|
June 26, 2018 Issue No. 32
|
|
To our LifeNets Supporters and Friends!
Thank you very much for your interest and support for LifeNets and for taking the time to read our latest newsletter. We have much to share with you.
From the end of March into April my husband and I experienced a very profitable trip to Africa visiting South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. We visited many of our humanitarian projects and met with many of our scholarship students. With us we carried 120 LuminAid solar lights to distribute mostly in Malawi where power outages are a regular part of one's daily life. Many of the friends that we have come to know are not even connected to the local power grid and have no electrical power source.
|
|
| In Blantyre, Malawi, Bev Kubik explains how to use solar lights |
The solar lights, I am told, are helping our scholarship students with their studies after dark. Daily life is not easy. People have to walk long distances to carry water for the family. Imagine assisting your family to source water for their daily needs and then walking to or enduring long public transport to school. Then trying to keep up with your studies without electricity. Another benefit of the solar lights is that many of them let you recharge a cell phone. When you have no electricity, charging a mobile phone must otherwise be done at a charging station for a fee.
As we approach the dry season in Africa, it is time again to source additional funds for new boreholes. These are wells that are drilled to a depth of 150 - 200 feet. This source of clean water is invaluable and at this time we have requests for and would like to drill four new boreholes at a cost of $3,500 - $5000 per well. If funds are available we would like them to be powered by solar panels.
We appreciate all of you who support our scholarships and many life-providing and improving projects. Parts of both Malawi and Zambia are also requesting aid with food again this year as many of the subsistence farmers suffered from crop losses due to lack of rain in due season.
I want to personally thank you for your well-wishes, prayers, encouragement and financial support. We truly believe that we have made a BIG difference in the lives of so many and have done it reliably now going on 20 years.
We do ask, as you are able, to help us with your tax-exempt gifts. On the homepage of our LifeNets Website (
www.lifenets.org) you can donate via PayPal or credit card, Please continue to donate as you are able; we cannot do it without your help. Any amount is extremely welcome. Remember also, if you are working for a company that will match your donation this is doubly beneficial.
For those wishing to contribute by check, the address is
LifeNets International
1227 Woodchase Trl
Batavia, OH 45103
Thank you for making LifeNets the charity of your choice. Be sure to visit our LifeNets website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed as well as our LifeNets blog for up to date information about ongoing projects.
With love and appreciation to all of you,
|
|
| Sewing Project for Zambian Women - report by Filius Jere
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The burden of household food and economic security in Zambia, and most of the poor countries in Southern Africa for that matter is mostly borne by the womenfolk. By tradition, females are unfortunately relegated to secondary considerations for many things that require expense and money, including education and access to land and property. Because of this, females often have limited opportunities to many things that can enable them to have better livelihoods. Consequently, they are forever struggling to survive and as soon as they reach maturity, or even before, some consider marriage as their only option. But it's a matter of out of the frying pan into the fire because, in such marriages of convenience, they are often regarded as sources of free labour in the fields and subject to abuse by their men.
It was because of this situation that the United Church of God in the rural city of Chipata, in eastern Zambia conceived a plan to empower its vulnerable but viable women members with dependable means of generating income. The sewing program presented the most feasible approach. For this, seven women were chosen as the first beneficiaries.
A proposal for the purchase of seven ordinary sewing machines was presented to Mrs Beverly Kubik, the LifeNets President.
LifeNets approved the proposal and provided the necessary funds on 15th November 2017. Six ordinary sewing machines were purchased locally. Three were Guardian model while the other three were Flying Dove.
 |
|
|
Stunning outcomes! |
The aim was that Chosiwe and Thokozile, who were accomplished tailors, should conduct a crash training program of the other five members so that the group could immediately take advantage of the high demand for school uniforms at the beginning of the year.
Already, the trainees are able to operate the sewing machines very well and design their own clothing patterns to produce stunning products. More concentration has been put on simple women's dresses and children's clothes, including school uniforms for girls and boys.
"I am overwhelmed by what Mrs Kubik and LifeNets has done for us," says Mrs. Christine Tonga, a sixty-six year old widowed retiree whose pension was unable to sustain her. "I can now see hope in my last years and this will be like evangelism about the true mission of the United Church of God among the community where I live."
These same women are fully involved in conservation farming because this reduces the labour demands and has been proved to increase crop yields. They are likely to be role models for a similar project being launched in Mchinji, Malawi by Mr Brennan Hilgen and his wife Michala.
|
| Scholarship Program Highlights
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dorica Chiumbuzo. Her graduation ceremony took place May 25, 2018. Dorica received her diploma certificate in food production. Thanks to LifeNets she has already secured a job as a chef at Annie's Lodge in Mangochi, one of the lodges alongside the lake of Malawi.
Jean-Paul Ogounie For the past year and a half, Jean-Paul Ogounie has been teaching high school physics and chemistry classes, but having completed only his undergraduate studies, he is only able to teach with yearly contracts at an hourly rate and with no benefits. Jean-Paul's LifeNets scholarship will allow him to pursue a year-long professional education program in order to earn a teaching certificate that is recognized by the Beninese government. This certificate will allow him to be hired for a salaried teaching position with healthcare, family, and retirement benefits. He plans to then teach in a salaried position for a few years until he is able to save up enough money to pursue his doctorate degree in physics. This will allow him the opportunity to attain his ultimate career goal of becoming a physics professor in a university.
Bernadette Leria: "I'm one of the LifeNets scholars who has graduated in 2018. I have received a degree of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education Major in Industrial Arts. My plan for now, is to find a job in some private schools hopefully, while I am still waiting for the examination for teachers. I know God will always find a way to fulfill those simple goals. Thank you very much sir for giving me the opportunity to finish my studies."
- Bernadette
|
| ABC Annual Charity Auction for LifeNets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ambassador Bible College did their annual Charity Auction Sunday, April 22, 2018 at the United Church of God home office. The proceeds (about $5000) will go towards the LifeNets Developing Nations Scholarship Fund and for additional solar power at UCG facilities in Malawi where power failures are constant.
The theme this year for the program was "Night At the Museum."
The class put on a series of hilarious and entertaining skits.
Interspersed was a live auction of baked goods. There was also a silent auction for items displayed in the Conference Room.
|
| Japan/Australian Wire Art Shop Supports LifeNets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
Nick Cook |
We are grateful for the support that our LifeNets representative Dr. Yumi Yamamoto is able to find for projects that fulfill LifeNets mission. She is an opthalmologist who lives in Kochi, Japan. She wrote the following to explain the latest.
"Another great news is about one of my friends, Nick Cook (Australian originally from the US), and his new shop which opens tomorrow (March 10th, 2018).
"He is a 'wire art artist' and married to a wonderful Japanese lady. They met in Australia and have been married for more than 10 years. They moved to Kochi a few years ago just because they liked Kochi! His wife is originally from Osaka.
"His shop sells his wire arts, but he also lets me put some of my art crafts including herbarium bottles arranged succulent pots, etc. I plan to donate 100% of the proceeds (not the profit, but everything) to donate soccer balls to the school where I have sent recorders (boys love to play soccer!!). He says he will donate the display place and selling!!
|
| How to Effortlessly Double Your LifeNets Donation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many companies will match their employees' and retirees' charitable contributions. Check with your personnel office to see if your company will do so. They will provide the necessary forms and instructions. Then send LifeNets the completed form. Thank you very much! Donations to LifeNets are tax-deductible in the United States.
|
Contact Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LifeNets International
1227 Woodchase Trail
Batavia, Ohio 45103-2605
513 843-7744
513 201-8850
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
