off the first batch ready to go in the oven.

Baking.

All done!

Veronica passes them out for the taste test.

The team enjoying the sample of buns. They were yummy!

Martha admires the three different types of treats.

Silvia takes a break from her nursing duties to have lunch and enjoy the baked goods!

Joyce with a client doing what she does best!

And, of course, as always, there are about a million thousand-watt smiles here every day!

Remember little Edna? Here she is during the live Sangha broadcast in 2018.

Not so little anymore! She’s in Grade 6 and loving school.

One of our nurses, Silvia, after listening to a mother who was not feeling well.

Another of our nurses, Mirriam, checking the vitals of team members.

Natasha, Edna’s mum, having her vitals checked.

Aunty Theresa's blood pressure being checked. So far so good--her reading was normal.

Bertha, a trained tailor and one of our micro-entrepreneurs, working on a piece of chitenge.

Bertha takes a break to smile for the camera!

Happy customers whose hair was done by Joyce and Memory.

It takes a lot of attention to detail to do it properly.

And a lot of time!

The monthly delivery of the supplemental coop mealie meal, to assist with a challenging economy, has come to be a big party.

Dancing and singing accompanies the offloading.

Here is Marian, Josephine’s eldest child, a grown woman herself now.

One of the original mud-brick structures at Living Compassion collapsed during the rainy season. Here Zilo and Florence clear the rubble.

Audria in action, singing a happy song.

Charity and Regina carrying buckets of earth from the rubble.

Eugenia has retired and her daughter, Elizabeth, has taken her place in the coop. She is the mother of six, including Jen Kabwe in the Girls' Program. We are so happy to have her!

We are all so excited to have Starlink to help us with our new micro economy ventures. Here, Joyce is in the Living Compassion library doing a web search on new hairstyles. She knows how to plait hair and is going to be part of the new hair salon.

Natasha reading with Joyce in the library after gardening.

We had the privilege of seeing Loveness Katongo, who is in training in the Zambian National Service (ZNS). She came to Kantolomba to see her mum who was not feeling well but now is much better. Loveness came to visit Living Compassion before returning to her training the next day. The ZNS is a very good, national training program for young people. After two years of general training, they can choose to train in the career of their choice.

Mirriam and Esther, two of our nurses, also help out in the garden when they have no patients to attend to. We all like to pitch in everywhere!

Martha, one of the senior cooperative members, demonstrating to the girls how to prepare the land for our new garden for growing vegetables for market.

Natasha hoeing around the rocks.

Zambia's economy is bad, and it is hard to afford basic necessities. Each coop member receives two bags of mealie meal each month to supplement their family's food supply. Here we are all assisting to unload the truck.

We are all singing, as there is so much excitement and gratitude for this offering!

This is Ronika, cooperative member JoAnne’s daughter. She is all grown up and in Grade 8 at Twatemwa school here in Kantolomba.

The girls love coming home from school and getting on the internet to learn more about what they were studying in school that day. Yay for Starlink!

Cooperative member Audria and her granddaughter having breakfast while sitting in the sun. If the weather in the morning is chilly, a cup of tea is good!

Karen, co-op member JoAnne’s daughter, has been with us since she was very small. She is all grown up and looking beautiful, and she came to have lunch and to help out with chores.

Esther, one of our Grade 6 students, eating her lunch. She is sponsored to attend Oremus School and proudly wears her school uniform. Our whole community is so proud of these girls—our future!

See how time flies--Felistus and Onester have just graduated from Grade 12! Felistus, daughter of co-op member Charles, did very well on her exams, and her ambition is to be a doctor. Onester is still waiting on her results. Here they pose in their uniforms after having their lunch, back in December.

Peter is a long-time cooperative member. He lost his wife a few years back and was left with the responsibility of taking care of his children on his own. He says his co-op stipend has allowed him to take good care of his family. He also has all of us behind him to help. Here he is with Ester, his first daughter, in their home.

Co-op member Doris has an infectious smile! She, too, says the stipend has changed her life. She did not have a proper home, but now her living standard is changing, with safe housing and proper nutrition for her whole family. Much to smile about!

Co-op member Charity is a mother of six. The last-born Mildred, in front, is one of sponsored Oremus Grade 2 students. Mildred is doing extremely well in her school studies, making Charity a very proud Mum.

Climate change brought unusually heavy rains to Zambia again earlier this year. This caused an outbreak of cholera, and we have stepped up health measures. Here are our little ones use clean water to wash their hands before eating. That smile!

Our clean water here at Living Compassion serves a lot of people in Kantolomba. The community appreciates it very much, especially in these times. The water is collected in containers such as these.

Many in the cooperative grow some of their own food. Here is Younger Foster prepping her maize grain she harvested from her little piece of land. The maize will be taken to the hammer mill to be ground into mealie meal. Foster is lending her farming expertise to the new garden project at Living Compassion.

Guess who? It’s Emmanuel, one of Josephine’s sons, all grown up. He’s a big boy now and takes care of his siblings. Here he is carrying his baby brother Joshua.

Serving lunch is a huge part of what we do every day at Living Compassion, Kantolomba. We never get tired of seeing the happy faces taking their lunch boxes off to a nice spot to eat. We hope you don’t either!

More happy faces!

This young fellow is about to get in line with his friends to receive his lunch.

Yup, pretty excited!

Making huge pots of nshima keeps us staff in good shape! Here Veronica is taking her turn stirring the pot.

Malila takes a turn.

Foster shows off some of our nutritious greens that are eaten with nshima.

Co-op member Martha and her daughter Mary. Martha had not been feeling well the past week, and Mary came to visit her. This is not just your average visit of a daughter visiting her Mum, as Mary is one of our young women in nursing school! Imagine the thrill to have your daughter visit AND be able to check up on your health!

Our very own co-op member, Eugenia, feeling better and back for a visit after not being well. We as Team Living Compassion are happy that she is okay now. She will soon retire, and her daughter will take her place in the cooperative. We will introduce her to you when the time comes!

One of the aspects we co-op members love about the work we do is getting to see that kids get to be kids-- safe, happy and fed, playing in the community. Here some boys are playing football around the grounds. Just behind them are two different types of roofs: the type on the right was used by almost all the homes in Kantolomba until people started putting up sturdier roofs like the one on the left. This was made possible by the Living Compassion roof loan program.

Little Sandra shows off her best cute smile for the camera. She is in teacher Beatrice’s class.

A big brother heading to Living Compassion for school and for lunch with his little siblings.

Another big brother with his little brother, Stain, who usually tags along when his brother comes here for lunch.

Peggy Kangwa, 7 years old

Astrida Bwalya, 7 years old

Mildred Bwalya, 7 years old

Cristabel Mukwemba, 7 years old

Gloria Nyirongo, 7 years old

After a delay due to COVID, Mirriam and Sylvia’s class had their official nursing school graduation. We are all very proud of our first two graduates!

Theresa, Stevania (Sylvia’s younger sister, also in the Girls Program), Sylvia, and Sylvia’s mum.

Sylvia, Mirriam's mum, and Mirriam. Congratulations!

Veronica wearing our national colors when Zambia turned 58 on October 24.

Euginia wearing the beautiful colors of the national flag, which are red, orange, black, and green.

Even our little ones got into the spirit of the occasion.

Image

Our Grade 8 girls. Left to right: Elizabeth, Jennifer, Esnart, Cheri, Diana.

Image

Pauline and Margret carry a pot of veggies to the dining hall.

Image

Martha, our accountant in Zambia, came out to Living Compassion to speak with our young graduates about writing a CV (resume) for employment. Here, she and her son set up the projector for the talk.

Image

The girls listen intently to Martha as she explains the importance of a CV.

Some photos from our recent work day
at Living Compassion in Kantolomba!

Brenda in her pink cap.

Susan carrying weeds.

Beatrice hoeing.

Regina says that she and the whole team have much fun
working together to keep the property looking beautiful!

Little Christin and Mwansa smile for the camera while waiting for lunch.

Enocent and his friend sit and enjoy snacks during break time. They are both in Susan’s class.

Little Mary and Chanda give their best smiles.

Audria, one of our fabulous cooperative members.

Sofia and Benadette, two of our Girl’s program participants. Benadette is caring for her neighbor's baby.

Mary Mwansa, now six months into her nursing school education, shows off her new uniforms in this and the next photo.

Mary is coop member Martha’s daughter.

Our financial team—Veronica, Theresa, and Martha—after their quarterly meeting.

Fifteen of our girls are going to a new school. Here are some of their parents who came here to fill out their children's school forms. They were so excited to learn about the new school. They send their thanks for the wonderful opportunity, and they appreciate the love and kindness that the USA team is showing to the children of Kantolomba. They kunkula (deeply bow) on behalf of the children.

Getting off the bus at school to get fitted for their uniforms.

Another photo of the girls getting off the bus.

Our girls at school waiting for their uniforms, so exciting.

Our grade 4 girls pose with the school administrator.

Yeah! Brand new shoes for everyone! Thank you Mama Cheri and everyone!

Our Grade Eight students in their uniforms looking beautiful.

Another photo of our beautiful Grade Eight students.

Very happy and thankful, the team show their copies of the new book.

Charles and Peter enjoying the book.

Pauline and Martha loved seeing the illustrations of chitenge in the book!

Martha practicing reading the book.

We got the books from Mission Press! They are so beautiful, and we're all so grateful!

Joyce was on hand to help collect them.

Joyce reading the book.

The cover

The back

The introduction

Ruth, Brenda, and Susan. They say they just love volunteering. Feeding the children is one of their favorite things.

Our Grade Seven students from Twabo School are finally done with exams.

Fingers crossed for our students.

Beautiful smiles from Christine, Theresa's namesake Theresa (who says it's hard to smile!), and Jen.

Ruth and Emelda preparing vegetables.

Euginia stirring the huge pot of nshima.

Susan sewing a chitenge with Regina assisting.

Lining up for lunch.

Happy faces.

Cabbage on the menu.

Susan, our tailoring school graduate, is setting up her sewing shop in Kantolomba! She and Theresa went into town to purchase the sewing machine. Here, Theresa pushes Susan to the hired car.

Susan waited in the car, as her legs were hurting her today.

The brand new sewing machine being unpacked.

The sewing machine being thoroughly checked by the shop attendant.

Happy moments with friends.

Susan's grandma dancing with joy.

Susan with her late grandfather's younger brother and a neighbor friend.

Bertha, a member of our Girls Program, showing off the baby dress she made at the sewing school.

Regina is on the far right, and next to her is Natasha.

Regina, on the far left, and the other little ones having lunch. Regina’s daughter, Karen, is now in Grade 3 in the Girls Program.

Docus, one of the cooperative team members, carrying a bucket of water to the kitchen.

Word has gotten around that we are restarting sending photos for the blog, and these team members asked to pose!

We are piloting a new learning tool. They are tablets put together for Zambian learners with some wonderful resources, including support for reading. Anne (our librarian) and Beatrice (one of our teachers) are becoming familiar with how to use them.

The team gathering around to listen and ask questions on the virus that is spreading. Now they understand the situation.

Everyone that comes to Living Compassion now must have their hands sanitized. Here Charles sanitizes little Bupe's hands before he gets his food.

John cutting the hedge. Our routine cleaning goes on despite everything.

Little Mercy getting her food.

Some of the team members cleaning their lunch plates. They understand that hygiene is important. We are happy that we have clean, safe water here.

Our very own Jowen's son Philip, who is in Grade Eight at Twalubuka Secondary School in Mushili. He has grown into a young man.

Our college girls in a happy mood at the college grounds in Luanshya.

Susan getting in her ride from Kantolomba to school in Mushili, where she is learning tailoring.

During routine cleaning, Audria is mopping the dining room with soapy water before the food is brought in.

Beatrice going through the duty roster. Everyone is taking part in the cleaning exercise.

Our very own college girls at their school during a visit from Theresa. They look cute in their school coats!

Euginia standing beside the pile of mealie meal after counting the remaining bags. She is in charge of the food storage room.

Veronica and Susan making sure the little ones get their lunch boxes and warm clothing before they head home. The children tend to forget things they came with in the morning. Luckily they have good helping hands that take care of them.

With all the diseases that are coming up, washing of hands is our number one priority, especially for the children. The caretaker makes sure that the many little hands are washed properly with clean water and soap.

Nuts being resold in small quantities after being bought in bulk at Masala market. The peanuts are bought raw, then cooked to be sold.

Audria balancing a container of water for her home use on her head. She also has her granddaughter strapped on her back. She is strong!

Martha cleaning leftover bits of charcoal after the truck delivered it. The charcoal comes in huge bags.

Our cute faces for this week from Kantolomba are the girls from Veronica's class. Happy smiles!

Pauline counting her kwacha with a smile on her face after receiving her month-end stipend.

Beatrice in class with her students, marking English words that the children were writing.

Veronica and Annie in the library after a tutor's meeting where they were encouraging each other on the importance of speaking English to the children.

Margret and Charity singing a happy song about how Living Compassion has lifted their burdens. They are able to take care of their families. It is a happy song indeed!

Talent at its best. Mirriam with the help of little Elizabeth doing Memory's hair after work.

A view of an anthill at sunset here in Kantolomba.

Students from Twatemwa Primary School having an English lesson in the library with Annie.

Our new graduate Monica Chipili with her mum Brenda. Monica passed her Grade 12 exams, and here at Living Compassion we congratulate her for making our flag fly higher.

Boys, too, can play "ichiyenga." Here some boys from Charles's class play the game.

Talent begins at a very tender age. Here little Tasha plaits her friend's hair after lunch.

Some of the team members share a light moment while buying buns from Jowen, the tuck shopkeeper.

A colorful pot of greens cooking on the huge brazier. They look yummy!

Charles teaching English to the older students.

Our cute faces for this week are the children in Beatrice's class.

The rainy season is still here, and everywhere the vegetation looks green. Here team members are weeding some of the rapidly growing grass.

Sorting peanuts in readiness for Friday's peanut butter rice.

Monica sorting eggs.

Some of the team members preparing cabbage.

Writing in Malila's English class.

Our very own Grade Nine Twabo girls, Onester Bwalya, Marian Mulilo, and Olina Luchembe. Olina repeated Grade Nine after not making it to Grade Ten.

Our little ones from Twabo Private School at Living Compassion after lunch.

Little lunchboxes piled up during class. The little ones use the boxes to carry leftover lunch home with them.

Ruth busy preparing veggies called Chinese cabbage, which are taken with nshima.

Mirriam stirring the nshima, which is the second step of preparing it. One has to stir the nshima constantly until it thickens and is then left to boil.

Happy birthday little Astrida, who turned 9 on Monday. She is in Veronica's class here at Living Compassion.

Three months ago Juliet, the old caretaker's daughter, had a baby girl and named her Favor. Here Juliet is on her way to taking little Favor to the Under Five clinic.

Cute faces for this week are the little ones from baby class.

Beatrice helping serve lunch to the children.

John busy finding the meaning of some English words in the library. This was during lunch break, when the teachers help the team members who want clarification on English words.

Ann in the library helping a student read a book she selected.

Quiz time. The teachers gather in the library to find the Bemba word for some English words.

Our sweet little ones singing in class.

Euginia reading some Engish words with the help of Margret. Margret has started going to evening classes and is in Grade Three at Twatemwa School right here in Kantolomba.

Some of our teachers discussing how to improve teaching the English language.

Our cute little one for this week is Docus Mukwemba in her new uniform. Docus, who is Audria's daughter, has diabetes and has been in and out of hospital. The good news is that she made it to Grade Eight this year and has been accepted at Twatemwa School here in Kantolomba.

Our girls from Zora came to have lunch here at Living Compassion. This week they have sports at school.

Our cute faces for this week are the little ones from Malila's class.

Some of our team members sorting beans in preparation for Wednesday's lunch.

Martha putting out leftover charcoal after cooking. Water is poured on the coals, then they are dried to be used again later.

Little Elisha singing one of the most well-known Genki songs, "Left and Right."

Veronica and little Eunice. Eunice has started Grade One at Twatemwa School here in Kantolomba.

Our Government School students having some time in the library with Elias and Ann before they go to lunch.

Team members making sure that the nshima is nicely done with no lumps of mealie meal. The huge pot is stirred by three people to make the stirring easier. Teamwork, yeah!

Sweet and cute faces of Living Compassion Kantolomba. These are the little ones from Susan's class. They just love to have their photo taken.

Little Danny reciting a poem he has been learning in Susan's class in English. So cute!

Older Foster and Charity sorting beans in readiness for Wednesday's lunch.

Pauline stirring the soya chunks to make sure that they do not burn. The soya chunks are eaten with nshima and green veggies.

Our cute twins Mapalo and Bupe smile for the camera as they wait for their turn to have lunch.

Felistus, Onester, and Marian, our Grade Nine students at Twabo School. How time flies--not so long ago these girls were little, and now they have grown into beautiful young ladies!

Veronica with some of our little ones who  have started Grade One at Twatemwa School this year. The little ones were in Veronica's class last year.

Preparing peanut butter. Brenda and Regina busy pounding the nuts for the peanut butter rice on the menu for Friday.

Doris checking out the boiling nshima. It is ready to be stirred and made into a thick paste.

Teamwork is our motto here at Living Compassion. Here the women are working together clearing weeds outside the property.

Our two cute faces from Kantolomba for this week are little Chola and Mapalo, who have just started Grade One this year at Twatemwa School. They look cute in their new uniforms!

Felistus, Onester, and Marian, our Grade Nine students at Twabo School. How time flies--not so long ago these girls were little, and now they have grown into beautiful young ladies!

Veronica with some of our little ones who  have started Grade One at Twatemwa School this year. The little ones were in Veronica's class last year.

Preparing peanut butter. Brenda and Regina busy pounding the nuts for the peanut butter rice on the menu for Friday.

Doris checking out the boiling nshima. It is ready to be stirred and made into a thick paste.

Teamwork is our motto here at Living Compassion. Here the women are working together clearing weeds outside the property.

Our two cute faces from Kantolomba for this week are little Chola and Mapalo, who have just started Grade One this year at Twatemwa School. They look cute in their new uniforms!

Three of our girls from Zora, Veronica Kalaba, Elizabeth Mwale, and Loveness Katongo.

Preparing veggies called Chinese cabbage. They are boiled in salty water, and peanut butter is added. They taste so good!

Charcoal packing. The ladies work together to carry the huge sacks of charcoal to the storeroom.

Our cute photo for this week is little Emmanuel in his cute little boots.

Our huge charcoal brazier is very hot and ready for the huge pot of nshima to go on it to cook.

Pauline preparing soya chunks. Soya is a favourite here, and the children just love it so much.

Martha cleaning the corridor here at Living Compassion. She sends new year greetings to all.

Some of our girls sit with Memory as she checks test results. Grade Seven and Nine results are out, and we are waiting for the official announcement by the Ministry of Education.

Ester Makumba sitting patiently, waiting for her results.

The team sorting out charcoal near the storeroom. They love singing when working together and say it makes them work faster.

Little Joseph knows how to ride his father's bicycle. When his father is not fetching firewood using the bicycle, he rides it around Kantolomba.

Regina and Audria dishing out lunch in the dining hall. We are all so pleased to be feeding so many hungry mouths of Kantolomba.

Little Nancy showing off her new chitenge outfit made by her mother, who is a tailor.

Little Eunice is our cute face of Kantolomba this week.

Jowen repackaging some sugar at the Living Compassion tuck shop. The goods diplayed are sold to community members who live nearby.

Little Chiluba enjoying her lunch of egg and rice.

Our little ones from Twabo Primary School reading outside the library here at Living Compassion after classes at their school.

Little Foster, grandchild of team member younger Foster, gives a big smile.

Jowen making sure that the surroundings look lovely and neat. It is the rainy season, and weeds are growing fast.

John cutting shrubs. He maintains the hedges around the property.

Little Christabel is all smiles as she says "Happy New Year" to all the Living Compassion USA team.

Our two cute babies for this week are Emmauel, the son of our very own team member Mirriam Sibale, and Andrew Josephine's son. They are both friends as well as neighbors.

Esnart and her siblings.

"Happy New Year to all!" from Eunice, Chileshe, and Cathrine.

All smiles from the boys as they also say "Happy New Year to you all!"

Memory is happy to be training to become a teacher. She shares with her friends here what she's learning at her college.

Emelda sweeping. She loves her work here at Living Compassion.

Our oldest team member at 69 years old carries some weeds after weeding.

Euginia is feeling much better after being sick for some time.

The team after a day's work.

Our Twabo girls Christin, Theresa, and Faith came visiting at the Living Compassion house.

Team members peeling vegetables.

Veronica, our accountant, doing some work in the library.

Our very own Grade Twelve student Maureen Chiplil. She has been in the program since she was five years old and has grown into a beautiful young lady. She wants to do nursing.

Here we are saying "congratulations" to our two Grade One students from Twabo school for coming out first and second in their end-of-year tests. They are both going to Grade Two next year.

Fetching clean water at the Living Compassion tap.

The rains are here and the weather is chilly most of the time. Our little ones are clad in warm clothing as well as boots (for those who can afford them), just like little Danny here who is a student in Susan's class.

Pauline doing some sweeping. She is a mother of seven and has been volunteering here since Living Compassion started.

Doing weeding as a team. Working together as a family is our motto here at Living Compassion.

A half-full pot of beans in the dining hall. Beans is a favourite dish of both the adults and the children.

Showing off her beautiful outfit. This dress is the talk of the cooperatives members!

Mangoes are in season, and our children are enjoying the fruit that has ripened on the surrounding trees.

Regina has come as far as she has by being part of the Living Compassion family. She appreciates everyone who has helped make her life and her children's lives easier.

Younger Foster and Regina have the same birthday, the third of December. They both turned 58 on Tuesday and celebrated together. The whole team wished them well during a lunch together of rice and egg.

Our two Grade One students from Twabo Private School during their visit to have lunch with us.

Our Grade Five students looking all grown up.

Our best cute smile for this week is from little Ronika, who is Jowen's daughter. She is now in Grade Five at Twatemwa Primary School here in Kantolomba.

Teacher Malila's class. Little Chomba is one of the best students in class. She likes reading and writing.

Our very own designer, Susan Mwila, showing off the shirt she learned to make in skills school. We are all so proud of her!

Our cute faces of Kantolomba.

This week was Child Health Week, and the health workers from Lubuto Clinic came to Living Compassion to give de-worming tablets and vitamins.

Little siblings Jermie and Esnart. They love to sit together and eat together.

Living Compassion Kantolomba welcomed a new member of the family last week, a baby girl. She's the daughter of Juliet Kaoma, a member of the team and the daughter of our retired caretaker Margret Chisenga.

Cute faces of Kantolomba for this week are the little ones from Malila's class.

Susan and Prisca. Prisca is now healthy and strong after being sick for a long time.

The junior Living Compassion football team celebrating winning a match with boys from the community.

Jackline with a pestle pounding nuts.

With this hot blazing sun, some of the team members wait in the shade as their buckets get filled with the clean water from the Living Compassion tap by the caretaker.

Little Thadiwe, a Grade One student at Twatemwa Primary School, practices writing her name on the board during library time at Living Compassion.

Happy smiles from Theresa and Chomba, a student in Veronica's class.

Martha with the other women sorting groundnuts at the kitchen area in readiness for Friday's peanut butter rice.

James and his brother sit on a tree stump while waiting for lunch. The house behind them is an example of the many houses that are still being occupied by many community members of Kantolomba.

Cute little faces of our little ones of Living Compassion.

Nora, who is not in the program, looks sad. She has been sick for some time, and her friend Linda tries to joke and make her smile, assuring her that she will share her food with her.

Theresa holding a tiny baby boy whose mother was fetching water from the Living Compassion tap. The heat was too much for the baby, and the mother asked if someone could hold him for her as she hauled the buckets of water home. Water is becoming scarce here due to the drought that the country has been experiencing.

Jackline scraping some leftover nshima from the huge pot at the Living Compassion kitchen.

Little John enjoys his rice and egg.

Michael, Jowen's son all grown up, enjoys a cup of water at the Living Compassion tap.

Younger Foster preparing green veggies that will be served for lunch.

Our cute smile is from little Chola Bwalya, who is in baby class here. She is four years old and has two twin sisters.

Zilo and Natasha carrying a huge pot to the dining hall after being helped by Elias.

Our adorable twins Mwenya and Mwelwa, who are in Malila's class. They are orphans, having just lost their mother last month. Their father passed on three years ago. They are now being looked after by their grandparents here in Kantolomba.

Some of the girls in the program: Mary Mwanza (Grade 11), Esnart Bwalya (Grade 9), Mary Bwalya (Grade 11), and Susan Mwanza (Grade 8).

Cosmas writing in Veronica's class.

Students from Twatemwa Primary School sit under the tree as they wait for their time to go into the library. Some are doing their homework.

Audria, one of the volunteer mothers, carrying a bucket of nshima and some plates to the dining area.

Doing it in style! Cooking nshima in preparation for lunch.

Mwansa, a Grade Three student doing her homework. Children take advantage of the quiet time here to do their homework in the afternoon with the help of the Living Compassion tutors.

Pauline dishing out rice into buckets for easy carrying to the dining hall. The rice is served with an egg for each student.

The little ones at the wash area while waiting for their lunch.

Natasha, little Edna's proud mum, loves her work so much, for it has helped her in raising her little ones Edna, six, and Joe, four.

Our cute faces for this week are Masauso and Phillip, who are in Veronica's class. They are ready to go to Grade Three, but their parents can not afford the fees. Instead, they come to class each day at Living Compassion.

Smiling cute little ones from Malila's class.

Jack helping himself with some water at the drinking station.

Some of the cooking staff preparing veggies.

Little ones waiting for lunch.

Joyce Makina, Felistus Chisanga, and Blessing Kabwe at Theresa's house.

Little Edna Phiri looking well and cute at Theresa's house.

Grade Five students from Twatemwa School enjoy library time at Living Compassion before going for lunch.

Little Enocent reading an English sentence. He is a Grade Three student at Twatemwa School.

Jackline, one of our volunteers, buying buns for her breakfast from our outdoor tuck shop.

Some of the team members prepare peanut butter using our traditional mortar and pestle made of wood. The peanut butter is prepared in advance because the process takes a long time. Here, the preparation is starting on Tuesday for the peanut butter to be used on Friday.

Pauline carries a bucket of nshima from the kitchen area to the dining hall. Pauline is a mother of six and has been with the team for some years now.

Teacher Beatrice's class singing one of the famous Genki songs.

Fetching clean water from the Living Compassion tap, Older Foster and Charity sing lovingly about the precious commodity.

Joseph with his friends after reading in the library.

Our Grade Nine girls from Twabo School came by to say hello, and Memory had fun taking their photo before they went home.

Beatrice in class her with students. She just loves teaching and being at Living Compassion with friends.

Juliet sorting beans. She is a mother of three and the granddaughter of Marget, who was our caretaker years back before she retired.

Little Musatelo, who is in Malila's class, is five years old and is a very bright boy. He would love to be a teacher just like Teacher Charles when he grows up.

John, our hedge cutter, busy clearing a hedge.

Brenda at the kitchen area opening a 25-kilogram bag of mealie meal for the preparation of nshima.

The little ones playing on the veranda during break time.

The weather is getting warmer each day here, and this rooster is taking shelter in the shade.

Regina stirring the nshima.

Little Ben going home with his lunch box of nshima and beans.

Our cute faces for this week are Maipambe and Christin, little ones from Malila's class.

Monica and Juliet cutting just some of the veggies for lunch.

Little Ennocent and his friend Brian enjoy a snack called "Jiggies" during breaktime.

Some of the team members sorting eggs. The woman on the right is the farmer in Luanshya who we buy our eggs from.

Our new outside toilet taking shape.

Audria with her grandchild. The mother of the baby is Audia's third-born daughter, who came visiting from Lusaka.

Veggies on display at Kantolomba market. The veggies cost 2 kwacha per bunch. A family of eight has to pay 10 kwacha or more just for lunch.

The ladies helping each other washing dishes.

Some of our team members sweeping and mopping the corridor. Cleaniness is our motto here, and Living Compassion is a shining example.

Older Foster, Doreen, and Jowen before going into the dining hall for lunch. Doreen is Prisca's first-born daughter. She is a mother of four and came to visit her mother.

Jackline demonstrates how we sweep the floor using local brooms made of a grass called ichipyango.

These are African eggplants, which we call impwa. It is cut, boiled until soft, and eaten with our staple food, nshima.

The team fetching water for cooking.

Our very own Susan looking so radiant, with her little cousin Jane.

The team pose with their buckets and brooms after a day's work.

Veronica helping Euginia do her home budget. She helps around because she is very good with math and is currently studying accounts in her spare time.

Some of our girls in the program during pod time. This is Theresa and Memory's English class.

Maxwell and his friend hang out after lunch. For them it's play time, as schools have closed.

Our cute face for this week is little Gloria who is in Teacher Susan's class. Before Gloria was accepted in the program, she was malnourished, her father had just passed on, and her mother was very ill. Gloria today is a healthy happy girl, and she runs around a lot playing with friends. She is looked after by her fifteen-year-old big sister.

Cute face of Elizabeth with Theresa.

Buckets of clean water waiting to be collected at the Living Compassiion tap by a member of the community. The well is helping a lot of people here, now that the main water company cannot supply enough water due to inadequate rainfall.

Doris posing for a photo while singing a song about how she is happy and grateful to Living Compassion for the wonderful life she is living today.

Euginia dishing out the nshima from the hot pot in the kitchen area. All those buckets are used for carrying food to the dining hall.

Students come to do extra lessons with us during their mid-term break. Here they do a math exercise which tutor Charles prepared.

Peter, our latest student who is doing carpentry at Mushili Skills Center. He is a father of five and lives right here in Kantolomba. He is so happy to be learning a skill.

John playing with his toy bicycle while waiting for lunch.

The little ones sit and wait for lunch. Schools have closed, and many children are coming to have lunch. To help them keep quiet while the girls in the program are studying, we keep them in one classroom and tell them stories.

The women sweeping as part of cleaning the area surrounding Living Compassion.

These cute faces of Kantolomba are little ones in Susan's class. They just love to have their photo taken!

The little ones enjoy their lunch of nshima with soya chunks and green veggies. Yummy!

Pauline doing it in style, preparing a huge pot of rice.

A cute photo of our team memebers Emelda, Malila, and Memory.

Jackline starting with the nshima.

Charles and Eugenia sitting in the sun during breaktime. The weather is still chilly.

Our little genius Edna Phiri. She came out number one in class after doing the end-of-term tests. We at Living Compassion are very, very proud of her. Hurray!

Mother and daughter, Natasha and Edna Phiri. Mother was so proud of her daughter.

This is our traditional pestle and mortar which we use to pound groundnuts. To do all the pounding in time, we have three mortars and do the pounding three days in advance.

A huge pot of veggies in the dining room ready to be dished out to the many hungry children of Kantolomba. The veggies are called Chinese cabbage. They are boiled in salty water, tomatoes, and onions and are taken with nshima.

The little ones from Malila's class having their egg and rice lunch.

Martha and Eugenia at the kitchen area with chef caps on, ready for the day's cooking. It is always a joy to them to cook for the children here at Living Compassion.

Cute faces of Kantolomba, siblings Edna and Martha with Theresa.

Chiluba, a Grade Three student at Twatemwa Primary School, writing a word on the board during an English spelling competition between Living Compassion and Twatemwa students here. Living Compassion won the competition.

Audria with her daughters Christabel and Dorcus.

Malila and Beatrice, our two cute Living Compassion tutors.

Veronica going over Eugenia's stipend with her. Veronica is good at math and makes sure that everyone counts their money properly. She also teaches how to spend wisely.

Our two Grade Eleven students who switched from Lubuto Secondary School to Zora Private School. This week all the students are writing their end-of-term tests.

Remember him? Yes, this is Michael Jowan's son, who was just a little one not long ago. He has grown into a handsome young boy who will be starting Grade One next year. How time flies!

Little Julian enjoys her lunch of rice and egg. She is a student in Beatrice's class.

Our Girls from Twabo School pose for a photo after lunch here at Living Compassion.

Marian has improved in her class work at Twabo after going back to Grade Eight, and even her health has improved.

Monica at the kitchen area sorting beans in readiness for Wednesday's lunch.

Our cute little faces for this week are Eunice (Josephine's daughter) and her friends. They look so beautiful and adorable.

John, late Ethel's son, busy trimming. He makes sure that the Living Compassion grounds look clean and beautiful.

Doris and Margret warming themelves in the sun.

Younger Foster preparing veggies for lunch.

Students in the program come to the library here from their respective schools after classes. They read and do their homework before they go home and get help from our tutors. Here they are writing what Charles has written on the board.

Monica carrying a bucket of nshima to the dining hall. She is the mother of five and is looking after three children of her late sister, Mable Mfula. She loves volunteering at Living Compassion and is proud that she is part of the Living Compassion family.

Peter and Susan off to school. They have started going to a skills school in Mushili, not very far from Kantolomba. Peter is doing plumbing and Susan is doing tailoring. We are all behind them and wish them all the best.

A pot of nuts ready to be roasted and then pounded to make peanut butter.

Kakoma, Theresa's son, ready for school. He, too, is at Mushili Skills School doing plumbing, and he is very excited about school.

Monica roasting nuts.

Cute faces for this week are from Beatrice's class. Here they are singing the alphabet.

Younger Foster sorting beans.

Peter helping Susan get into the taxi to get to Mushili Skills School.

Jonathan and his friend enjoying plates of peanut butter rice during lunch in the dining hall.

Felistus and Onester are on mid-term break from school at Twabo. They are coming to Living Compassion each day until school resumes on Monday. They say they are learning a lot at private school and that one of the differences from government school is that they stay in school for longer hours and they have homework every day.

Our girls during quiz time.

Our cute faces of Kantolomba for this week are from Beatrice's class.

Grade 12 student Joyce Meleki just after having her lunch here. Soon she and Monica Chipili will be sitting for their final Grade Twelve exams.

Teacher Ann with Natasha and Sofia after an English lesson using the iPads. Ann and Memory are doing so well with the iPads!

Monica receiving her stipend from Veronica. She's all smiles.

A stolen photo of Memory Luchele doing a computer practical exam at school. All our Grade Nine students have started doing practicals in advance. Because most schools here do not have enough computers for each student, the computers are shared, so the practical exams need to start early. The rest of the exams will start in November.

Peter and John enjoying their lunch.

Beatrice in class preparing for her next day's work.

Our cute face for this week is little Mirriam Phiri. She was a student in Beatrice's class last year and is now in Grade One at Twatemwa Primary School. Here she is in the library at Living Compassion.

Some of the kitchen staff sorting beans in readiness for Wednesday's meal.

Having lunch. The little ones really enjoy the rice and egg dish which is on our Tuesday menu.

Reachel, one of our girls doing Clinical Medicine in college in Luanshya, came visiting at the Living Compassion house over the weekend. She and the other girls are on training attachment. Reachel is doing her attachment at the Ndola Teaching Hospital.

This week is Child Health Week and the health workers are going around communities to give vitamins and de-worming tablets to children under five years old. The team of health workers came here on Monday and gave our little ones the tablets.

Jowen helping Peter carry a rock. The rocks are being removed to safe places to leave space for the playground.

Students in Beatrice's class waiting patiently for lunch.

Monica stirring the nshima in the kitchen.

Eugenia having her breakfast after cooking nshima. The weather is cold and a hot cup of tea will do the trick of keeping one warm.

Our cute little faces of Kantolomba are from Malila's class, posing for a photo during lunch time.

Ruth and Brenda after other team members sang them "Happy Birthday."

The birthday girls preparing vegtables. They share the same birth date though different years. Brenda is older than Ruth.

Little Ackim doing his homework. At home there was no one in the family to help him, as he is the only one who goes to school. He came to Living Compassion for help, just as other students do.

Pauline gathering charcoal to put on the huge brazier for cooking.

Charcoal being hauled into the storage room by our strong team members.

Mirriam Mutale, a mother of eight, is so glad and appreciates being on the team. She says life is much easier now that she is able to put food on the table to feed her large family.

Doris collecting water at the Living Compassion tap.

Little Cathrine and her friend show their lunch boxes of food.

Some of our Grade Four students from Twatemwa School pose for a photo at Living Compassion after a football match in which our team won 2-0.

Dorcus and Ann giving food to the children in the dining hall.

Malila's class singing as they wait for their turn to go in for lunch.

Euginia talking to some of the team members about hygiene. The team sit together during lunch and talk about work matters.

Some of Team Living Compassion who beat the Twatemwa School team in a football match.

Our cute little ones from Kantolomba are some students from Veronica's class. They are now ready to go to Grade One next year.

Natasha sitting with Theresa during a one-on-one talk. She was talking about how her mother has started drinking again. This sad development is very common among the women of Kantolomba who fall into depression and resort to drinking.

Our new Zora girls, Mary Mwanza, Mary Bwalya, and Veronica Kalaba. They look so cute in their bright new yellow uniforms.

Ruth at the kitchen area cutting cabbage in readiness for lunch. Cabbage goes with the soya chunks and nshima on Monday's menu.

Doris and Audria doing it in style, singing as they stir the huge pot of nshima.

Ann checking the books of the students who come from other schools to eat at Living Compassion. This is important to us, as we make sure that they go to school before they eat lunch.

Cute smiles from Kantolomba. Little Ester and her friend Mubanga peeping through the window. They are in Malila's class.

Mirriam preparing soya chunks.

Little Gloria, who is in Susan's class, just loves to come to Theresa and recite what she learned in class. So adorable!

Euginia getting her stipend. Veronica helps her count. She is getting old and needs a little help here and there.

Our pit latrines are almost full, and it is time to dig new ones. Our men have started digging the pit next to the old latrine.

The weather has changed, and it's chilly. Here our team members Charity, Doris, and Martha sit in the sun to warm up while lunch is being served inside.

Our ever-smiling faces of Living Compassion Kantolomba.

Winter Chisenga is in Grade One at Twatemwa Primary School here in Kantolomba. He likes coming to the library to read with Teacher Ann.

Veronica marking some books while sitting outside during break time. Next to her is eleven-year-old Bwalya, who is in her class.

A cute smile for the camera from little Ester, a student in Malila's class. Team members say she has the cutest smile, and they just love her.

Margret warming herself in the sun at the wash area as she waits for the many little hands that she has to wash before they go into the dining hall for lunch.

Our face for this week from Living Compassion is little Bruce, a Grade Four student at Twatemwa School here in Kantolomba.

Martha, Euginia, and Juliet sitting in the sun as they wait for lunch.

A member of the community carrying clean water from the Living Compassion tap for home use. People use wheelbarrows to carry two or three containers.

Susan's baby class singing to warm up before going to class.

Ann preparing for her next class.

Students enjoying lunch. They just love eating together in groups.

Pauline weeding, clearing the hedge.

Our cute faces for this week are the babies in Teacher Susan's class. They look so cute!

Florence and Emelda washing dishes.

Memory in class doing what she loves most, which is teaching. Here she helps one of her students, little Nora, write the number 3. Memory is doing a course in teaching right here in Ndola.

Little Getrude looking sharp and focused in class. She likes drawing flowers and singing. She is five years old and lives with her parents here in Kantolomba.

The girls give their best smiles for the camera.

Theresa helping out in the kitchen, stirring the big pot of nshima. This is very good exercise for her and she loves doing it. She says, "It is my pride, feeding the children."

Schools have reopened and students from Twatemwa Primary School are now coming to Living Compassion in uniform. Here some Grade Five students pose for a photo before they have lunch.

Jowen with her daughter Ronica. She has grown so fast and is now in Grade Five at Twatemwa Primary school.

Little Eunice and Peace. The weather is chilly, and warm clothing is been worn by the little ones. Those who do not have it have to brave the cold. They sit in the sun for warmth, and some run around.

Regina and Doris in the dining hall getting ready to dish out food to the students during lunch time. In the huge pot are boiled eggs.

Zilo and Brenda put down the huge pot of rice for a breather. The pot is heavy and hot, as it just came off the brazier. The rice is carried from the kitchen area to the feeding area.

Our cute faces of Kantolonmba sit on the veranda as they wait for lunch.

Our two girls Mary Bwalya and Mary Mwanza pose for a photo in their bright yellow uniforms. They have switched school from Lubuto to Zora so that they can catch up with their studies.

Susan Mwanza is now in Grade Eight at Zora School. She says that this time she will make it to Grade Ten.

Audria roasting groundnuts in readiness for Friday's peanut butter rice. The nuts are prepared in advance, as the process is long.

Veronica helping Pauline balance a bag of mealie meal on her head from the stack of bags delivered by the milling company truck.

Joyce Makina at the Living Compassion home here in Mushili. She came visiting over the weekend. Here she is helping draw water so that she and Memory can do the laundry.

Memory at home, reading outside on the veranda where it is cool. She is now training to become a full-time teacher and is happy to be continuing her teaching career. She says she can not wait to complete the program and continue to impart the knowledge she is getting to the students at Living Compassion.

Marian looking all grown up. She, too, is spending some time at the Living Compassion home.

Blessing Kabwe posing for a photo. She wants to be a doctor and says she is taking her studies seriously.

Mirriam Mutale, one of our Grade Five students at Twabo, playing a game called ichiyenga. The game is played using small rocks which are thrown in the air and is learned at an early age.

Memory Luchele with her friends at Living Compassion. She had come with some of her Grade Nine friends at Twabo to see what happens here. They were so amazed on how much nshima is cooked here!

Doreen Bwalya, one of our college girls, who is completing her teaching course this year. She has been training for almost three years now. She is so happy that this is her final year and has achieved what she aimed for. We are all proud of her and wish her all the best!

Susan doing extra lessons with our Grade One students from Twabo School. This is holiday time for them, and they are spending time with the tutors at Living Compassion doing English lessons.

Our college girls in Luanshya pose for a photo when Theresa visited them at their boarding house.

Lackson and his friends fetching clean water from the Living Compassion tap for their home use.

Some of our girls in the program sit in Charles's pod as he teaches them math. Charles and Veronica teach math because they are good at it, while the rest of the tutors teach English.

Beatrice, Malila, and Charles working on a lesson plan. The tutors prepare in advance for the next day's work, working together and sharing ideas.

Theresa poses for a photograph with some of our little students from Twabo Private School. The girls are so impressive in their academic work at their new school, and we are so proud.

The students show off their results after writing their first test at their new school. They did so well!

Schools have closed for the first term, and our students are doing extra lessons here with our Living Compassion tutors. Here Ann in class with a Grade Five student from Twabo School.

Natasha is very proud of her daughter, who came out first in the Grade One class at Twabo School. Edna Phiri is just amazing!

Some of the girls in the program listen to Theresa reading a book from the library. With the schools closed, we are giving our students extra English lessons.

Some of the proud parents after collecting the school results from Twabo School.

Little Nancy carrying a tub with bottles of clean water from the Living Compassion tap for her home use.

The cute face of Kantolomba for this week is little Veronica Mwansa Mulenga who is seven years old and a student in Beatrice's class. She is an only child whose mother and father passed on when she was two years old. She is now living with her aunt.

The team doing what they often do in their free time. Brenda drums while Susan dances to the rhythm.

Some of the team members looking cute walking down from the kitchen area.

Veronica and Jowen share a light moment while waiting for lunch.

Some team members weeding the grounds.

Susan and her friends in math class during pod time at Living Compassion. Susan has repeated Grade Eight at Zora School and says she will make it to Grade Ten in 2021.

The three friends Edna, Mumbi, and Mwewa pose for a photo. They play together and are best friends.

Charity at the kitchen area sorting beans in readiness for Wednesday's meal.

Peter busy making sure that the grounds look neat. Here he is trimming the hedge.

Veronica with some students in Malila's class. Veronica has been feeling better since she has been taking the medication prescibed to her by Dr. Mwandu from Mary Begg hospital, where she was taken when she fell ill last December.

Some of our little ones as they play around Living Compassion. Now that schools will be closing, more students will be seen here during lunch.

Friends Naomi and Abraham with Theresa, our cute photo for the week from Kantolomba.

Charity with her youngest daughter, who is three years old. Charity is a happy and proud mother as well as a grandmother.

Our own Sofia posing for a photo. She has repeated Grade Twelve at Zora Private School and is sure that this time she is going to make it so that she goes to college next year.

Monica at the wash area making sure that the hands of our little ones are clean. She is the caretaker and is responsible for keeping the little ones' hands as clean as possible before they go into the dining hall to eat.

Karen all grown up and looking beautiful. She is in Grade Ten at Zora Private School. She is almost fifteen years old now.

Little Mary, very happy after writing her first letter on the board in Teacher Malila's class. Mary is four years old and lives with her grandmother here in Kantolomba.

Emelda washing the dishes as Natasha looks on. Natasha was not feeling well and had just come back from the clinic.

A cute photo of some of our little students from Twabo Private school. This week they are doing tests at school.

John looks on as the electrician works on the electric cable from the water pump. The old cable was worn out and needed replacing. The electrician, Mr. Kapumpe, is a Kantolomba resident.

Our cute baby class always gathers around to have their photo taken whenever they see a camera.

Students from Twatemwa Primary School are the cute faces of Kantolomba for this week. Lovely smiles!

Natasha making sure that the drinkng cups for the children are clean and the bucket of water is filled. The bucket is stationed just outside the dining area.

Mirriam Mutale, one of our Grade Five students at Twabo Private School. She is a prefect at school and one of the top students in Grade Five.

Little Abigal, a student at Twatemwa Primary School. She was not feeling well and went home. No one was at home, so she came to Living Compassion, and one of the women on the team took her to the clinic. Today she is much better, thanks to the women of Living Compassion.

Students from Twatemwa Primary School reading in the library with Ann.

Margret fetching water from the tap for cooking.

The beautiful view of Kantolomba from the veranda of the property and members of the community fetching water from the Living Compassion tap.

Elias teaching in the library.

Little Stella enjoying her meal. She is in Teacher Susan's class.

This week's cute face of Kantolomba is little Samuel, who is four years old and in Teacher Susan's class.

Preparing groundnuts. Florence busy with a pestle and mortar, pounding the nuts in readiness for Friday's peanut butter rice. She is mother of six and is a volunteer here at Living Compassion. She is proud to be helping out.

Audria and Doris clearing the water tank area of weeds.