GIVING THROUGH GIVERS A significant strategy of the Child Rescue Mission is to work through already existing institutions that are serving children. Below are a few examples of these collaborations and partnerships. Some of these are one-off collaborations while some others are ongoing partnerships. Jesus Cares Ministry In the past the Jesus Cares Ministry  has benefitted from the work of the CRM serving under the umbrella body of the Christian Social Service Organisation. The organisation received clothes for the children at their centre in Nakoli, Kabwe in Central Zambia and at their home for babies of incarcerated mothers. The pictures following are of the two occasions when gifts of clothes, toiletries and beddings were handed to the organisation. Here the children at Jesus Cares in Nakoli receive clothes. The place they use for the kid's centre used to be a bar; a better use of the place if you ask me. Alcohol abuse is a leading cause of child neglect in Zambia. The pictures above show the President of Jesus Cares Ministry (Rev. Godfridah Sumaili) and her staff receiving the baby clothes and dressing some of them. This centre for babies had just opened when this donation was given. The beddings, nappies and clothes were the very first to be received in this manner.  ZAMBIA DEAF VISION The CRM also made donations to Zambia Deaf Vision, one of the organisations dealing with the situation of the deaf in Zambia. The clothes given also came from Canada and were deeply appreciated by the children and youth that received them. The top left picture in the group of photos below is of the donation given to a child on the CopperBelt in the north of Zambia. This is at another branch of ZDV. The donation is being presented to the child by Joseph the Director of ZDV. To the right and below this picture are photos of deaf children or their parents receiving clothes at the Lusaka branch of ZDV.  When clothes are sent from Canada or the USA the clothes sizes meant for children say about nine or thirteen easily fit youths in Zambia who may be aged anything from sixteen to twenty! This is a most graphic way of illustrating the stuntedness of the Zambian children, it is not a genetic occurrence as some may believe. Nevertheless, there are always enough clothes to fit the children. Where this is not possible, we give the clothes to the family and advise them to sell the clothes and buy better fitting clothes for the children. BUYANTANSHI OPEN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BOCCS, as this system of Community schools is commonly called in Kabwe is a large network of community run schools sponsored by a German Mission under the heading of the Hartmann family. The picture presented here is of the day the CRM donated Bibles to one of the branches of this system of schools. You do not see the Bibles here, but you see the Headmistress and her assistant who received the Bibles. In Zambia, a predominantly Christian Nation,  religious education is taught widely in the schools and Bibles are one of the required texts. However, Bibles can be quite expensive and free ones are hard to come by; or they may be in a version whose English may be too hard for the children to read. Donated Bibles are therefore greatly appreciated. These are some of the times when the CRM has worked through other giver to give to Zambia's needy children. The giving is simple, no frills, no funfare; just a neighbour helping a neighbour to look after their children. It is an illustration of the CRM philosophy of rapid response to expressed need. To go where the work is being done and to lend a hand. It is good to wait for proposals to be written, for the offices to record things and for long lines to form-if this is unavoidable delay. Unfortunately the children cannot wait, they grow or die by the minute and every second counts when the cause is that of protecting children. GHASP (Grace HIV and AIDS Support Programme) The lates organisation to receive support from the CRM is GHASP. This is a support group made up of people living with HIV/AIDS. The group is self managed and renders various forms of support to it clientelle. GHASP received a few children's clothes donated by Ms McIntyre of Canada and some from local donors here in Zambia. Below are some pictures taken on the 9th of July 2009. Shortly after receiving the donation the group had a class with a micro-finance group which is planning to issue loans to some GHASP members. The men and women seen here are HIV positive and some of the donated clothes went to them and their children. I am afraid this is not a very good picture, but it shows three of the leaders from GHASP receiving the donated clothes. It is cold in Zambia this time of the year and the donated warm clothes are particularly appreciated. Another angle of the GHASP class, the lady third from the right in front is already wearing a sweater donated by the CRM. To take good care of the children it is important also that their mothers receive care and support.