Schools in Zambia typically runs from the 3rd week of January until the 3rd week of November each year. During the first few weeks of January is when schools are finalizing the class lists and filing all vacancies for spots not claimed due to natural progression of students from the previous year. For the Wellspring Team, this meant there was a lot of work to accomplish in those first few weeks of January ensuring each of the girls were enrolled into their selected grades. By January 3rd, eight of the girls were living in the house and waiting on school to open. The final two girls Faith and Idah, joined the house later on the 19th and 22nd respectively.
Today we have a final and offical number of 10 girls in the house.
1. Annie N – grade 1
2. Mika N – grade 1
3. Idah M – grade 1
4. Faith C – grade 2
5. Jolima M – grade 4
6. Naomi M – grade 4
7. Mary K – grade 6
8. Martha C – grade 8
9. Sarah K – grade 9 GCE (see below)
10. Naomi M – grade 11
Seven children go to Twashuka Primary School, Martha goes to Buyantanshi Secondary School, Naomi Malokota goes to Kalukanya secondary school and Sarha will learn and write her program from a special learning center. In Zambia the GCE program is there as a special program for children who are not able to pass the national exam classes without additional learning. This means that in Sarah’s case last year she was in grade 9, wrote the final examination, and did not do well on that examination. So these special classes will give her individualized learning and extra tutoring to help her catch up and have the opportunity to still finish her education and graduate secondary school (high school).
The girls are very excited to go to school, some its a continuation of schooling while the majority stayed out of school and others Idah, Annie, and Micah is their first time to be in class.
The girl’s lives are already so much different from the way life was for them just a few weeks back. Daily they are involved with learning activities such as reading and story times, doing math and spelling drills together. They are being taught life skills, and the love of learning from the Word of God.
All of the girls need our prayers. No matter the grade or situation there is one thing each of these girls has in common. Each of them is coming from lives where having the ability to concentrate on learning and education was just not a part of their worlds. All of the girls are being closely monitored and will be needing additional tutoring to bring them up to the level of learning where they need to be. From what we have seen all that was missing was just these children being given an opportunity, they truly do have the desire to learn.
We will continue to update as the girls progress, as you pray feel free to also send notes of encouragement.
