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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!

In their spare time after school at Living Compassion, Boyed and Kasuba go to the market and collect bottle tops. They take the tops home and make plastic chains to play with. Here they have made a chain out of mineral water bottle tops.

Our cute face for this week is little Leticia Kaoma, who is six years old and a student in Teacher Malila's class. Both of Leticia's parents have passed away, and she lives with her grandmother. Her grandmother is old and cannot sell at the market, so she sells repacked mealie meal at their home.

Susan Mwila is one of our tailors and has been experiencing painful legs again. Last time this happened, we took her to physiotherapy. When the session ended, she was feeling fine. We are going to take her again tomorrow to hear what the doctor says. We will update you on the outcome.

Students from Teacher Memory's class patiently wait for their turn to get lunch after class.

Wow, how time flies! This is Phillip Jowen's son, all grown and even taller than his mum. He is in Grade Twelve this year, and his mum is so happy because raising a boy in Kantolomba is tough, with all the bars and gangs around. She is glad that all her children are growing up to be responsible.

Our community members fetching clean water. Living Compassion's water is still the best drinking water offered to the community.

Inside our local medical clinic.

Zilo Lungu and Mirriam Sibale are both volunteers here at Living Compassion. These mothers love what they do and they are grateful for what Living Compassion is doing for them. They cherish every moment they spend here.

Our beautiful garden is looking good. Some veggies grow fast with the rains that we are receiving almost everyday. The sweet potato leaves are very good veggies. We also have beans, pumpkin leaves, and okra.

Bertha doing what she loves to do, which is sewing. Here she sews a client's shirt.

These little ones used to be in Malila’s class in the Living Compassion preschool and were selected for Grade One at Hands of Mercy School. From left to right, we have little Moses (age 7), Thomas (age 8), Tamara (age 10), Patricia (age 8), and Cynthia (age 6).

Memory with some of our students who are now in Grade Two this year at Hands of Mercy School. The girls are Ester Bwalya, Getrude Katende, Angela Phiri, Lisa Pule, and Precious Longwe. They are still our babies because they come to Living Compassion everyday after school to eat.

From left to right is Moffat Bwalya, Grace Lungu, and Stanlely Choma, all ready to go to school after lunch here.

Here's Brenda with our beloved Living Compassion sign, which is due for its periodic maintenance.

Team members Doris, Jowen, and Docus posing under the sign.

John works on the sign.

Little Sara is in Teacher Memory's class. She is four years old and is the granddaughter to our very own Martha Mwanza. Sara is saying hello to all the USA Living Compassion Team.

The rains are progressing each day, and the weeds are growing fast. Our Living Compassion team makes sure our surroundings are kept clean. Here some of our team members are clearing weeds.

Joseph helps out his mum by lighting the new eco stove. His family was one of the community members who purchased an eco stove through the Living Compassion micro-loan program. He says the stove has helped the family save charcoal. Joseph used to be a student in Charles's class and is now in Grade Six at Twatemwa School.

Our cute face this week is Elizabeth.

Pauline and Zilo in action in the kitchen, dishing out the nshima from the big pot into the buckets.

The young women sometimes help out with classwork. Here Blessing is helping Teacher Beatrice. Blessing is one of the young women in the Girls Program. She is 21 and loves doing business.

Memory and Ann in class, making sure that the slow learners come nearer to the board.

Our “babies” (preschoolers) at Living Compassion are sending love to all.

Here is our cute face from Kantolomba. Little Helen Mubanga is a student at Twatemwa School right here in Kantolomba. She has six other siblings, and four of them are students here at Living Compassion. Helen lives with both her parents, who are vegetable sellers at our market in Kantolomba.

A very dedicated parent helping out. Doreen has three children in the program here: a six-year-old girl and a set of four-year-old twins. She loves joking and helping at Living Compassion because she is so grateful that her children are cared for here.

Our very own co-op member, Audria, makes sure that our surroundings are neat and clean. She is one of the caretakers and looks after the little ones when they are around the premises.

Here is Teacher Ann with some students in the library. Our little ones can be full of energy at times, and one needs to be patient with them!

Students from Teacher Malila's class sit in class, patiently waiting for their lunch. Teacher Malilia says these little ones are ready to go to Grade One next year!

Some of the team members share a light moment together after sweeping the compound. Natasha, on the left, took the place of her grandmother, Older Foster, when she retired. Doris is in the middle and Natasha is just out of sight on the right.

This is how we do it here at Living Compassion! Feeding the little ones is our passion! Here are Brenda, Charity, and Emelda stirring the huge pot of nshima.