Communities Without Borders

Background

M’tendere is a compound in Lusaka to which the Union Church of Waban became a partner in 2009.  There are about 10,000 residents in the near environs.  Approximately 25 women of SWAAZ run the Family Support home, which houses the community pre-school.  Their leader is Mrs. Mary Mbuzi.  The women take care of over 67 orphans in their homes and they help support the school and the children by their knitting and sewing projects which they sell in the community.  The money goes to partially support the children’s feeding program, the sewing and knitting business for the women and provides a small income for the women who sew and knit.   The women gather every day at the family support home to make sweaters (jerseys), uniforms and other clothes.  The women provide meals to the children at least twice a week and help the two teachers in the community school. 

Activities

During the summer of 2009, Union Church made its first group trip to Zambia.  The group met the children and caregivers of M’tendere and taught the children English, played games and did crafts with them.   The group also met many community leaders, teachers, college students, and young adults.  Certificates were given to the children who passed exams and moved on to the next level in school. The church was able to assist the caregivers in the community by purchasing needles for their knitting machines, donating yarn and materials and repairing the slide in the yard for the children.  Union Church in Waban is planning its return to M'tendere in 2011.

CWB and SWAAZ’s M’tendere program supports 43 children in the family support home (community pre-school), 90 children in primary school and 1 child in secondary school for a total of 134 students.