Epiphany Fund - Cumnor URC supports the Hope & Faith Christian Community School

Story

Ng'ombe is a very large and impoverished township just outside Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. There are no made-up roads, no piped water, no mains drainage. Houses are often dark, ill-furnished and cramped. Employment is scarce and childhood is harsh. There are many orphans, largely as a result of AIDS, and some 'street children'.

From the beginning, providing an education to the large numbers of orphans in the community was a priority. It soon became apparent that many children came to school hungry, not having eaten since their one meal of the day on the night before, some even fainting from hunger in the course of lessons. So the school established a feeding programme for all the pupils and this has been a distinctive feature of its work.

The school is now well integrated into its local community. In 2017 it opened a Women's Business Centre to support women's economic empowerment by enabling them to develop new skills, notably in dress-making and catering.