Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia

On Saturday, 14th November, the Reading Male Voice Choir will give a concert in Caversham Heights Methodist Church, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the Racecourse Community School in Kitwe, Zambia, which that church has been supporting for the past six years.

The Racecourse Community School was established in March 1999 in the township of Chimwemwe, Kitwe, Zambia. Its aim is to provide for the children of that community, orphaned by the death of their parents due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that is having terrible consequences for millions of people in the developing world. As a result of this, many children were left without shelter, clothing, food and the finances needed to pay the fees and buy the school uniform needed to attend a Government school.

Racecourse School started with 410 pupils and 6 volunteer teachers. Today there are 2,000 children attending the school and 20 volunteer teachers. Classes run from Pre-school to Grade 7. The school now has one purpose-built classroom block but the majority of the children are taught in cramped, dark, mud-bricked rooms with earth floors and little light coming in from small openings high in the walls. These are in buildings scattered around the township. The pupils are crammed three to a desk and attend school in three shifts commencing at 7am.. text books are a luxury, mainly used by the teachers to transfer information to a blackboard using a stub of chalk. There is so little food; the children try to study on an empty stomach because they are so keen to learn.

How can we help further?

It is 10 years now that my church, Caversham Heights Methodist Church in Reading has been twinned with the United Church of Zambia church and school in Mindolo in the Copperblet region. We have had several exchanges of personnel and, among other things, have been delighted to pay the salaries of staff at the Race Course Community School there.

Recently, our Minister, the Revd Dermot Thornberry, and his wife Charlene have visited to assess the needs of the Mindolo community with a view to working out the best way for us to continue our help in the future. This is their initial report -

"Imagine being used to a certain comforting smell and then suddenly it is not there!
Imagine being used to a familiar voice and then suddenly it is not there!
Imagine being fed by a warm body and then suddenly this is also taken away from you.
You are only 4 months old you no longer have your mother,
Your mother has died of HIV AIDS and life has suddenly become very very unpleasant.
You experience fear.

"This is just one of the many sad stories we encountered on our trip to Mindolo Community Zambia. Children are losing their parents to AIDS and grandparents are having to step in and attempt to bring up their grandchildren. Money is scarce and there is no help from the state. The United Church of Zambia in Mindolo does what it can to aid these struggling families but the church coffers are bare. Poverty abounds in Zambia. Death and disease are constant companions.

"However, at the Race Course Community School there was a glimmer of hope when we visited. The children at the school are so keen to learn. There are 1800 pupils and each class has three sessions. Well in advance of each session starting the children are already lining up to go to their classes. The children are polite and well mannered and it was a pleasure to be with them. The teachers are all voluntary and although they are very well qualified and can easily be employed in paid positions they feel called to teach at this community school.

£It is now 10 years since the twinning project began between Caversham Heights Methodist Church and the Mindolo community along with the Race Course Community School. Dermot and I were part of the celebrations which culminated in a three hour church service. There were choirs, there was a Girls Brigade inauguration, there was a fantastic Boys Brigade brass band, there was much singing and dancing. The Zambian community were so happy to have us there! It was a very humbling experience as we encountered warm greetings and much hospitality. For us it was wonderful to be back in Africa and to be able to feel at home with the culture, the vibe and the people.

"10 years is a very long time for a twinning project to survive. However, encountering the severe needs of the people has convinced us that this project must continue. The Zambian people need our help, they need our support and they need our love.
Charlene"

Please pray for the people of Mindolo in Zambia.

An Autumn Event with a warmer feel

The next big event at our Caversham Heights Methodist Church will be the Autumn Fair with an African flavour on 3rd November, starting at 11.30am, to raise funds for The Racecourse Community School in Mindolo, Zambia and for the Community Hall being built at The Groom Street Methodist Church, Kokstead, Natal.

The Racecourse School is part of our twinning with the United Church of Zambia church in Mindolo in the Copper Belt and our Minister, the Revd Dermot Thornberry has strong links with the Groom Street church in Natal through his time as a minister in South Africa where he was ordained.

Lunches will be served. There will be a number of stalls including books, CDs, Videos, jigsaws, boxed games, gifts, cakes, produce, and more. Games for the younger ones will be available, together with musical interludes to entertain the diners. Rides on the Little Red Train will be an added attraction.

Raffle prizes will include a luxury food hamper.

The Autumn Fair will also include a picture competition. Any picture on an African Theme taken or created by the entrant in any medium would be eligible. Age groups are Under 6, 6-8, 9-12, 13-16, and Adult. Although essentially a fund-raising event, our Autumn Fair is always looked forward to as a warm. happy community get-together.