NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS
From its foundation in 2005 the Ebenezer Primary School has built up an outstanding reputation in Livingstone for academic excellence. This is reflected in the fact that 100% of Ebenezer children have passed the examination to graduate to High School (the average for Zambia is 25% to 30%).
 There is such competition to get into the Ebenezer school that parents will pretend to be poorer than they are in order to get their children in; the school being reserved for the poorest of the poor only. Currently 320 children attend the school, packed into 8 classrooms working in two shifts per day. The waiting list to gain entry is over 120. On the existing site there is absolutely no room for expansion.A further problem exists for the children who graduate from the primary school. At present they attend a number of different High Schools around Livingstone, not all of which have the same standards as the Ebenezer School they have come from. Monitoring these students' progress is not easy and some experience difficulties. For example four boys, who had all graduated from the Ebenezer Primary School, were living together in low-cost accommodation with one of their sisters. Then the sister got married and moved away. The boys had to quit school and get work to cover their living costs. Even so they were starving when the Ebenezer Counsellor found them. Ranji asked why they had not contacted her for help and they replied that they knew she had others worse off than themselves to worry about! She immediately rented them a room and gave them food and sent them back to High School.
 Even if students complete their schooling to Grade 12 they may not find work. So Ranji has purchased 5 acres of land at Nakatindi, close to the Children's Village, where she intends to build both a new Primary School (with 16 classrooms) and a High School with Skills Training Centre. The old Primary School will be sold off to cover part of the cost of this new development. In the Skills Centre the students will learn a trade and computer skills, these will be in addition to their normal Zambian School Certificate subjects. With this background the graduates should be well equipped either to find employment, or to start a small business.
Ranji has had plans drawn up for the buildings and has even found a supplier for red bricks to build them! The bricks are 3 for $1.00, so we are looking for donors. One generous person in Australia has already donated $50,000.
Dawn Sebbens
1936 - 2011  The Friends of Ebenezer Australia are sad to announce that one of our longest-serving members, Dawn Sebbens, passed away on the 9th of January.
Dawn was the first to join with Lenore Burton (Ebenezer Australia's Director) in raising funds for the work in Zambia. This arose as a result of a visit paid by Dawn to Lenore when Lenore was working in China. While Dawn was staying with Lenore an email came from Ranji in Livingstone saying that she had had a message that much of the help for the project would be coming from Australia. After her return from China in 2004 Lenore got together with Dawn and, in 2005, the two of them started to make and sell greeting cards to raise money for Ebenezer.  Later, as the fund-raising effort grew, Dawn became Treasurer of the Friends of Ebenezer Australia, a post which she held until mid 2010. It was always reassuring to know that Dawn was in charge of the books, she was absolutely meticulous in her work. No matter what the weather, or season of the year, Dawn was always there at Ebenezer fund-raisers; totally dedicated, totally reliable. However it was almost impossible to get Dawn to take credit for all she did. She was always embarrassed at the AGM when a motion was made to thank her for her sterling efforts. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dawn's husband, Bill, and her daughters, son and grand-children at this time. You will be sadly missed also Dawn by your Ebenezer family, both in Australia and Zambia. AUSSIE VISITORS Last month a group of three Aussies; Bob, Pam and Ian paid a one-day visit to Ebenezer. Bob is a retired farmer who lives in Maleny (where the Friends of Ebenezer is based) and was making a trip to Southern Africa with a group looking at agriculture in the region. He persuaded two of the party to accompany him across the border from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to Livingstone, Zambia
During this short visit the trio was able to take in the school, children's village and farm.
 Bob and team visit a classroom
 Bob with Leah (Head-teacher) and Ranji
 Ian with Esther
 Pam with Jacob
Bob and his group were most impressed with what they saw and were able to give some advice about the farm.
Next month Sally, a teacher from Maleny, will also be visiting Ebenezer to help out in the school and children's village.
NAKATINDI NEWS
Despite the rains progress has been steady on the Baby Home, all that remains to be done is the painting and fitting out. It will not be long before the first intake of babies can be taken in. There will be room for 20 babies in all and the need is dire; babies are abandoned or given over to the authorities daily. Imagine how desperate the families must be to let go of their children in this way!
Because the rains were so good there was a bumper crop of maize at the farm, enough to feed the children for a long time. Currently a crop of sweet corn is being grown as a cash crop for the tourist hotels. Over a dozen sheepand goats are now grazing and browsing on the land and there are plans for 2000 laying hens to provide protein for the kids and generate income.
Here are some more profiles of Ebenezer children, remember that we are always looking for more sponsors to help support these kids (see the Donations page on this website).
 Grober
My name is Grober Mweemba. I was born on the 24th of October, 1991. I am the first to be born in a family of four. I lost my mother when I was 9 years of age. I stay with my father who is unemployed. I went for many years without going to school because of my father’s social status. I would cry out to him to take me to school night and day and he would say, "son I do not have money”. This shattered my dreams of going to school. It made me cry a lot whenever I saw children in my compound go to school every day. After some years, I was fortunate enough to be accepted at
My name is Innocent Munsalla. I am 8 years old and am in grade two. I am the second to be born in the family of five. My parents are not working or are they able to meet the day to day requirements of life. This is something so hard on my family. My father preferred us working to going to school. Every morning he used to give my brother and me commodities to sell in order to raise money for food. Going to school, being in class, sitting on the desk, was just a dream for me. After selling I would escort my friends who where going to school, even reaching up to their classrooms, and then return back. One bright day my dream came true. I was offered a place to learn at Ebenezer Trust School . Ebenezer has made my dream of being in class and learning come true. Many times I have slept on an empty stomach, had no clothes, felt out of this world, but now all these things are things of the past. Now I know I am going to become a doctor, I am going to save a life one day.
Patrick
 A very touching story is that of Patrick Mungalaba. He is a double orphan aged 11, both of whose parents died when he was still very young, so he was being looked after by his grandmother and auntie. Patrick was enrolled in Ebenezer Trust School with his sister. Unfortunately his grandmother died and left him with the auntie, who thought it was too much to care for two children. So the auntie took Patrick to the village and the grandfather stepped in to look after him. He had been told he would attend school in the village, but the grandfather forced him to work as a herd boy. This shattered Patrick's dreams of an education. He was now trying to adapt to a new place, new people, new environment, and now a new lifestyle for a young child working all day with his cousin in the bush tending cattle. Gods is love, he sees every tear of his children, especially the orphans and widows. He listens to the cry of every child, saying He has ordained praises to fill their mouths...God answered Patrick's prayers by miraculously sending his uncle to rescue him. His uncle brought him back to Livingstone without telling the grandfather and enrolled him again into Ebenezer. Now Patrick's dream of a better future has been made a reality for him. His friends at Ebenezer have become his brothers and sisters and the Lord has become his Father and Friend. He now has a safe place to call home and receive a warm meal. Through the school he is receiving a free education and through Mum he has received the love of a mother, because Mum and Leah, the Headmistress, really prayed Patrick back as they were very disturbed that the child was taken to the village. Patrick is very grateful for the second chance he got to come to this school and thanks Mum for keeping this place for him. He says he prays that God adds more years to her life so that she can reach out to a lot of children like him who have little hope, no one to call mother or father, or anyone to love them with the tender love and warmth that she has shown. YOUTH CONCERT
A concert, given by the Sunshine Coast Youth Orchestra, was held in Maleny on the 23rd May. Over 300 people attended and enjoyed a programme of classical and contemporary music. In addition to the concert an exhibition of chook sculptures was held. These chooks had been lovingly made by Janna Pameijer and her group and were on sale to raise funds to purchase the 2000 laying hens for the Ebenezer farm. In all $5000 was raised from ticket sales, chook sales and refreshments.
The Friends of Ebenezer Australia would like to thank all involved for helping with a most successful event.
CHOOSE YOUR SHOES!
At last, after nearly one year, the first of the Walking Into Africa shoes were delivered to the Ebenezer Children's Village at Nakatindi. Both staff and children of the Ebenezer Child Care Trust were there to greet the container with singing, dancing and huge excitement.
   Boxes of shoes were then unpacked and taken to the Ebenezer School at Dambwa in Livingstone City for distribution to the school children.
   For the first time in their lives the children were able to choose a pair of shoes - but so much choice!
   Leah Chipembele, headmistress (herself a former Ebenezer child) was overjoyed that all of her pupils would now be well-shod for the rest of the wet season.
    Ranji Chara, Director of the Child Care Trust, sends her heartfelt thanks to all involved in donating, collecting, packing and shipping the shoes. With special thanks to Danny and Lesley Underwood and their team at Danley Construction Products, and of course, Madonna King and her team at the ABC in Brisbane.
SCHOOL NEWS & CHILDREN'S STORIES
Exams!
At the end of last year all the grade 7 students at the Ebenezer Primary School sat the National high-school entrance examination. Guess what? All 17 of our students passed! For an entire Grade 7 to graduate to high school is unheard of and the education authorities contacted Ranji at Ebenezer to congratulate her.
Naturally this means that we need to find funding for these 17 young people to attend State High Schools in Livingstone (Ebenezer does not have its own high school).
In addition we now have 3 of our young adults attending university in Livingstone. Ebenezer is helping to grow the next generation of leaders for Zambia.
Here are some updates on a few of the children at the Ebenezer school and children's village in Livingstone.
Annie:
Annie Nawa is ten years old. She became a single orphan when her mother left. She was the second born in a family of five. She currently lives with her grandmother who sells charcoal to earn an income. Food and clothes are a big problem for them.
 Annie says she is a blessed child because she is one of the children at Ebenezer. Ebenezer has helped her a lot, especially to mend her relationship with God. The spiritual food and moral guidance she has been receiving here has really given her hope. She says she is blessed to receive clothes, food, education materials, and her education, all at no cost. She says she has the hope to become a better person in the future because of what she has gone through and what God has done for her through Ebenezer and Mum Chara.
Eluyda:
The Zambian citizens have many rights. Among those rights is the right to education. Children may come from different parts of the world, but they all have the same children's rights.
Eluyda Siapengwa is a double orphan age 11. She is in the fourth grade and is the second in the family of 6. Both parents died when she was still very young.
 The child narrates that more often her Aunty denies her food. If she is given food it is only a small portion. As if this was not enough, she is not allowed to come to school because the Aunty wants her to be looking after her children at home. Because of this, Eluyda always comes late to school.Eluyda thanks Ebenezer that every new day brings joy, hope, and love, because of the unconditional love Ebenezer has given her. We will always thank God for Ebenezer has shown true fatherly love to all orphans.
Enock:
My name is Enock Mangunou. I was born in 1993. I have six brothers and two sisters. My father died when I was 6 years old, followed by my mother when I was 8. My parents' deaths marked the beginning of facing the troubles of this world. At that time none of my brothers or sisters worked and life seemed so impossible. We had no food, no one to buy us clothes; we had no water or electricity. A day or even two days could go by without us eating anything.
 I then went to stay with my grandmother and experienced the same problems I had before. My grandmother was not working, so again we had no food, clothes, blankets, water, or electricity. As days went by my grandmother heard of a school that supports the vulnerable children. So she went there and I was adopted into the school. Life suddenly changed. I was now able to go to school; I was given free books, pens, rulers, erasers, pencils, clothes, food, etc. I was given a chance to live in a good environment that taught me about Christ. It was as though I was dreaming yet it was reality! Now I live in Ebenezer Boy's home because my grandmother begged Mum to take us, and Mum took us because grandmother is very, very old. AUSSIES VISIT EBENEZER
During the past few months a number of Aussies associated with the Friends of Ebenezer Australia have visited the Ebenezer Child Care Trust in Livingstone. The main group of 8 spent most of September at the school and village learning about the project and helping in both the day-to-day activities at Ebenezer and in building/maintenance work.
  Since only two people in the group had been to Ebenezer before it was a great learning experience for most. The two youngest members of the party were two Sunshine Coast school girls, who had raised their own funds for the trip. They lived with the children at the village, shared the food in the children's homes and attended school with the children. Quite an experience!
  Earlier in the year Ebenezer purchased a farm on the outskirts of Livingstone, so some members of the group were active in planning for the development of the farm. Latest news from Ranji is that over 2000 tomato vines have been planted and a maize crop has been sown. It should not be too long before both food and income start to flow from the farm.
Among the many children, and young adults, the group was priviledged to meet Morgan. Morgan was the first street child Ranji gave food to in 2001, he later moved into one of the homes Ranji rented. This year Morgan sat his high-school leavers exams and his results put him in the top echelon in the country. Next year, with your help, Morgan could go on to university.
It was also a joy to meet baby Esther, the first baby taken in by Ebenezer. Esther's mum has died but the child is thriving at the Ebenezer village. In fact she is in danger of being spoiled rotten, with so many big brothers and sisters to fuss over her! Work is well under way with the baby home, which will accommodate up to 20 babies when completed. At present Gordon, the brother of one of our helpers here in Queensland, is at the Ebenezer village fitting out the baby home with shelves, cupboards etc.
Living and working in Livingstone increased our admiration for the work done by the Ebenezer team over there. Every day they face hardships and frustrations hard to imagine for us here in Australia. Several of the local Zambian staff could earn better wages elsewhere, but choose to stay with Ebenezer, out of a sense of dedication to the work.
After the team had left Livingstone one of our generous donors, and his family, visited to see first-hand how their funds were being used. They were overjoyed to see how much progress had been made and went away deeply moved by the work being done on behalf of the children.
For more details about the team visit take a look at our latest newsletter. For on-going updates, subscribe to the newsletter.
EBENEZER CHILD CARE TRUST HOMES
"A PLACE TO CALL HOME AND SOMEONE TO CALL MOTHER.” Ebenezer Child Care Trust (ECCT) was founded in March 2001, initially as a feeding programme for street kids in the town of Livingstone, Zambia. Today ECCT has expanded into a school for orphans and three rented homes, where orphans are given a sense of family to replace the family they have lost.
LATEST NEWS FROM LIVINGSTONE
19th February 2009
Since our last update the students have sat for their end of year exams. The results were fantastic! All of the final year (Grade 7) students passed and the school even got a phone call from the Education Department congratulating them.
 Progress on the building programme is good; all the new orphan homes are finished and the babies home is underway. The only hold-up is the septic system - the in-ground tank walls collapsed. As soon as this problem is sorted out the children should be able to start moving in. This will reduce overheads considerably since it will no longer be neccessary to pay rent.Another concern has been the cost of food. ECCT feeds almost 300 people (school
 children, orphans, teachers - they teach two shifts per day and deserve a meal - and some of the very poorest of the children's families). There is a shortage of food and some people are starving. For some time Ranji has been looking at a farm about 4km east of the city centre. Last month she was offered the land and, thanks to generous donations from around the world, it was purchased this month. So ECCT now has enough good land to grow crops, raise livestock and build a trade centre and agricultural training centre. Brian, the Social Worker at ECCT said to Ranji, "Mum, now our children will not starve" As you can see the farm already has some crops on it. There are even some orange trees, so the children got even more fruit.
Chris Van Wyk, a retired farmer, reported to Ranji:
thank you for giving me the opportunity to look at your farm on Friday. It has tremendous potential, I think even much better than you realize. 95% of the soil can be cultivated and is fertile. The ridge where the resevoir is built is a well drained site for buildings.
Another piece good of news concerns a small girl called Sheila. Sheila started at the ECCT school and
 then dropped out. Ranji was concerned about the child and sought her out, only to find that she was quite ill. Tests were done and the results indicated that Sheila had a hole in the heart. Ranji then approached the Walter Sisulu Foundation in S.Africa t see if they could arrange for an operation. This was agreed but when Sheila reached S.Africa further tests revealed that her problems were more serious than at first thought. Nonetheless surgry was performed and she announced, when she came to, "I'm tired but I want to go home".  Flying to SA with Dr Chara Recovering after surgery
For more details of Sheila's incredible story visit the Sisulu Foundation's website at:
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE FROM THE EBENEZER CHILD-CARE TRUST SCHOOL IN LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA!
6th December 2008
Yesterday was our Christmas Party! Oh, what a wonderful time we all had. Our classroom was decorated with balloons. There were smells of delicious food being cooked. All the children were ready with Christmas songs, there were performances from every class and Allan was at the Music Centre playing lovely Christmas songs!!! So there was much merriment as the music filled the air!
   Our Teachers also participated in the celebrations, they sang beautiful songs and danced for us. Everyone dressed up in their best!
   There was so much fun as each group of kids wanted to excel. After all the performances, we had a distribution of prizes, for best attendance, best performance and best behaviour. Then each child received a hamper to take home. It was a day to remember! No one wanted the day to end.......everyone was laughing and having fun............! It was also lovely to see the older boys and girls, who had left Ebenezer, come back to join in the celebrations. WE WERE ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY!
      Some of our pen pals from Tockwith School in England had sent us cards with their photos and paintings. Our children felt very special, to be receiving cards from their friends in England! Giving, receiving, friendship and fellowship - that’s what Christmas is all about.
         At last, what everyone had been waiting for, a scrumptious lunch. There was real beef stew (which the children hadn’t had for a very long time) and then - apples. Apples!!! Everyone wanted their picture taken with an apple and of course, Mum had to oblige!
  Then came the best time ever; receiving presents and showing them off to friends! Wow!!! Look what I got..........!!! What did you get?
   Finally, a happy and satisfied bunch of children was ready to go home. Us Mums were ready to call it a day too!
This beautiful day would not have been possible if you, our partners, hadn’t extended your hands of help and blessing to us. These kids, who may look like any other children, come from very deprived homes and backgrounds. Once, they had absolutely nothing to survive with. Some would not even be here, were it not for the timely help of Ebenezer. The clothes they wear, and everything else they have, came from kind and compassionate people from all over the world who have helped Ebenezer. These children came to us in tattered rags but look how they are dressed now! This is to your credit dear partners!!
England and Australia helped us put on this party but all you others have also provided for us in many awesome ways. May God bless you all and may the peace of this season enter your homes and bring everlasting peace and joy to you and your families. May the love and goodwill you have shown to these little ones be returned to you by the Lord Himself. May you enter into a New Year blessed by the Lord.
We love you very much and are very grateful for all your support.
Committed to the Cause of the children - Ranji
EBENEZER ORPHAN HOMES: Each home has a housemother who lives with the children and takes care of them. Currently ECCT has around 30 children in these homes. Rent for each house is about US $ 315.00 per month. This is very costly, so ECCT has just embarked on a building project on land it owns. The land is on the main road to Botswana, a few km. from town and has an area of about 2 hectares. Electricity has already been connected to the land and a borehole has been sunk for water.
Three homes are being built to accommodate children who are really destitute and have no place to stay. Unfortunately the property is right next to a wild-life sanctuary so elephants and buffalo come into the property quite regularly! ECCT needs at least $25,000.00 to build a wall round the property for the safety of the children. A trench has already been dug for the foundations of this wall, in full confidence that the funds to complete the work will become available.  
ECCT is also raising money to build a home for babies. Many babies lose their mothers at birth, or not long after. These babies often die due to lack of nourishment and care by their relatives. ECCT has already adopted a 7 month old baby by the name of Esther.
Esther is being spoilt by everyone when she comes to visit us every two weeks for her food rations and healthcare. She is a happy baby but would have a very uncertain future, without loving and caring hands to support her. There are many babies like Esther whose prospects are very bleak, unless caring people do something to help them. We hope to have room for at least 20 babies in the Baby Home, where proper healthcare and parental care will be provided. All the girls in the Girls’ Home are very excited at the prospect of having a Baby Home built.
EBENEZER TRUST SCHOOL: In 2004, pressure to start a school for orphaned children grew, because there were so many children displaced and living on the streets, due to the deaths of their parents. A generation of children was emerging, with no school, no hope, no future - just misery, uncertainty and gloom. Many were living wasteful lives on drugs and alcohol. Ebenezer Trust’s School was started with 80 students on the 15th of June, 2005, for the sole purpose of helping orphaned and vulnerable children to get an education. Their grandparents or relatives were too poor to send them to Government schools, so that many children had no hope of an education. ECCT’s school offered HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS AND HELP TO THE NEEDY. Without the school the future for these children is bleak, there would be no-one to help them get an education and the qualifications required for future employment. They are too young to be asked to face the hopelessness of a future without parents or proper child-care. Ebenezer now provides schooling for over 280 children. Leah, and her brother Yande, came to Ebenezer in 2001 as orphaned children. Leah was sent by Ebenezer to do a Diploma in Education and is now the Head of the Ebenezer School. Meanwhile, Yande, is doing a 4 year IT degree Course at University. Leah in her office at the Ebenezer School Yande in the Computer Lab at University There are many other children who have been supported by Ebenezer to further their education and careers, two examples are: Rachael who wants to go into Health-Care Austin who now works at the Sun International Loving support from various parts of the world has helped this work to carry on, bringing these orphaned children to where they are now. The future for 280 orphans and vulnerable children is bright today, because someone cared enough to help lift them out of utter despair.
ECCT BUILDING PROJECT: The Building Project is planned to develop in three stages:
ABOUT THE FOUNDERS OF ECCT:
Mrs. Ranji Chara, founded ECCT on the 17th of March, 2001. She and her husband, Dr Nagi Chara, first came to Zambia in 1982. Commonly known as "the Charas”, the Charavanapavan family came to Zambia from Sri-Lanka when Dr Chara took up employment with the Zambian Government. In 1994, the family moved to Botswana for seven years for their children’s education. In February 2001, the family felt a strong calling to move back to Zambia to work with street children in Livingstone. Ranji didn’t know of any funding organization, or anyone who could help her, but many doors were opened and the work of Ebenezer began. Dr. and Mrs. Chara, would go out in their car every morning and pick up children who were sleeping on the streets and eating from dustbins, bringing them back to their church premises. The children were given a hot meal and soap and water to bathe. At first the Charas were helped financially by some friends in Sweden. As the money kept coming in, it was possible to feed more children and send them to school. After a few months Ranji was able to rent out the first Orphans Home for these homeless children. MORE NEWS FROM EBENEZER (31st October 2008)
In all three houses are being built, together with a babies home. Each house will accommodate up to 12 children, a house-mother and an assistant to the house-mother. This is in keeping with Ebenezer's philosophy that each child deserves to have a place to call home and someone to call mother. Both power and water have been brought to the land and all the concrete blocks used in the construction have been cast on site.
 It is hoped that the roof of the babies home will be on before the onset of the rains, which make outside work difficult. Completion of the houses will greatly reduce the monthly outgoings faced by Ebenezer for rent on the homes which it currently uses to house the orphans in the city of Livingstone.
 One on-going problem is that the site for the new homes is just on the edge of a wild-life park and elephants regularly wander across Ebenezer's land! Planshave been made to put up an electric fence around the property to protect the children, the houses and the gardens. There are some advantages to being close to the park though. If the children can produce craft-work then they should find a ready market for their work among passing tourists. So Ebenezer is already training them to produce some craft items. Here are some examples of bead-work produced by the Ebenezer orphans.
 Remember that you can help Ebenezer care for the children by making a donation.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: ranji@zamnet.zm Web site: http://www.ebenezerchildcare.org/ Mailing address: Ebenezer Child-Care Trust, P.O. Box 61019 , Livingstone , Zambia.
Or contact Friends of Ebenezer Australia Inc at:
ECCT is a registered charitable organization in Zambia Reg. No. C1/697. | |
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Progress has been made on the new houses for the Ebenezer orphans. Some will be ready for occupation before Christmas.