BRINGING HOPE TO NEEDY HIGH SCHOOLERS
Zangose Benas-Phiri - April 8th 2020
BREATH OF HEAVEN ACADEMY AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS
By Zangose Benas- Phiri Principal, Secondary Division
Thousands of Zambian children do not have access to schools or are not able to attend due to high school fees. Without access to an education, children are more vulnerable to the effects of poverty, including childhood marriage, teenage pregnancies, inadequate healthcare, malnutrition, and low-paying jobs.
Breath of Heaven Children’s Ministries, in the quest to bring hope and a future to Zambia’s orphaned and vulnerable children, this year extended its doors to the impoverished families within our community to offer scholarships at the Secondary School Division of Breath of Heaven Academy. Prospective students were screened for eligibility into our program by administering academic testing in Mathematics and English, interviewing the parents and guardians to determine the need, and following up with home visits, as necessary, to verify the family’s circumstances.
When the selection process was over, the names of the successful candidates were put up on the school notice board on Friday, February 22, 2020. Over 100 vulnerable children, together with their parents/guardians, waited anxiously all morning at the school cafeteria for the publishing of the selected students. When the names were posted, the students and their families responded with heart-warming screams and shouts of joy as if at a football stadium! The children and guardians danced, wept, knelt, and even kissed the ground as they praised God for the chance of getting an education! The following Monday, the successful candidates joyfully began reporting for classes.
We interviewed some of the guardians and students after selection, and we recorded their responses.
Edna P.
“I thank Breath of Heaven Children’s Ministries for awarding my sons the scholarships, because it will help them be the men that God wants them to be, and they will be able to contribute positively to our country as citizens of Zambia. God bless you all.”
Edna’s two sons, Solomon and Royd, have never attended either primary or secondary school due to the lack of funds. She has struggled over the years to educate the children at home. Royd, her older son, passed the national examinations administered at the end of Grade 7 and Grade 9, despite having no formal education. This achievement demonstrates his love for learning and his willingness to work hard. We accepted Royd into grade 10 at BOHA! He wishes to become a pastor someday and desires to study theology at the tertiary level. He believes God has started to direct his destiny through Breath of Heaven Children’s Ministries, providing the help that he needs so that one day he may follow his calling to serve the Church. Edna’s younger son Solomon was also selected for a scholarship to BOHA. Having passed the national Grade 7 examination last year, he will be welcomed into Grade 8. Solomon would like to be an engineer one day.
Austin B.
Austin has been awarded a scholarship to Grade 8. He is very happy about the grant given to him, because he feels this award will lessen the stress his grandmother goes through in trying to raise money to take him to school. Austin, together with four of his siblings, has lived with his grandmother since his parents died. He said that this opportunity will see him through school, and once he completes his education, he will hopefully be able to take care of his siblings, as the grandmother is getting too old to take care of the five of them.
Bridget C.
Bridgette C. with her son (Grade 11), daughter (right) Grade 9 and her 3 orphaned nieces Grade 8. The two in front are twins!
Bridget, a widowed parent and guardian of 6 children, sells vegetables for a living. Two of her children and 3 orphaned dependents she adopted were granted scholarships. Bridget, who has been unable to properly care of the children, previously had enrolled in night school in the hopes of finding a job once she had completed her studies. She managed to pass her Grade 9 examinations but could not continue with High School because of the heavy responsibility of caring for 5 children.
“I am very happy that you have granted my children and dependents the scholarships! I was in a lot of distress each time I thought about their education because I was failing to educate them all. Recently I went into prayer and fasting for God to come through for me. I used to cry a lot every day to see my children remain behind while their friends go to school. I give Glory to God! I am very happy because I can already envision my children excelling. I know they will be able to complete school and possess their future”
Doris T.
Doris is a single mother who is raising 5 children and 3 grandchildren. When her husband died in 2011, she had no job or income to help her support the children. Her husband’s relatives grabbed all the property they owned and left her with nothing. Her children all dropped out of school, until she married off her first-born daughter, who should have been in her 11th grade at that time. Michael, the child who has been granted a scholarship in Grade 11 at Breath of Heaven Academy, went on to live with the same elder sister who was then living in the East of Zambia. His brother-in-law began to sponsor him to school. Unfortunately, his sister was deserted by her husband, leaving her with two small children and forcing her to move back to Lusaka to stay with her mother. Although Michael remained behind in the care of his brother-in-law, he was later abandoned in Nyimba (a small town in the Eastern Province) with no proper care and no funds for school. Doris is very grateful for her son’s new opportunity!
“ I am very happy that Michael is now back in school. I was afraid that he would get into wrong company, because he had nothing to keep him busy. The scholarship will lessen the pressure that I have to look for his school fees because he is the only one who is not occupied at home.
His other elder sister was lucky to have received sponsorship from the Catholic church. They saw her through to high school. Unfortunately, her sponsors left the country; one priest is in Ghana and the other is in Spain. We lost contact after they left. My daughter has managed to sponsor herself to college by raising money through different types of work during her spare time. She is now studying to be a teacher. I am looking forward to seeing Michael enroll into college too once he is done with secondary school.”
Kelvin B.
Kelvin was selected into Grade 10. Alas! To his dismay, his step-mother refused to allow him to come to school because they are too poor to afford having him spend time in class all day. They needed him to work and supplement the income in the home. Kelvin came to the school crying to say he had to forfeit the scholarship. The school then called his father and convinced him of the future benefits of having his son get an education. After much deliberation, Kelvin was finally allowed to attend school!
Judy J.
Judy was not picked in our first selection. Her father abandoned their family. Her sister was impregnated at the age of 16 and is now struggling to raise her child alone. Their mother, who makes a living selling charcoal, is chronically ill and often in the hospital. Judy passed to go to Grade 8 but due to insufficient funds, she could not proceed to Secondary School. When she was not selected, she cried and pleaded with us for mercy. After that, she used to come every day to Breath of Heaven Academy, and she would sit quietly all day outside the Administration building. When the second selection was done and her name was published, Judy did not scream and shout with joy like the others. Judy just hid her face in her hands and wept uncontrollably.
Bridget K.
Bridget, who cares for her niece Alice, was exuberant that her niece was awarded a scholarship for Grade 8, as the girl hadn’t attended school since 2016. Kabwe’s husband used to work for Trade Kings factory, but ever since he lost his job, it has been difficult for the couple to continue sponsoring their orphaned niece to school.
Charles L.
This young man dropped out of school 5 years ago after his father abandoned the family. His mother is chronically ill, so Charles had to find work to pay rent in a 2-roomed quarter and fend for his mother and 2 younger siblings. When Charles heard about the Breath of Heaven Scholarships, he brought his sister to apply for a Grade 10 place. As he was being interviewed, he was advised to also try applying. At first he was hesitant because he feared losing his income that feeds his family. After much deliberation, he applied, sat for the examinations and passed with flying colors! His sister however, failed the exams. The end result was that Charles was selected into Grade 10 but his sister was not.
His mother and sister had this to say; “God works in mysterious ways. Charles gave up his youth and school to become the head of our home. He always puts our family first before himself. Even now, he thought about his sister before himself, but God had other plans because He is All-Knowing. In His perfect plan, He led Charles to Breath of Heaven so that he can fulfill that which he was called to do. Being educated, Charles will be able to assist our family better. To God be the Glory!”
Tongase L.
Finally, we have 14-year-old Tongase Lungu who came in with her grandfather. By awarding her a scholarship to Grade 10 at Breath of Heaven Academy, we have rescued Tongase from going into an early childhood marriage!
We are very thankful to God for the privilege of coming to the aid of these bright and promising students. Through the continued help of our generous supporters, we will be able to provide a quality education to many other disadvantaged young people through the years ahead. Then they will cry out with the Psalmist, “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!” Ps 126:3
Principal Zangose (far right) with some of our new students.
