Thursday, March 28, 2024

Northmead Assemblies of God church providing education to street kids,orphaned and vulnerable children

Share

Bishop Joshua Banda
UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole, presented a donation of six computers, mealie-meal and exercise books to the Northmead Assembly of God Church-run Lazarus Community School of Lusaka. The donation was presented the donation to Bishop Joshua Banda. Pictures, courtesy of UNHCR Zambia.

UNHCR Representative to Zambia, Ms Joyce Mends-Cole, last week presented a donation of six computers, mealie-meal and exercise books to the Northmead Assembly of God Church-run Lazarus Community School of Lusaka. Bishop Joshua Banda received the donation on behalf of the Lazarus Christian Community School and thanked the UNHCR for the educational initiatives aimed at getting the pupils acquainted with IT and modern literature in various subjects, catering across grades one to seven.

“The donation is a valuable contribution to the knowledge bank of our school that will help to raise and satisfy our pupils’ thirst for the finest books in their curriculum. As you may agree with me, reading is a major ingredient for educating young energetic intellectuals, whom our country direly needs now.,” Bishop Banda said.

Northmead Assembly of God Church has been involved in the education sector since the early 1970’s when they opened a Nursery School right at the church premises.The school expanded rapidly and was relocated to Katima mulilo road, where it is now operated as Son-shine Primary and Secondary school, with 800 pupils.

Bishop Banda said over the years, Northmead Assemblies of God got further involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and specifically with interventions towards rescuing street kids and other orphaned and vulnerable children.

‘We observed that not every body can afford medium to high fees for school, and therefore noted the need to provide more affordable education to needy children. Hence, the establishment of the Lazarus Christian community school in 2006 at our Lazarus Project Centre on Chipwenupwenu road in Makeni South, where we are now offering education to over 400 vulnerable children from the surrounding high density residential areas,’Bishop joshua Banda stated.

The Bishop also noted that the relationship between the church and refugees was initiated from time immemorial and has been nurtured from generation to generation and the work of the church has been inseparable from refugees in particular and the down trodden and vulnerable persons in general.

‘Our nation, Zambia has been a shining example in hosting refugees, whom we have lived with within our communities as brothers and sisters for many years now. In this connection, as a church, we will play our prophetic role by working with Government and UNHCR to ensure that the welfare of refugees is taken care of, especially in the search for durable solutions.’

The pupils of Lazarus Christian Community School pose with the educational material donated to the school

‘The Bible tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ himself was a refugee in Egypt at a very critical time of History. He was accommodated in in that land until it was safe for him to return to his birth place.’Bishop Banda said

Bishop Banda said there are have many refugees who have lived in Zambia for over 30 years, especially Angolans. Most of these refugees cannot go back home because they now consider Zambia their home, either because they are married to Zambians or were born here and know no other country as their home.

“This could be an instance where perhaps, Leviticus 19:34 might apply when it says: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you (or an alien/ foreigner) as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself,”Bishop Banda said.

Bishop Banda noted that the Angolans will lose their refugee status at the end of June this year and appealed to Government to allow some of them to remain in Zambia and become residents and as they continue to contribute to our development.

On a wider scale, on behalf of the church and the Lazarus Christian Community school, I would like to highlight that we highly appreciate these educational initiatives of UNHCR aimed at getting our pupils acquainted with IT and modern literature in various subjects, catering across grades one to seven. Therefore, today’s donation is a valuable contribution to the knowledge bank of our school that will help to raise (and satisfy) our pupils’ thirst for the finest books in their curriculum. As you may agree with me, reading is a major ingredient for educating young energetic intellectuals, whom our country direly needs now.
Thank you, once again, again and let me assure you that this donation will be in reliable hands and will be used for the utmost benefit of our school.

Thank you and God bless you all!

29 COMMENTS

  1. Northmead is a good caring church. I remember when my niece who was their choir member died they funded for the funeral totally, including the burial arrangement. They’re one of the few caring churches in Zambia.Keep up the good work Pastor Banda and your elders God will reward you.

  2. SO, THESE ARE STREET KIDS. THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE STREET KIDS TO ME. UNLESS I HAVE LOST TOUCH OF ZAMBIA TO KNOW WHO STREET KIDS ARE.

    • kwena peter?? you want the children to continue with the same lifestyle when they are being taken good care of. this is real. we thank God. awe twakana

    • Ba peter ba mudala, how do want them to look like? dirty and tone clothes? cant you read that they are being taken car of by the afformentioned church, you still want them to look dirty, besides who said a street kud on the streets can not look clean..think mudala, think

  3. Amen! That was my first Church when I got born again (John 3.1-21 & 1 Peter 1.17-25).

    Thank you for all that you do for the Lord and the people in our nation.

    Blessings, blessings, blessings for your giving, caring and loving.

  4. Peter! Are you serious?You wanted the children to look shubby ,unkempt and smell sweat for the to be identified as street kids.They are no longer living on the street because a church by the name of Assemblies of God is taking good care of them.Continue the good work brethlen

  5. Number 2 you are useless. After you decide to start taking care of somebody from your village, do you expect that depend or whatever you may call them to continue looking the same way they might have been when you first picked them from their ram-shakoz in yo village? These kids have been rehabilitated, hence their cleanliness and the beautiful finally came back onto them. One of them is your abandoned kid you left in Zambia from the gal you impregnated.

  6. #7 Real people Inc,
    Yes, Son-shine is a fee paying school.
    I dont know whether you statement is suppose to be an aswer to some question, or a question, or a mere clarification, or a contribution.
    The street kids institution is the Lazorus school.
    I think that NAOG is doing a great job; they need to have some fee paying schools offering education to those who can pay and earn some money from such venture which can then contribute to helping those in need. That is great wisdom from God.
    Bishop and the team, please keep up that spirit and the reward from God shall be abundant.

  7. Awe kwena Peter mu mutwe tamwaku manina! Wakula fye mutwe. @Real People Inc- distinguish between Son-shine and Lazarus Community School. You read properly before u comment otherwise u are finishing our airtime as try to clarify. @Nubian Princess- its not only Pastors u don’t trust,u don’t trust u self and the list is endless.Well Bishop Banda, Staff and NAOG members

  8. that donation UNHCR wanted earlier on to let the refugees handing over the donation; however, sources closed to the refugees revealed that the refugees community refused since the same community could have been used as a human shield!

  9. May God richly bless you man of God and Northmead Assemblies Of God Church for this noble cause as the Lord Jesus Christ declared in Math 25:31-40 ” I was naked but you clothed me I was hungry but you gave me bread”

  10. In a country with an ineffective and rapacious government, the church is the only source of hope. May you continue helping those kids. Also, continue praying for this country that it might find a God-fearing leader. There are a lot of capable Zambians who can run that country competently, I .that a leader shall emerge in the near future that can steer this country into the 21st Century. We need a leader can sit at the same table with Obama, Cameroun, or any other world leader and discuss politics and economics competently. That’s what will win us the hearts and minds of real investors that we need to provide substantive jobs to Zambians.

  11. That’s a good gesture and praise the Lord.One thing is this school provide free education to all or just s few to attract funding? We Christians we are to be truthful.The Lord is watching us.Who is beefing from the donations?

  12. “Let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing….how can you expect your father in the heaven to reward you when earthly man has already rewarded you for your deeds?”  Ma pastor bamanje awe kwena. I end here lest the tuma “holier than thou born agains”  start to attack me since they consider their tuma pastors equal to Jesus, sinless! 

  13. Bishop Joshua HK Banda has contributed well among other issues HIV-Aids,Street kids,defended openly the declaration of Zambia as a christian nation ,castigated gayismrformation of sex workers and has done great for himself education wise. As youths ,we can just learn from him and build up on the lead foundation.

    The issue of street kids can not be over emphasised except that we support it all. Tomorow your own child could need help from there. One girl whose father was a pilot had no one to take care of her,relatives were not there or not able to take her in.She was on the street.
    I thank God that Bshp JHK is ma pastor and spiritual father,he is great inspiration.

  14. All good – however, I think the name of ‘LAZARUS’ is a bit too much. We have plenty of names in Zambian languages which could have conveyed the same sense. Lazarus is a bit severe. You don’t want to go round the world telling people you went to Lazarus school —- I would go to Matero and change the name!

  15. Bishop Banda with his northmead assemblies awe mwandi, that place is full of hypocrites, alot of monks and moma’s from UNZA go their to get their catch, after evening church they go clubbing. Joshua banda has become very rich from that church and alot of other well meaning pastors have left him due to his crookedness. Now he is crooking UNHCR I hope this lady Madam mend her is a donation from her own savings not UNHCR otherwise azamangiwa

  16. The catholic church has been doing that forever. And if you’ve notice the catholic church doesnt work with the UN. The UN’s mantra for Africa is Disindutralization, Distabilization and Depopulation. THE UN IS NOT AFRICA’S FRIEND TRUST ME ON THIS.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading