Good morning friends! Exciting news to share with you today.

We know that many of you support Forgotten Voices partly because you too want to invest in a system of orphan care that limits a cycle of dependency on outside aid and empowers local church ministries. It’s an honor to work alongside you in changing the way that global partnerships and international ministries approach the care of orphaned and vulnerable children.

As we all know, big change doesn’t come without big sacrifice. Right now, we need funds for both the ongoing orphan care ministries made possible through Forgotten Voices’ partnerships AND for crucial income generation grants. These (typically)  one-time investments help lay the foundation for the long-term financial self-sufficiency of local orphan care ministries. It’s exciting stuff and it’s changing the way our partners look at the long-term future of their outreach to vulnerable children.

If you’ve followed our blog for long, you’ve already read about the impact of our income generation investments thus far – like Ndeke ECZ’s tuck shop or Lubuto Church of Christ’s hammermill. Our 2011 annual report highlights their encouraging progress as well.

So what’s next? What other efforts are underway to create sustainable revenue streams among our church partners so that their orphan care ministries can eventually become self-sustaining? We’re glad you asked! Here are just a few of the churches that you can help reach a new level of financial independence, ensuring the long-term care of orphaned children in their community:

Mwanga is in school thanks to income from Ndeke's tuckshop. How many more kids can be helped as income generation projects grow?

Ndeke ECZ is working to launch two agricultural ventures which will complement the income generated by their tuck shop AND provide a nutritional boost to HIV+ children and caregivers or others with struggling health. One is a poultry-raising program and the other is a garden plot at the church. The poultry house has already been constructed and the planting season in Zambia will begin later this fall.

New Life Christian Centre has also recognized the value of poultry raising for both financial and nutritional purposes. With their highly successful tailoring class becoming a household name in the surrounding communities, New Life is looking to expand their skills training offerings by adding a poultry raising course for widows/caregivers. Constructing a secure space to house the chickens is the challenge at hand and the church is exploring various options to keep these precious resources safe on church property while still keeping the church open and available to the community.

Kabushi ECZ has plans to purchase a peanut butter making machine and start a tuck shop (small store) to sell peanut butter and other basic items. The funds raised will help pay school fees for orphaned children and also help widows who are struggling to provide for their families.

Would YOU give today to support current and future care of orphaned and vulnerable children?

Tags: change, church, development, farming, hope, sustainability
Filed under: General Blog