Our work in Zambia has 2 strands, one is our connection with the Lions School for the Blind in Ndola. Their computer has now been upgraded so it works with the Braille embosser to provide Braille literature. 100 Braille writing frames were sent out to Zambia in March 2021, so that every pupil has a means of making notes. We have sent out Perkins braillers and many Braille books.
There are 150 pupils there, previously they worked in pairs, with one pupil waiting for the other to finish. Now each pupil will have a frame to write on. They teach to the 11th grade, and many pupils we met said they aim to progress to university, become teachers, politicians or lawyers!
The other strand is where we are in touch with a group of blind adults in a village, who are creative in making products that they can sell locally and on the internet. We are developing ways of marketing their products with the help of two contacts in Zambia. They have now been purchasing baby chicks which they look after until they can be sold as chickens. When Steph was out in Zambiain 2019, she was able to set up two outlets to sell the baskets and mats which the villagers also make, therefore making them more self-sufficient. Additionally, they have asked for talking bibles in the Bemba dialect, so we have sent several, from www.megavoice.com
We have visited Zambia in 2018 and 2019. We have been helping The Lions School for the Blind in Ndola which educates 150 pupils. Previously they only had enough Braille writing frames for one between two pupils, so they worked in pairs. We have sent sixty new writing frames to them, and one teacher told Steph on her second visit, that it is far easier to teach the pupils now. On the second visit we were able to repair two Braille embossers and establish a link with Technicians in England via Team Viewer to provide future help. We were able to install the free copy of NVDA to give up to date access through speech to the internet.
Another group of blind adult villagers have formed the Kongonga Economic Development Association of the Disabled (KEDAD). It is common for blind people to beg on the streets in Zambia, but they have bucked this trend, by making craft items, and they asked our help in marketing them. We bought all they had made, and have sold them in England. We found two shops who are able to sell their products and send back the money.
Three years ago we had sent out Megavoice audio Bibles in the Bemba language, which are Solar powered. They were delighted with these, and said our visit was like Jesus visiting them. We broke bread, and prayed together.
Foundations in Farming: The headmaster at the school, begged Steph for food, and said how much they struggled. The whole aim of Vision Through Sound is to enable people to do it for themselves. Foundations in Farming enrich the soil through compost and water retention, and can double the crop of Maize from one plot of land. So Esther and Anton, good friends who we have worked with for some years, have now been trained by Foundations in farming to carry out this kind of farming, and have started training both the school and the people at the KEDAD project.
Keddad have also purchased two hundred one day old chicks, reared them for eight weeks and then sold them to the local hospital for their food. They have now repeated this three times so far which is giving them a regular income and making them more independent not to mention putting food on their plates.
The First Newsletter about the Zambia Project can be downloaded here.
