Countries We Serve: Sinazongwe Trust
Location
Sinazongwe Orphan Community Trust is one of the new Trusts formed in August 2006. Only the initial meeting has taken place which was very successful. About 50 people attended the initial meeting. Sinazongwe PWC has a lot of potential. They have a good plot of land which can be used for irrigation to raise income to support caregivers and orphans. The church is also half built.
Unique Features
Sinazongwe Community Trust/PWC is in the Gwembe Valley of the Southern Province about 60 km from Choma. About 3600 people live in the community where the church is located. As in all rural towns, the HIV/AIDS infection rates and poverty are high. This has led to the explosion of the traditional family size as families take in an influx of orphans and vulnerable children. It is in this environment that the Sinazongwe Wesleyan Church is struggling to let its light shine amidst relentless struggles. The church is one of the fasted growing churches as people are running to Jesus Christ for hope. The location of the church is conducive for income generating projects, as market is readily available. The Sinazongwe town is blessed with a asphalt road and located close to Lake Kariba where the fishing industry is thriving. Potential projects include irrigation, poultry and fishing.
Projects
The Sinazongwe Trust is still in process of selecting viable projects. The proposed projects are:
- Poultry
- Gardening/Irrigation Project
- Mealie meal Trading
- Community Well
Caregivers
This process of registering caregivers is still going on and so far approximately 70 caregivers will be in the Trust and this number is likely to increase.
Project Impact
The Trust is in its preliminary stages and currently working on starting its first project. World Hope will be implementing the 3 pillars of programming namely, Livelihood improvement, Prevention/Community Health Education and Home-Based Care. These are all aimed at improving the quality of life for the caregivers and the orphans and vulnerable children. The projects will empower the church to share the love of God in very practical ways thus building the Kingdom of God.
Skills Training
A number of capacity building and skills training courses are planned for both the Trust leaders and the caregivers. Some of the trainings that will be conducted are leadership training, orphans and vulnerable children care and support, Home-Based Care, community health, basic literacy, nutrition and various hands on skills training. This will equip the caregivers to cope with the challenge of HIV/AIDS and poverty. World Hope strives to empower communities rather than giving them hand outs as this does not bring about dignity.
Challenges and Prayer Requests
The challenges facing Sinazongwe community are similar to other urban communities and these include high poverty levels and prevalence of HIV/AIDS. This has severely compromised food security at house hold level and a high number of children especially orphans dropping out of school thereby enhancing the poverty circle. The challenges are however an opportunity for the Church of Jesus Christ to bring hope to the precious people in this area, with the resources already available.
- Pray for the Trust Leadership, that they will be strong and courageous as they take the lead in the battle against HIV/AIDS and poverty.
- Pray that the projects will be blessed of the Lord so that they yield much fruit
- Pray for the caregivers and the church in general to be united and encouraged in the work.
- Pray for the WHIZ staff for encouragement, wisdom and sensitivity to the needs of God's people.
- Provision of security for the project sites
