Reflections on the HOPE Ministry

10 years ago we started the HOPE ministry, shortly after moving to Zambia. Orphan Care was very much on my heart and whether we were really prepared to jump right into that, or not…we did!

Initially, we were helping an existing ministry in Ndola with their orphan care program, by connecting sponsors to specific children. Since it was a challenge to maintain that support from the distance of Lusaka, we decided to focus on our city and started HOPE Kabanana in Lusaka, with 10 children. We provided for their school fees and lunches, bought schoolbooks and uniforms for them and then also took care of some medical and hygiene needs. The ministry grew and several more children were added to the program. Some kids dropped out, some were removed from the program and more were added.

After several years, the church in Kabanana took over their own support of their orphans and HOPE transitioned to become “Helping Orphans. Providing Education”. We then put all our efforts into helping a different impoverished church in George Compound to care for their orphans and vulnerable children. We also have had opportunities along the way to support a girl’s home over last year and to give assistance in one-time gifts of kitchen cabinets and help with electrical work.  Over the course of the 10 years of HOPE, several buildings were established.

In Kabanana, 2 classrooms, a main hall, kitchen and office were built through funding tied with HOPE.  In George, a well was dug to provide clean and safe water. 2 classrooms were built, as well as a kitchen and office and then most recently a toilet block with proper sanitation. All these buildings and projects were built with funds provided by donors.

Many people have given so generously over all these years to support HOPE. Over the last 10 years I have estimated a total of about 100 children that have at one point been involved with HOPE. Whether it was short lived, such as Nathan a student only needing help for their final years of secondary school or a first grader, Memory who has been with us since her first days in school. This past week I was with her getting her enrolled in 10^th grade, and I am committed to seeing her finish her 12^th grade. 

Through HOPE, children and their guardian’s lives have been impacted.  For some it was briefly, for others it has been almost “life-long”. We have had sick kids, malnourished kids, kids living with HIV, as well as strong healthy kids who have been motivated to make for themselves, a better life. We have tried throughout, but certainly failing at times, to show the love of Jesus to the children. When we fail and when they fail our goal was still that they still would see forgiveness and mercy in Christ.

After 10 years, the time came for the HOPE non-profit to close. I am now left with a mixture of emotions. I look back and think nothing was done in vain. It is not that I see every child of the 100 as a success story, not even close. Sometimes it has been discouragement after discouragement. Kids getting pulled into the destructive lifestyle that they see around them of drugs and dropping out of school, teenage pregnancies and lying and stealing.

Starting a charity in a foreign country is definitely a challenge. It really is one that we knew nothing about until we were here on the ground doing it. Which then inevitably means some mistakes were made along the way. Sometimes the plans and methods we employed were not the best for the culture, sometimes our help actually ended up enabling certain behaviors in the children or in their guardians and sometimes we ended up with kids feeling a sense of entitlement. That was never our intent, but we have learned that giving aid to people can often hinder them.  It doesn’t mean you don’t help, but over time you realize the help changes its form.

As I look back over the 10 years, helping and encouraging and giving to others were the driving forces of HOPE.  We set out to provide opportunities for vulnerable and orphaned children to grow and learn and receive an education and medical care. 

With  HOPE,

Kids were fed.

And they went to school.

Kids learned about sanitation and

For the first time used a proper toilet.

Kids learned to read

Kids heard the gospel of Jesus

Kids were hugged

Kids were loved

Kids were given gifts, by strangers

Kids experienced laughter and joy

And I trust that in all these things that were done they saw the love and care of  Jesus for them. We might have been in the forefront of the care, but it is through the donations that we were able to do any of it. SO, for all those that have supported HOPE in its various forms over this past decade, We ALL say thank you!