What a crazy month it has been! When we put out the appeal for land back in April, we didn't know what the outcome would be. It seemed like such a huge amount to be asking for and with such limited time - for most of which we were on expedition in South Africa with the AQ team running youth camps, school activity days, hospital services etc as well as getting to enjoy some of the sights and experiences Kwa-Zulu Natal has to offer! Incidentally, while we were in South Africa we managed to visit Dihlabeng Christian School in Clarens which was set up to help educate orphans (facebook page here). An amazing place, and exactly what we're aiming to replicate here in Ndola.
Anyway, whilst we were away we were getting almost daily reports of what money was coming in and just a week before the deadline we were only a few hundred pounds short of the £12,667 target. However, after a quick post on facebook announcing that fact we discovered that there was still much more money you generous people had raised but not yet paid into the account. We have soared well above our target now and it is very clear that God's hand is in it! As of last Monday (21st May) the total amount raised was £21,836.06!!!! Wow! And it's still coming in! Thank you!!
Yesterday Ndola Council came to survey the land so that the 'Ministry of Lands' can approve the sale. The decision will be approved by the council sometime in June. Remember, this is Zambia, things take time. Please pray that all goes well. The money has now been transferred from the UK and should be accessible in Zambia sometime soon (when the bank has processed it). Some pictures of the council at work are below.
Obviously we have more money than we needed to secure the land, but in building the school it will not be wasted! The additional funds will be enough to cover not only those hidden fees (for the Ministry of Lands etc), but also will go a long way towards building a security wall and of course the school build itself.
As far as the school itself goes we are currently putting together a support group which among other things, will help to write the school's constitution which has to be in place to enable us to register with the 'Ministry of Education'. One seemingly weird thing we have to have in place in order for the school to be approved as a school is a library (it's weird simply because many Zambian Government schools don't have a library or many books at all!). Again we know that these things can be found!
Anyway, whilst we were away we were getting almost daily reports of what money was coming in and just a week before the deadline we were only a few hundred pounds short of the £12,667 target. However, after a quick post on facebook announcing that fact we discovered that there was still much more money you generous people had raised but not yet paid into the account. We have soared well above our target now and it is very clear that God's hand is in it! As of last Monday (21st May) the total amount raised was £21,836.06!!!! Wow! And it's still coming in! Thank you!!
Yesterday Ndola Council came to survey the land so that the 'Ministry of Lands' can approve the sale. The decision will be approved by the council sometime in June. Remember, this is Zambia, things take time. Please pray that all goes well. The money has now been transferred from the UK and should be accessible in Zambia sometime soon (when the bank has processed it). Some pictures of the council at work are below.
Obviously we have more money than we needed to secure the land, but in building the school it will not be wasted! The additional funds will be enough to cover not only those hidden fees (for the Ministry of Lands etc), but also will go a long way towards building a security wall and of course the school build itself.
As far as the school itself goes we are currently putting together a support group which among other things, will help to write the school's constitution which has to be in place to enable us to register with the 'Ministry of Education'. One seemingly weird thing we have to have in place in order for the school to be approved as a school is a library (it's weird simply because many Zambian Government schools don't have a library or many books at all!). Again we know that these things can be found!
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