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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