Driving to change the nation

Education is probably the most important gift that parents can give their child; it is an asset that only gains in value as the years go by, one that is indestructible by the ravages of time. So when it comes to your child, you want to give them the best education that is available, one that will make them good Christians and respectable adults.

Photo: Pupils after receiving book

Mapalo Bread of Life Community School endevours to offers quality education to our orphans and vulnerable children so that they become responsible adults. Our children at school are privileged to get the spiritual, physical, social-economic and cognitive learning within the community. With our motto “Driving to change the nation” indeed our children academic life will impact nations.

Many of the pupils are orphans and vulnerable children who are taken from the streets and other through home based care. This is one of preventing drug abuse, illiteracy, child labour, crime and fighting poverty.

We are privileged that men of destiny at Bread of Life Central with Rev. George Chanda have adopted 135 children whom they are sponsoring. We are so grateful for their gifts such as books, pencils and financial support.

Photo: Men of destiny donating gifts

Currently we have about 900 children. Our Curriculum is wide. The spiritual element, the first and most significant, establishes the importance of having a relationship with Jesus Christ based on the importance of knowing Him as Creator, Father and Savior. In the physical area, children receive valuable information about their bodies, such as the importance of taking care of themselves, personal hygiene lessons, and other issues basic to tackling the problems they face every day. Third is the social-emotional area, through which children learn about relationships with others and with themselves. Finally, the cognitive element develops and reinforces skills that are essential to the children’s knowledge development as students and future professional.

· Thank you so much for your partnership and contributions.

· Pray that God will raise more people to sponsor our lovely children.

· Pray for our grade seven who are writing exams

· Pray that God will raise people to sponsor our children who will pass to grade 8

Ablution block project

Mapalo Bread of Life Community School has 916 orphans and vulnerable children and 200 Sunday School children who need proper toilets when they are at school and church.

The vision of building proper ablution block was birthed in order to mitigate the effect water born diseases such as cholera to our children while at the learning institution; as some of our children come to school without shoes or sandals.

This ablutions block will also help our children when they go to high schools to use those modern toilets properly as the homes they come from only uses pit latrines.

We have completed about 70% of the work. Our children are temporally using two toilets from part of one section of the toilets as the need to use them is urgent. (Our pit latrines is full).

Our Praise and Prayer items include

· Thank you so much for partnering with us and your contributions.

· Pray with us that we complete the ablutions block soon. We are praying that we put doors, plaster inside, toilet pans, soaker way etc ….

· Pray for our wonderful school teachers who volunteer tirelessly who only get allowances when we have the funds that the Lord will be providing allowances even as they serve faithfully.

Prison Ministry

Mapalo Bread of Life Church in partnership with Prison Fellowship helps prisoners, ex-prisoners and prisoner’s wives with life skills and micro finance projects. These projects help to reduce crime and as a source of income to these people after coming from prison or prisoner’s wives. We have more than 30 members in this ministry in our community.

One touching testimony is of Mr. Fogger Kunda has been in prisons for more than 6 times including a 15 year sentence with hard labour at Mukubeko Maximum Prison. He has been in different prisons for about 20 years!

Crimes which he committed included; aggravated robbery, previous bodily harm, house breaking, etc.

Mr. Fogger Kunda is one of the people who has been empowered with life skills and equipment. Mr Kunda was given sewing machine as capital and he is doing well at his tailoring shop.

Photo: Mr. Kunda at his shop

“All these blessing are coming from Christ, I am a born again Christian now and Christ has transformed me. He has been so merciful and gracious to me. I am an active member in the care and compassion ministry, and the men’s fellowship. I have changed for good, to God be the glory,” said Mr. Kunda.

Mr. Kunda is now married and living happily with his family.

Mr. George Chilumba was involved in selling drugs. After serving a two year sentence through prison fellowship he gave his life to Christ. Mr. Chilumba is now a founder and pastor in one of the churches in our community.

Photo: Mr. Chiluba at his workshop

Thank you for your partnership and encouragement.

Out Praise Items Include:

• Praise God that never fails and this is evident in our community.
• Through the testimonies of these people crime has reduced in our community.
• Pray for these families that their income generating activities flourish.
• Through this project prisoners wives’ are now managing to bring food on the table and send their children to school.
• Pray for resources that we reach and help more people.

Food Supplement Support Program

We believe that you can literally save a life by providing nutrition powerful enough to bring a child back from the brink of death.

Child malnutrition rates today remain devastating and are made exponentially worse by rapidly rising food prices around the world. But while malnutrition continues to kill millions of children a year and stunt growth in untold numbers more, there is hope in the form of a recently created "food supplement program" at our local church and the community that provides the specific, high-quality nutrition children need to recover, survive, and even thrive.

Mapalo Bread of Life does not only give the give the Bread of Life (Jesus) but is also involved in integral mission. With high poverty and unemployment levels many of our members come to church without having any meal but they love to sing and praise God so much and our church is growing spiritually and numerically.

Photo: Pastor Peter with beneficiaries

Many of the people affected are our lovely children, elderly people and those on medication. Those on medication makes it hard for them to adhere to treatment because they feel dizzy as they take the medication without eating.

Through our partners Hope for Children we are able to minister to them.

Photo: Beneficiaries Receiving food supplements

“I was told at the clinic to stop breast feeding because I am chronically ill. Through this support my child is healthy because of the High Energized Protein Food (HEPS). The mealie meal, cooking oil and beans has improved our families healthy. This can only be the hand of God,” said Annie Nguni one of the beneficiaries.

“…Spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10

Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Awareness Campaign

According to recent statistics there is 1 new infection every 15 seconds – 85 million so far are infected and the Church in many nations is a major provider of compassionate care and compassion for those living with and affected with AIDS.

Mapalo Network of Churches held a VCT awareness campaign in our community and more than 80 people were tested on site such the testers finished.

Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV allows individuals to determine their HIV status and serve as a gateway for both HIV prevention and early access to treatment, care, and support. Identifying factors associated with VCT acceptance among different professional and community groups is essential in promoting the service.

Photo: People queuing for VCT

Those who test positive are encouraged to join the support group in our community. Our support group helps people living with HIV and AIDS and those who are not infected to come together and share their challenges, hope and dreams.

“Through this support group I no longer feel discriminated, my brethren even reminds me to continue adhering to treatment and it’s through this group that I got a grant,” stated Beatrice.

Our support group encourages ARV treatment program which is a great relief to society and most importantly to people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.

From an ethical point of view, it is worth stating that the use of ARVs is helping to control HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination especially in urban Africa. ARV treatment programs help to prevent or conceal the outward physical symptoms that enable the general public to become suspicious of a person’s HIV status, hence the lack of stigma in places of work, business, worship, education, entertainment and other social events.

Photo: People registering to go for testing

However, it is important to state that ARV treatment programs alone cannot ultimately eradicate stigmatization of PLHWA in the African setting. There is an urgent need for Christians in Africa to confront the stigmatization of AIDS head-on.

Our Prayer Items

• · Pray that our churches continue to do door-to-door campaign on VCT and AIDS awareness.
• · Pray for resources for our support group so that they start income generating activities.

Patrick Kapumba A father of 6 displayed

Before I became a robber I was working for mines as a miner, thereafter I was pruned and that was the time I joined in criminal activities as an armed robber. I was doing bad things before God and to human beings in the process of these activities I was involved in a case and was caught up (arrested) and charged with a case of aggravated robbery, and I was found guilty and thereafter sentenced to death penalty by hanging. I made an appeal to the Supreme Court but my appeal was dismissed, so I had no way out but waiting to be hanged.

When I was at Kabwe Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison at Condemn Section, one day I was put on presidential pardon (His Excellence Dr Fredrick Chiluba).

Photo: Patrick Kapumba at his garden

When I was outside in society I was welcomed by the old friends because I was thinking that these people where able to solve my needs and these were robbers and in the process of being with these people I found myself being involved in criminal activities again. Not long-after my joining back I was arrested again and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment with Hard Labour. I was taken back to Kabwe Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, when I was in the prison I came to realise that it was the time to repent and turn away from the criminal activities. I made a decision to turn to Jesus and received Him as Lord and personal Saviour. After saving for 8 years I was again put on Presidential Pardon by his Excellence Levy Patrick Mwanawasa SC for the second time.

I made a decision in my heart to start a new life in Christ. After being out of the prison I went to Good Samaritan Centre in Kabwe to be trained as a Tailor and I was trained for 8 months. After my training I was given a sewing machine. When I left Kabwe, I came direct to Ndola at Zambia Prisons Fellowship (PFZ) where they sent me to Mapalo Bread of life church where I meet PFZ chairman Pastor Peter Chikoseleshi. I started sleeping at the church office and making new friends in Christ. The PFZ gave me a privilege to start a tailoring course so that I improve my skill then I graduated and was given a certificate in tailoring. Today am able to train other students in our community.

The PFZ has given me a loan which I have invested in farming so that I can raise some money to find a way to bring back my displayed children who went away with their mother. The mother to my children is now married to another man because of my bad character and after serving a long sentence in prison.

I am now married and God has blessed me with a baby boy and I am now a leader in church. I do visit my few brothers in prison and encourage them on the goodness of the word of God. My future plans is to have my own farm and to bring back all my children who are displayed one place by God grace, to God be the glory. Roman 8 v 1-5.

Praying for Sponsored Children

Mapalo Bread of Life invited all secondary school going pupils in the community to attend a church service which was dedicated to encourage and pray with them to be committed with school.

Mapalo Bread of Life Community School has sponsored 43 pupils to go to secondary school and all of them came for the service.  These children are orphans and vulnerable children in the community who are being sponsored by Zambia National Aids Network (ZNAN). In order to offer spiritual guidance, the school invited all the pupils to come in uniforms on one particular Sunday.

This was an opportunity to teach the pupils how they should be morally upright in school.Among these pupils some are Muslims and other s doesn’t go to church.

The theme of the message was “Ask God who gives wisdom freely”. Pastor Peter Chikoseleshi encouraged the pupils from the book of Daniel Chapter 1 were Daniel concentrated to study and not to follow the worldliness of Babylon. Pastor Peter encouraged the pupils to concentrate with school and work hard. And not to follow bad companies, peer pressure which results in promiscuity behavior such as drug/alcohol abuse and prostitution.

Pastor Peter also emphasized the dangers of promiscuity behavior which results in early and unwanted pregnancies, having poor results and the danger of catching HIV and AIDS.  He also reminded them that God has granted them an opportunity to be in school even in the midst of them vulnerable children in order to bring good leadership and discipleship in this generation.
Currently, their teachers have testified of seeing improvements in behavior and performance in the classes of these pupils.  Some of those who were not going to church have started going to churches.
We thank Zambia National Aids Network (ZNAN) their support.

Building of Ablution block

Mapalo Bread of Life Community School has been building its ablution block for sometime now. The buildings success is dependant on well wishers who are giving sacrificially to see the children use the modern toilets and bathrooms in the soonest time possible.

Insert Photo: our building our children’s ablution block.
This year the community has bought 500 blocks, pockets of cement and building sand. We thank God for sister Hamusa who has also contributed 200 bocks towards the building of the ablution block.
We are praying for God to raise more people and organizations for us to move to another extra mile. We are still praying for 700 blocks more blocks, 20 pockets of cement for building only, toilet pans, metal bars, tiles, building stone, building sand and other building material.

Insert Photo: current structure of the building
We are requesting to you brethren to stand with us in prayer so that our children can have better toilets and bathrooms in order to prevent water born diseases like dysentery, typhoid, and cholera.
We thank Community Fellowship Church, Pastor Lawrence Temfwe, Kevin Sampson, Mike Devebiss, Daniel Bullock, and sisters and brother who have been praying and giving sacrificiary towards this project.
Continue praying with us so that we can complete this project before August 2009.

Easter Resurrection: love in action conference.

Mapalo Bread of Life held ‘love in action’ conference during Easter. On Friday 10th April 2009, the conference started with morning devotion at the Church and later went in the community for evangelism. The members were divided into groups to go and witness the message of hope to the local people.

Group one went to the local Market and Bars/Taverns to preach the gospel. Many people don’t have time to attend church service because they are busy selling at the local market in order to survive. Group one witnessed the death and resurrection of Christ to marketers and people in bars.

“We are unreachable and seldom do we hear the gospel,” said one of the drunkards in one bar. The drunkards and Marketers received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and as a result some Drunkards came on Saturday to attend the conference while they were drunk.

Group two went to distribute water purification to 380 families in Mapalo community because of the untreated water in the area. The group targeted the area that is most hit by water born diseases like cholera, dysentery and typhoid. The water purifications were donated to Mapalo Bread of Life by Southbury Baptist Church of USA.

Group two also donated Bibles and leaflets which contained the message of the resurrection of Christ. “We are humbled us a family to be given the Bible and water purifiers. Instead of buying, but we have been given for free, this is a proof that God loves me and the Family. I will now start going to Church” Said Mr. Kapambwe as he received the gifts.

Group three went to share the message of hope and forgiveness to people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. The group visited six families and donated soya beans, mealie meal, and money for charcoal. Among the people who were visited is a 68 year chronically ill Man who also happens to have asthma. The man was planning to sale His house so that he could use the money to buy herbs from a witch doctor. Sister Olipah Banda who is a nurse by professional, encouraged the old man not to sell his house. She offered to help him get ART and asthma treatment at the local clinic. Sister Olipah has continued to visit and encourage the man.

As Mapalo Bread of Life this is practical way of reaching our target of having 200 new members by the end of 2009. With the amazing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we have hope of achieving this goal.

Bread of Life Shares ‘Bread’

By Times Reporter

Bread of Life church of Chipulukusu (Mapalo) Township in Ndola has donated an assortment of foodstuffs, groceries and bibles to the Insakwe Probation Institute for juvenile offenders.

Bread of Life Church Pastor Peter Chikkoseleshi said at the hand over ceremony at the institute that it was the duty of the children of God to help other people that were in need.

Pastor Chikoseleshi said his Church was very much aware of the different financial and other challenges institutes such institute was facing.

He said as children of God, it was important that the Church contributed to institutes that were very important to society.

“It is important that we contribute to institutions such as this one because they are very important to society and yet they lack some things,” Pastor Chikoseleshi said.

He said it was equally cardinal for the church to help the government support important institutions.

Pastor Chikoseleshi said Insakwe was an institute that contributed to the well being of children in society including his township.

The Bread of Life also donated foodstuff, groceries and clothes to Arthur Davidson Children’s Hospital (ADH) and Kansenshi Prisons worth over K3 Million.

And receiving the donation on behalf of Insakwe, Social Welfare officer Mwaja Mwale said she was very happy with the donation.

Ms Mwale said Insakwe was facing numerous challenges and therefore could not provide all that was needed for the residents.

She said the donation was timely and that it would go a long way in helping the administration meet different needs