Supporting widows and educating fatherless children and orphans in Africa

In 1998 ACT started funding the education of Christine, who was 10 years old at the time (see photograph right). She is the youngest of 7 children and lives with her family in Chingola, Zambia which is in the northern copper belt, close to the border with the Republic of Congo.

Her father died in a copper mine accident when she was six years old. Christine's mother, who until then was at home with the children, had struggled to find employment to provide for her family in this region which has about a 50 per cent adult unemployment. She sewed sacks, which she sold to traders who used them as bags for transporting maize. But her earnings hardly paid the rent, nor was it sufficient to pay for food. Due to lack of funds, her older sons were withdrawn from school to work on farms so that they could obtain food items and earn some money to supplement their mothers income.

Christine is a clever girl who enjoys school, but until ACT started to fund her schooling her mother was unable to guarantee that she will complete primary school because of their difficult financial situation, particularly as education is not free in Zambia. None of her older children have so far been able to complete primary school education.

With funding from ACT Christine has been making good progress and now has hope of completing both primary and secondary school education. Her teachers have reported a positive change in Christine as she is happier, more confident and is performing very well in her school work.

Through the financial support provided by people like you ACT is proud to be helping to make a difference in the life of Christine and of her widowed mother and family.

Like Christine, there are many other children of widows with a similar life story.

Christine's development is supervised by a care team in a church in Chingola under the leadership of our local partner, Joseph Kazhila. He oversees a church of about 450 people, of whom there are about 30 widows. These mothers are looking to a sponsor such as you, to help their children fulfil educational aspirations, so that they can achieve their full potential in life and contribute to society.

Find out about other families African Child Trust is sponsoring:

> Jane

> Jerome

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