Grace Academy at Fountain Gate Children's Home

                                    
Here is our 2011 cohort from three Grace Academies, in the West Midlands (Solihull, Coventry and Darlaston): 21 students and 6 staff. We had just arrived at Fountain Gate, on the outskirts of Lusaka, on a large blue overlander truck, which had travelled to Zambia from Zimbabwe.

 The truck provided many of our meals and transport, mattresses to sleep on and of course lots of fun along the way.

                                   
The children and staff like to sing to us and recite Bible verses. We are always impressed by their strong voices and extensive Bible knowledge.

This year they also entertained us with some traditional dances.

Then it was our turn.  We taught them lots of circle games...

                                   
...and Phil was kept very busy with balloon modelling.

Fountain Gate is a home for orphaned and vulnerable children. They are part of Chreso Ministries and opened in 2009. Last year, when the GA trip visited they had only 25 children.  Now they have over 50, with capacity eventually for over 100. They have deliberately started small, so they learn as they grow. We are impressed by their excellence and attention to detail, not seen everywhere. 

 The houses are based on the house-mother model, with up to 12 girls or boys in each house. Since last year they have improved the bathroom facilities, opened a primary school, and taken in a few boarders, which helps with finance. The children eat together in the multi-purpose hall, which also serves as church.

They are also becoming self sufficient in food production.
1) Chickens at various stages of development...

                                    

 2) lots of crops and vegetables...

 3) A fish farming project about to start...

5) A training centre for teaching agricultural skills. The aim is for every child who evenually leaves Fountain Gate to have a trade of some sort and so be able to support themselves financially.

Some of the GA students helped to plant seedlings in their fields.

On Sunday we took part in their church service, teaching them action songs, demonstrating a drama based on the story of the Good Samaritan and shared some real stories of how God is working in the lives of students and adults.

The GA students quickly formed strong bonds with many of the FG children and it was very hard to leave...

The good news is that we are developing strong links with Fountain Gate and many of the students are already planning ways of supporting them...

... just one of the life-changing opportunities taken up!