SHAPE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2009

SHAPE as usual is a faith based organisation which is aimed at helping the people who are sick with HIV/AIDS and also caring for the Orphans and the vulnerable children in the society whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS.

 

SHAPE is found in mwinilunga district in the North-Western part of Zambia and operates in three chiefdoms. Namely: Mukangala, kakoma and Chief Kanyama areas.

Early last year, SHAPE applied for funding from some Donors in Lusaka working in partnership with the American people. The funding was to train some peer educators who in turn will go out and reach(Sensitize) to their fellow peers with the Abstinence messaging to those who are not married and also FIDELITY to people who are in marriage. During this period, the programme was operating in the radius of 40km2 which included places like Chief Sailunga,Kanong’esha,Nyakaseya and kanyama. After the sensitization was made in these areas, PACT ZAMBIA the people we are in partner with here in Zambia as the agents of the American people asked us if we can extend the operation boarders after reaching out to the previous places.

The programme has been extended for the next 3 months starting in the month of January to March 2010.

SHAPE having extended its boarders, it is now working with areas of 70 km2 of radius in the same programme of sensitising the communities especially the youths aged 10-24 to practice ABSTINENCE and those married to be faithful to their spouses.

SHAPE provided Food packages to People living with AIDS especially to those who are unable to work on their own to provide enough food to their family members being the back borne of the family (Bread winner).

By the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Kalene mission hospital has been supporting us by providing food to our People living with HIV/AIDS. Also we have been receiving medicine (ARVs) for our people living with AIDS.

Besides that, SHAPE has been supporting the Orphans and the Vulnerable children in providing school necessities such as School uniforms, books, pencils and school fees with the help from the Guernsey church SHAPE being a faith based organisation.

On 13^th November 2009, SHAPE was privileged to receive some assorted goods from Lusaka churches here in Zambia just to help the OVCs. Among the goods contributed were clothes, books food stuff like Cooking Oil, washing soap and lotions just to mention a few.

These goods were given to all the OVCs and the vulnerable children in the church including even those who are not even helped by shape as long they are just part and parcel of the Sachibondu church.

The goods received made a big difference in the lives of these disadvantaged people. Having received the goods, some SHAPE members of staff passed their gratitude on behalf of the sachibondu church leadership for the heart of helping our people being one in the body of Christ.

Besides that, shape told the Lusaka church representatives who brought the goods that they have many OVCs who have completed their O,level and would want to go to college but do not have the resources. So it was appealing to well wishers who are able to help and take these children to school in order to brighten their future.

 

SHAPE OVCs have been coming to help at sachibondu whenever schools are closed just to show their appreciation to what the mission is doing for them in terms of helping them both materially and financially. This has been happening every time they close schools, they have to come and help to do some work for individual pastors and also to SHAPE members of stuff.

To us as SHAPE we welcome the move taken by the OVCs because it shows that they value what the institution is doing for them.

On 29^th December 2009, SHAPE gave out some food stuff to OVCs again as party of their Christmas gift to all the OVCs under sachibondu mission including those under the support of Sr. Ruth Wallis.

SHAPE is an Organisation which has realised that one day the Donors will pull out because every programme is time framed, meaning that one day the funders have to pull out and the programme should continue.

Having known this, SHAPE has been working hard in the past to improve the FARMING GOD’s WAY (FGW) programme in order to cultivate a lot and produce enough to feed the OVCs. Recently, the programme produced enough and gave part of the maize produced to feed the OVCs and then the rest was sold to earn enough funds to use in the next farming season.

In the last farming season, SHAPE produced 20 by 50 bags of maize from a 2 limas field (100 by 50 metres land) which part of it was given to the church as a Tithe and 3 bags went to Sachibondu clinic as a tithe again from SHAPE to clinic.

Shape plans to extend its maize field this year so that will have a big harvest which can help in fulfilling its plans. The plans are to have a big field which will be used as a source of income in sustaining the project as plans have been.

Looking on the ever increasing school fees in schools, shape plans to pull out all the OVCs from the Boarding school if the funds won’t be enough especially that the fees have been increased from k332,000 to 432,000 per term(per child) with the effect of 11^th January 2010 as schools reopens. In Zambia one term takes 3 months.

The programme has been working under the challenge of transport after vehicle was smashed in the road accident. You will find that you are supposed to go and visit the churches within our Organisation, but there is no transport to take you from one place to the other.

This problem has hindered the progress of the organisation in terms of movement from one place to the other. We are just praying that the Lord will come to our rescue as soon as possible over the problem of transport.

The school fees at school are increased annually here in Zambia and you will find that you have a lot of the OVCs to be helped but the funds are not enough to go round and pay for everybody at those particular schools.

Coming to the farming side, the issue of fertilizer has hindered the progress of the programme in many ways. When you plan to cultivate maybe 2 hectares (50 by 400 metres field) but the Government may come and say that in that particular farming season they will just give one lima fertilizer to every individual this you will find that it will delay the progress of the farming.

The Natural fertilizer has been used several times in SHAPE, but the yields are not as good as those used with artificial fertilizer. It’s our sincere prayer that the lord will help us to come up with other plans on farming just to improve the work in which the Lord has called us to serve others while we are still in bodies.

 

Reported by:

Carlos k chambatu.(SHAPE).