Angela Miyanda, founder and executive director of our longtime partner in Zambia, the Kabwata Orphanage and Transit Centre, just reported to us some troubling news about the situation in her country:

“The numbers of the COVID-19 have been rising very fast, reaching 600. We believed it was going to end with very small numbers,” she told us earlier this month.

Angela also reported that about 800 children will be attending schools in her community and commented that “The number is big to be in one place for hours. We are not even sure how equipped the schools will be.

“This may affect the orphanage,” she added. “We are trying to find a way for disinfecting our six children each time they come back from school. We are praying for the best solution to this.”

Angela is doing all she can to keep the children under her care safe and healthy as the coronavirus spreads throughout the country.

“All the kids are have been confined to the home,” she said. “No one goes out because most people out there do not use masks. Generally, the children are in good health. Our biggest protection is for those who have other illnesses including AIDS and asthmatic conditions.”

To make a bad situation even worse, Angela told us that “The home has been having challenges with food due to the rapid rise in prices. Most essential items are increasing in price each day with no notice.”

In addition, the caregivers at the orphanage have been kept away from the home to avoid infections.

“Most of them come to work by public transport which are mainly squeezed into a small vehicle,” she noted.

Angela told us she has been working to initiate income-generating activities to help sustain the home’s operations, as well as started growing vegetables to help sustain the home and to sell at the local market.

She also reported that the tilapia fish farming operation she started several years ago with support from Bread and Water for Africa has been going well providing fish for the orphans with the surplus also being sold at local markets.

“From what we have seen, the next coming months will not be easy.”

We are grateful to our generous supporters who over the past 20 years have enabled us to provide financial assistance to Kabwata, and we are doing all we can to provide critical additional support in their time of great need.