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Take, for example, the community of Mazyopa. Mazyopa began when the Zambian government relocated hundreds of people to a vacant area in the city of Lusaka. With nowhere else to go, the residents eventually replaced their Red Cross tents with concrete block and wood houses. What was intended to be a temporary solution to people fleeing a flooded region of Zambia became a congested squatter community that now houses thousands. With no access to the city’s resources, Mazyopa’s residents dug latrines and shallow wells in the areas around their homes, creating a network of contaminated water sources throughout the community. People also collected water from an extremely polluted nearby river. Cholera and other water-borne disease plagued Mazyopa, a nd the community was in need of someone to begin creating change within the community. Frank Kaonga became that person. Frank, who lost 2 children to cholera, started
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CHAMPION SPOTLIGHT
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What’s new at Seeds of Hope? | ||
We are shipping a container of supplies to Zambia on August 11, 2010. Donations may be dropped off until August 8 on Sundays at Mountainbrook Church - 1775 Calle Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. To make arrangements for a different drop off time please call the church office at (805) 543-316 2. Demo Farm: Computer classes: Office: BioSand Filter Factory: Drilling: Maintenance: Sewing classes: For a complete list of Seed of Hope program needs please check the Seeds of Hope website: http://www.sohip.org/contianer.html
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Grace Community School in the heart of Mazyopa. He converted his home into the first classroom and used funds from a makeshift hardware stand to buy 2 of his neighbors’ homes and turn them into classrooms as well. The school started in 2006, and now has 8 volunteer teachers, and a waiting list of nearly 600 local children. When Seeds of Hope began the distribution of 300 biosand filters in the community Frank made sure each classroom received a filter and that separate boys’ and girls’ latrines were constructed, both of which significantly increase the likelihood that once enrolled in the school, the students would attend regularly. 
Frank’s actions are a spark, a catalyst for change, and we are honored to partner with him. For places like Mazyopa in the process of change , sometimes before it takes a village it takes one hopeful person’s actions to begin the transformation.
This month we would like to highlight our partners at Mountainbrook Church in San Luis Obispo, California. In March 2007 Bobby deLancellotti, Mountainbrook’s Ministry/Outreach Pastor, met Kirk at a Children At Risk conference in Anaheim, and caught a vision for how the church could partner with Seeds of Hope. The next summer, he lead a small team to Zambia, where they became acquainted with Seeds of Hope’s work, spent time encouraging the staff, and distributed hundreds of pairs of shoes that the church had collected for people in a needy community. 
Since then, the church has become a true champion, launching their “SENT” campaign in 2009 filling a container with donations including supplies for St. Anthony’s orphanage as well as providing funds for a well in the village Kabushi, (sent2010.wordpress.com/ sent-2009) During “SENT 2010” they are helping us fill and ship a container and are raising $10,000 to help us purchase and send a PortaDrill rig to Zambia this year. Bobby has been a member of Seeds of Hope’s board for two years, and continues to strengthen the relationship between Mountainbrook and Seeds of Hope. 
