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November 2024

This year has proved to be a challenging one for Pilgrim and for Zambia a a whole, due to last year’s failed rains. This resulted in poor or non-existent crops, food shortages, and, because most electricity in the country comes from Hydro Power and the rivers and lakes are extremely low, very little power. The supply is usually on for one or two hours each day due to ‘load shedding’. Because people are hungry there is more theft, girls selling themselves and getting married very early. There have also been deaths from eating poisonous roots, fruits and berries in desperation.

However, this year’s rains started a few weeks ago, and at Pilgrim project, Kalilanama, they are beginning to prepare the fields and garden for crop sowing. Hopefully they will be able to harvest some crops early in the spring and some quick growing vegetables before that. A solar powered borehole now gives irrigation to the garden, so even after the rain ceases the gardeners will be able to water the plants. During the hot season this year -August to end of October, it was so hot that nothing would grow.

The school and Health Post at Kalilanama continue to do really well, despite the drought, and their harvest was enough to give the young children (pre-grade in their new classroom) a meal each day, while the older ones had at least three meals a week. We have sent extra funds to them, so that all children are fed every day.

There are now five teachers, with three classrooms and the school office used for the older ones. All teachers, with their families, now have good housing, although there is not as yet any solar system for electricity. At present about 150 children are enrolled, with the need for another classroom and more desks, as the children sit 3 or 4 at each desk. Teachers have asked for more text books, as they are unable to teach certain subjects properly. All these needs will be addressed as some generous extra funding has recently been given to GC-Z.

Grace reports that they have had a lot of outside input which is good news for such an isolated community. District Education Board Officers encouraged pupils on the importance of education, a Police Officer talked about the bad effects of drug abuse, alcohol and early marriages (from 12 years of age), and officers from the Ministry of Education met with the PTA and other members of the community, encouraging them to work closely with Pilgrim at Kalilanama so that the whole area can develop and improve more quickly. On 24th October, Zambian Independence Day, all surrounding schools and the community came for celebrations at Kalilanama, so it is becoming a real hub.

The Health Post is now run by Faith, Grace’s daughter, who is a newly qualified nurse. She is there part time, with the help of a trainee, Nelson. Malaria drugs are available, supplied by the government, which saves many people’s lives, especially very young children. Young children and girls over 12 are also immunized, and regular health checks given to all the children. Anyone from the community can also visit the Health Post to get help and advice and testing if they are sick. The Health Post does have a few basic medicines, but these are in short supply throughout the country. They are hoping to get a solar powered fridge soon for vaccines etc.

Future plans are as listed above for the school and a solar system supplying lighting and some charging facilities for the school, health post and village. As the school expands they will really need a few laptops.

With the wonderful determination of the Pilgrim team, there has been good progress, despite adversity. We hope and pray for a good harvest in the spring.

March 2024

The attendance of pupils at Pilgrim School over the last year has been very good, though more classroom space and teachers are needed. The post-Christmas term 2024 was delayed for quite a few weeks because of a severe cholera outbreak in Zambia, and all schools were closed nationally. Thankfully they have now been able to reopen and there was no cholera in the Kalilanama area.

Unfortunately just before the term was due to start the trained teacher Barry handed in his notice to apply for a Government school post. The government pays a lot more than the private schools (about double the salary but not as many ‘perks’). Thankfully Pilgrim had a large number of applicants applying for three new teaching posts and at least two of these should now be in place. More news next time.

The pre-grade classroom is now complete and planning will start soon on an enclosed outside play area.

Pilgrim is expecting a challenge this coming year because the rains were spasmodic and ended early, a national drought - they expect a poor yield but of course have to find strategies in order to feed the children.

Quotations are being received for a solar system for lighting and also bore hole pumps. What a difference that will make!  Electric light!

Two fish ponds are complete with 400 to 500 fingerlings going well - two more ponds are planned.

A loan for egg production has been applied for - 300 point-of-lay birds, so they will be able to sell eggs as well as providing for school meals. Plans for the next three months include finishing the building of a poultry house as well as the completion of another teachers house. Thousands more bricks have been made.

The main focus for the Health Post is for malaria prevention and treatment as well as everyday ailments. This has resulted in very few deaths in the past few years from malaria, and the saving of the lives of many, especially young children.

Grace says -” We have put in more programs this year like bringing community members together in developmental programs, youth meetings, workshop and training” We hope to be able to report these things in more detail next time.

An ongoing need is for more long term commitment from the community, especially for the day to day running of the project. Twelve years ago the people were living very different lives, totally isolated, devoting their days to gathering enough food for their families so that they didn’t starve, and it has been a big step for them to where they are today. They still need a lot of support and encouragement.

November 2023

Since our last Blog, our friend Tim from the Zambia Society Trust has spent time at Kalilanama and sent news and photos.  The new pre-school classroom is nearly complete and at present there are 145 children enrolled in the school, though not all attend each day, especially if they live many miles away, and at present there is not  enough classroom space for all of them.  Another classroom will be needed soon.   (See Pilgrim Community School for photos)

There are at the moment only two teachers, Barry and Florence, husband and wife, and PSIC is interviewing for another - unfortunately the third teacher had to be suspended recently as she was found to be dishonest.  There is now a very active PTA made up of   teachers and members of the community, who are really taking on responsibilities for their children’s education - a great step forward, and    so good to see men and women involved.  The vital need is for teachers who will stay permanently at the project - there is always the danger that they will take better paid Government jobs elsewhere. 

Construction of a big storeroom has been completed, as have new roofs on some of the other buildings. Construction of more accommodation is  about to start, so the project village is growing.                             (See Visitor’s Accommodation for photo)

The Health Post is still operating but obtaining drugs for Kalailanama and countrywide is a major problem, even for Government facilities and hospitals.  Faith, the daughter of Grace and Nicholas, has recently passed all her nursing exams in Lusaka, and hopes to join the project in the New Year to help run the Health Post.  Abigail, their other daughter, a teacher, is also very much involved in education planning at Kalilanama.

Regarding agriculture, there are large project fields, growing food for the whole community, while some are set aside for the school to provide lunch every day.  In October, most crops had been harvested, but the sweet potatoes were not quite ready.  All the  workers and members of the project are encouraged to grow food on their individual plots, and Grace reports that this year each family has something for security - to carry them through the lean times - from their own fields.  Another breakthrough in the development of the project and community.

The first of the fish ponds has been made, funded by the American Peace Corps in Serenje,  and dug by the community.  This will be stocked with fish soon, and be the first of four large ponds, to provide much needed protein for children and families. (See Farming and horticulture for photo)

I quote - “The way forward for the next three months is for two teachers’ houses to be built, plus a poultry house, and to prepare fields for forest plantation and orchard”.  The team is also looking into the possibilies of solar power, and Nicholas and Jastin are speaking with several solar companies in Lusaka.

August 2023

I quote from Grace’s latest report:-

“We are very grateful for your support in fulfilling the program at Kalilanama,  a remote rural part of Serenje District in Kabamba Chiefdom, a previously forgotten place.  We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel.  Hundreds of children and vulnerable people in the community have been helped.  Children are receiving education and people are no longer dying of malaria because they can now reach the Health Post.  Community members are  slowly changing their life style and have formed farming cooperatives and village banking groups.  Youths have formed football and netball teams, with all these activities taking place at our centre.  So far three families have built brick houses roofed with iron sheets which is a very big achievement in villages. …… Grace on behalf of the PSIC team.”

The borehole drilling underway at Kalilanama

The new borehole has been completed and hand pump installed. This happened in a wonderful way, as drilling rigs often have to come from several hundred miles away. On June 25th Grace sent a text to say that a rig had been spotted rolling into Serenje, the local town, and the company agreed to drill a borehole out at Kalilanama. Funds had been raised here, and the borehole was completed in the first week of July!

Three more hectares of land have been stumped (cleared of tree stumps) by the community and they plan to introduce crops which need less fertiliser - cow peas, millet, sorghum and sunflowers for oil. More varied crops are to be sown in the garden and the river embankment raised to retain more water.

At the end of August a discipleship training week was held at Hope Church Kalilanama organised by Jastin. Pastors came from different churches and seven people were baptised in the river. Bemba Bibles were given and the whole week was a great success.

There are still challenges, such as children coming to school in the cooler weather with no shoes and scanty clothing, and heavy rains causing damage to crops and also causing some of the latrines and the incinerator to collapse, but there are many, many positives.

Judy for GC-Z Sept 8th 2023

May 2023

Some of the school children wait in their assembly area for school to begin in the morning, and for more to join them who have to walk up to 10 miles to get to school each day- 29th May 2023

February 2023

This is to keep everyone abreast with all that is happening at Kalilanama Project, Serenje.

Firstly we are very pleased that our new bank account with CAF Bank (Charities Aid Foundation) is up and running.

We had a long talk with Grace Sholoma via Skype a couple of weeks ago, and the team there are very pleased with all the progress being made at PSIC (Pilgrim Salt in Community - the name of the Zambian registered charity which GC-Z supports). After a number of years with just a few members of the local community closely involved in the project, there are now many, particularly parents, who want to be part of it, helping especially with the building work.  Grace told us that lots of parents have asked her when they can start making bricks for the proposed weekly boarding house, but other buildings, including more teachers’ houses, need to be completed first.  There is also always work to be done on the farm and garden, with the growing of crops etc.

Another breakthrough is that several government departments (Education, Health and others) are interested and appreciative of what has and is being achieved, and are providing some funding (though not all) and resources for the Project. ZOCS - Zambian Organisation for Community Schools - is going to provide a building and prepare a play park for pre-grade children and also provide a twenty week training course for the current two teachers. They will then train another as yet untrained teacher who will be in charge of the young children. Ten years ago, no child in the area had access to any education at all. It’s all very exciting.

There is now a very active PTA - Parent Teachers Association - at the school.

Two boys have recently completed Grade 8 and moved on to weekly board at Kabumba Government School which is 30 kilometres from Kalilanama. The parents will be expected to provide a little for their boarding needs, but Pilgrim School has given them a sack of mealie meal (maize flour) and books to get them started. The Zambian Government now provides free education up to Grade 12, which is a huge step in the right direction.

The Health Post is open every day, and when Grace is not there, the wife of one of the teachers, who is a trained Health Worker, sees patients. Unfortunately, there is a national shortage of all health supplies, except malaria treatment (I think the Bill Gates Foundation funds that) so even the most basic of medicines is in short supply, even in large hospitals. However, health checks, advice, maternity issues, heigene training and treatment for malaria and minor injuries, especially burns which are commonplace, can be given at Kalilanama Health Post.

In the Project fields, maize, sugar beans, cow peas and and sweet potatoes have been planted, and cassava will be planted at the end of February, which coincides with the end of the rainy season.

Church services at Hope Church Kalilanama take place every Sunday in the school, and there is a visiting pastor each month.  Jastin and others go out on Saturdays into the remote villages to run Bible Studies and to take the gospel to the people. Jastin is hoping to start Theology training in the near future - more of this when we have news.

When the rains have finished, building can begin on two more teachers' houses - at the moment they are living in visitors’ accommodation.

So much to be thankful for - the original goals of PSIC in 2013 have been achieved and there are exciting future plans!

August 2022

The building of the second classroom at Pilgrim School is now complete and a teacher’s house well underway.