Elijah Tembo

Name:  Elijah Tembo
Gender:  Boy
Reported birthdate: April 30, 2017 (currently 5 years old)
Favorite food:  Sausage, meat, and nshima (a staple food in Zambia)
Favorite activity:  Playing with toy cars
Child is happy when...  He is playing football (soccer) with friends
Child wants to be a...  Footballer
Home information:  Elijah is growing up in the rural town of Luanshya in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The Haven of Hope school reports: “Elijah stays with his mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. His father died 2 months ago. He has one young sister who is 4 months old. The family supports themselves by doing menial jobs to survive. Elijah’s mum goes around the compound to do laundry for people in order to feed the family, as both the grandmother and great grandmother are sick. The challenge is that she cannot look for any job far from where she stays due to the two old ladies that she also has to take care of. Feeding and meeting other necessities is very hard for her, and at times they fail to feed. Elijah helps with sweeping at home.”
School information:  Elijah was able to attend preschool at a community school (for underprivileged children) but has had no further education. Through sponsorship, he will be able to start grade 1 at the Haven of Hope Luanshya Primary School in May 2023. There, he will learn and play, be taught about God, and receive meals, medical care, and clothing. In Zambia, primary school lasts for seven years and is followed by five years of secondary school.
Community information:  Haven of Hope's students in Luanshya live in a number of compounds (densely populated communities). Elijah’s family resides in Mikomfwa. In the compounds, unemployment and poverty rates are high, and people primarily depend on menial jobs for survival—working, for example, as garden hands, maids, and small-scale farmers. Families tend to be large and live in small houses. The compounds have been greatly afflicted by HIV and AIDS, leaving many children without one or both of their biological parents. Orphaned children are often cared for by their grandparents, aunts, or uncles; other children live in child-headed homes. Living in poverty, most families struggle to meet their basic needs and afford school fees for their children.
Prayer requests:  Please pray that Elijah will get a good education and grow up to be responsible.

Elijah will start school in May 2023. Any financial contributions made toward his sponsorship before then will help his school open a new grade 1 class and ensure that he has everything he needs for school.