Richard Chola

Name:  Richard Chola
Gender:  Boy
Reported birthdate:  January 5, 2010 (9 years old)
Favorite food:  Nshima (a staple food in Zambia) and chicken
Favorite activity:  Playing ball games
Child is happy when...  He is playing with friends
Child wants to be a...  Soldier
Home information:  Richard is growing up in the rural town of Luanshya in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. He is a single orphan, having lost his father, and lives with his mother and grandmother. Richard has one younger brother. His mother is bedridden, so his grandmother supports their family by selling vegetables out of their home. However, she has a hard time meeting all of their needs and has been unable to pay school fees. Richard helps at home by fetching water. He desperately wants to go to school. His most immediate need is education.
School information:  Richard has not previously been in school. With sponsorship, he will join the Haven of Hope Luanshya Primary School, starting grade 1 in January 2020. There, he will receive an education, learn about the love of 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 live in a number of compounds (densely populated communities). Richard’s family resides in the D compound in the Mikomfwa area of Luanshya. It is one of the most populous local areas, with a high unemployment rate and very high poverty rate. People in this compound primarily depend on menial jobs for survival—working, for example, as garden boys, maids, and small-scale farmers. Most families live in small houses. Families tend to be large, with a lot of children depending on grandparents, aunts, or uncles in the absence of parents; others live in child-headed homes. The compound has been greatly afflicted by HIV and AIDS, leaving most children without one or both of their biological parents. Living in poverty, most families struggle to meet their basic needs and afford school fees for their children.
Prayer requests:  Pray that Richard will have a bright future through receiving an education.