Zambia 

Our work in Zambia

Life Support aims to develop the farming capability to create training, employment and income opportunities.

Prior to being donated to Life Support, Eden Farm was run by Ben and Brenda Pitout, training local Zambians in farm management and the development of self sufficiency skills. Following their retirement, the farm fell into disrepair until it was donated to Life Support. The Life Support Team are working toward restoring farming to the land.

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Staple crops are now being grown and a large Chicken House has recently been built. Eden Farm is in the process of installing irrigation to help increase the productivity of the farm.

Our vision is that over time Eden Farm will be able to support much of the running costs associated with the projects.

As well as being a working farm, Eden Farm is also the centre for the projects in Chingola: Eden School; Eden Children’s Village and King’s Table.

Buildings have been restored and a Lodge has been built on the farm to accommodate teams and volunteers. Eden Farm has a large Community Hall, used for school assemblies and for church services on Sundays. The hall is also used  to host conferences and local camps.
Life Support cares for orphaned and vulnerable children in family units of six children looked after by a house mother.

Eden Children’s Village provides a peaceful and joyful environment where children from broken backgrounds are brought up knowing they are loved and precious. Orphaned or neglected Children are brought to Eden Children’s Village by the local social welfare. Once there, they are fostered into a family of up to 6 children with a House Mother to love and care for them.

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Eden Children’s Village is located on Eden Farm, a beautiful 2 square kilometre plot of land just 15 minutes drive from Chingola Town in the Copper Belt of Zambia.

Life Support is committed to the children’s village model of care, ensuring that:

  • Each child has a stable long term family home.
  • Each child builds a relationship with their House Mother who is committed to care for her the children until they are grown up.
  • Children are protected from the dangers of abuse.

All our house mothers are widowed, have raised their own families and feel a calling to care for vulnerable children. There is a playground and large sports field on the land as well as gardens to be enjoyed by the whole community. So far six children’s houses have been completed.

The long term vision is to have up to 32 children’s homes at Eden Children’s Village, making it possible to house up to 200 children at any one time.

Life Support seeks to encourage all the children to achieve their highest potential.In 2021 the first of the Eden Children’s Village children graduated from university, Life Support plans to support all the children through higher education or vocational training wherever possible.

Eden School provides free education primary education and a meal a day for over 370 children.

The school takes children from subsistence farming families living in poverty around Eden Farm who are not able to attend other schools.

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The children at Eden School are from subsistence farmer families who are some of the poorest families in Zambia. The provision of education for these young Zambians has the potential to dramatically change their lives and in turn the lives of their families. When the school was initially opened for registration in 2018 over 300 children applied for just 50 places. Seeing the vast need, the school took a step of faith and opened with 100 children across three classes. The school continues to grow by adding one extra class each year. In 2023 Life Support will be opening a secondary wing of Eden School.

Places in the school are prioritised to orphaned and vulnerable children. The provision of Eden School has made a huge impact on the local community, with some of the children valuing it so much that they walk more than two hours to and from school each day!

Each of the children at Eden School are given lunch each day as children in the area are known to go without food for several days at a time. Providing a meal a day means that the children are able to concentrate on their studies and encourages them to continue attending school all year round.

Eden School is a cheerful, lively and caring school community. With a vision that the children will learn to be compassionate, caring young people as well as achieving to the best of their ability.
In partnership with the local community, the Kings Table project cares for the elderly, the vulnerable and the disabled.

This is done by helping with the provision of housing, food, education scholarships and practical care. There are many needs in the community surrounding Eden Farm, which the Kings Table Team assess by visiting those in need of urgent support in their homes.

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The project began when Life Support became aware of a disabled girl who was being severely neglected by her family. Her disability was considered a curse on the family and so she was verbally and physically abused, often being left uncleaned and unfed. Life Support was able to rescue this young woman from a tragic situation and she now lives in one of the community homes with full time carers, ensuring her dignity and wellbeing.

Through King’s Table, Life Support has provided wheelchairs, cooking supplies, bedding, staple foods and school fees to those in desperate need.

Through King’s Table, Life Support hopes to challenge and reduce the stigma around disability in the community and to help those in need to live hopeful and meaningful lives.
The Nurture project helps women living with HIV in the community near Eden Farm.

Set up in 2010, Nurture runs ‘The Mission of Hope Programme’ for women who are unable to provide adequately for themselves and their families, having been widowed or abandoned by their husbands.

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The programme trains the women in various practical skills, such as knitting and tailoring to enable them to find work and live independently. In addition, allotments are provided on Eden Farm for the women to work as a cooperative, growing crops to sell in the local town.

Many of the women have lost hope when they first come to Nurture and so are given pastoral care as well. All of our Nurture Teachers also live with HIV and have been through the same struggles the women on the course are facing.
The women are therefore empowered by realising that they are not alone in their suffering, that someone cares, understands and that they have the power to change their own future.

Life Support seeks to help the Nurture ladies find employment wherever possible, some have become workers at Eden Farm, in support of the other projects.

These women are an inspiration to all at Life Support and it is thrilling to see the changes in their lives.