On the 15th of June 2005, Ebenezer Child Care Trust opened a school in Dambwa Central. It freely serves over 200 children and continues to grow. This is not an ordinary school. This is a school that works on the basis of God's love and promise to be the Father to the fatherless and the hope of our lives. Ebenezer Trust School (ETS) works with children who are desperate and needy and through God's grace, the children are given an opportunity to be redeemed and restored to the life God wants for them.
ETS provides children with everything they need to pursue their studies. From stationary goods to uniforms (thanks to recent donations), textbooks (we are raising funds to purchase right now and are over the halfway mark), sports equipment, a sound and quality education, character training, and many other opportunities to excel including clubs like AWANA, Culture, and Youth Groups.
The school is registered as a private school (in order to protect investments) but is run as a community school with parents, community workers (Min. of Ed., Social Welfare, etc.) being represented on the working committee. All give input to the school and the decisions for child betterment is made.
Porridge made of grain, milk and sugar, is served each day to each child along with many of them being given home rations. This is necessary due to the high number of orphans and destitute children living with grandparents, other relatives or even in child headed homes.
The children absolutely love the school, as one boy put it: "I wish I could press a abutton on Friday afternoon and skip the weekend so it could be Monday staright away and I could come back to school." Lingering at school is common as the children feed on the encouraging environment. They know that the staff of ETS really care about them and there is nothing that helps a child to grow more than the love of their caregivers.
ETS is known amoung the people of the community to be a caring school. As a matter of fact, ETS is now a leading force in in-service training for its staff and the sharing of information with other community schools in the area. This means when you support ETS with funding, expertise and prayers, you are touching much more than this school. You are truly touching families and communities in Zambia.
We are a faith based school. This means we have faith in God to provide for our needs through folks like you and those you know. Presently we are in need of developing the new tract of land that was purchased. We want to build homes for the orphans who are with Ebenezer full time, build a skills training center for those who complete their studies at ETS (gr. 1-7) and not likely to handle going to high school. We believe with this training center that we will ensure the sustainability of the child's life. Rather than returning to the streets they will be empowered with a skill that can provide food for them and shelter as they become heads of their own households. Later, a high quality high school and medical center will be built. These will all serve the children as they grow to become youths and adults.
We hope this little writing will inspire you to join the team and become a part of a vision that only together with many hands will be accomplished. May God bless and keep you as you consider this opportunity to reach a nation through a child.
To contact us, please write to ranji@zamnet.zm or visit our website at http://www.ebenezerchildcare.org/
Sincerely,
Friends of ETS and Ebenezer Child Care Trust
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