Chanda Mulenga
Chanda Mulenga (11 years old) is a double orphan who lived in Ngombe compound with his younger brother (Mwewa, 8 years old), his aunt, uncle, and grandfather. Over the past two years, both of his parents along with his two older brothers (one very recently) were all four killed by his grandfather who heavily practices witchcraft. Chanda’s uncle used to beat him regularly, and as a result his sweet face and body are marred with markings because of the abuse and ritualistic practices performed on him. His witchdoctor grandfather would force Chanda and Mwewa to use the boys’ stomachs as a pillow to sleep on, and at nighttime, Chanda would dream about his older brother who was killed by the witchcraft practices of the grandfather — sadly, he has been worried that he would be the next one in line for that same fate. Chanda was known around town as a “street kid” as he was never at home because he was so fearful of the adults in his life. He often isolated himself, and was always seen begging for food and money at one of the main shopping areas in Lusaka — miles from his home. Chanda and Mwewa have suffered many diseases as a result of their unclean living environment, and both have swollen stomachs. Now living at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Chanda says he loves EVERYTHING about his new life, and especially enjoys serving as the “Usher” at the Tree of Life Children’s Village Church. He has gained a lot of healthy weight and really treasures the fact that God has given him a whole new family!
Emmanuel Phiri
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Emmanuel (9), Elina (12), and Cindy (7) were all living with their grandmother in a small two-roomed mud hut. Emmanuel’s mother and father died earlier this year in March. His mother was suffering from AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB), and she died after having been sick for a long time. Because of his father’s grief over his wife’s death, Emmanuel’s dad committed suicide by drinking poison on the very same day his mother died. So sadly, Emmanuel and his sisters went to a double funeral for both of their parents. The children subsequently moved in with their elderly grandmother who had a job washing people’s clothes; however, due to her age, caring for three children was really more than she could handle. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Emmanuel loves playing with all his sports balls and really enjoys sleeping in his new bed! He particularly likes all the new clothes he has received and says he thanks God for giving him a new family!
Naphtali Kalumbu
2 years ago, Naphtali (6 years old at the time), Dorcas (8 years old at the time), and Misheck (2 years old at the time) were completely abandoned by their parents. They lived in an extremely impoverished slum compound in Lusaka called Kanyama, with their “shack” of a home located right behind a bar. Naphtali’s parents asked their neighbors to watch their children for 24 hours as they needed to go somewhere and would be returning the next day. Unfortunately, they never returned, and left Naphtali and his two siblings completely abandoned! The neighbors were gracious and have kept them for 2 years, despite the extreme poverty situation they themselves have been in. Naphtali and his siblings have been sleeping on a very small patch of dirt floor for over 2 years – literally the neighbor’s house was no bigger than 8 ft. by 8 ft.! Poor Naphtali and his siblings have lived with deep pain and scars of rejection because of their parents’ abandonment. The children still don’t know of their parent’s whereabouts or why they even left them. For so long, they all felt very unloved and unwanted. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Naphtali loves playing with all his new balls and helping his new house mom cook dinner. Naphtali particularly is amuzed by the running water in the bathrooms and kitchen!
“Baby” Joe Chanda
Before to coming to the Tree of Life, Joe was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and has been living with his grandmother after his parents died of the AIDs. Joe’s grandmother did not have the ability or money to take Joe to see a doctor since it was all the way on the other side of town. Joe was diagnosed with HIV over a year ago when he was 4 years old and Family Legacy has ensured that he has been taken to his regular check-ups and receives the necessary food and medicine required to fight the disease. He often has signs of his fight with HIV/AIDS such as sores on his head and back, but thanks to the now regular check-ups the doctors are able to treat them immediately. He will continue to fight with his disease for the rest of his life, but now at the Tree of Life he can visit the doctor regularly and live a normal life. Joe loves all the new toys to play with at his new home! He especially loves all the new cars and trucks. God is watching over this little sweet one and Joe is smiling all the time! Since he is no longer a baby the kids have decided it is time for him to grow into a new nickname: Big Joe!
Richard Bwalya
When his father died, Richard (11 years old) came to live with his 86 year-old great-grandmother and six other people. His mother abandoned him to seek other relationships, leaving him with only his great-grandmother. When his great-grandmother is not at home, he is denied food by the others who live with them and has become severely malnourished. Richard has been coming to the Community Resource Center in Kaunda Square so he can eat every day. Richard is quite sharp and with adequate food, love, and schooling, he will do very well academically. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Richard is overjoyed to have so much food to eat that he doesn’t have to beg for each day! Richard can be seen smiling around the village in brand new clothes singing about the goodness of God!
Francis Chita
Earlier this year, Francis Chita (8 years old) and his younger brother Joseph (7 years old) became double orphans. Francis’s mother died in January from a combination of cancer of the eye and HIV/AIDS. Before her death, Francis’s Father’s Heart Discipleship Leader was able to bring his mother to salvation in the Lord. Upon her death, Francis’s grandparents wanted to send him to an orphanage as they had no means to support the two boys. Father’s Heart stepped in and provided monthly food support allowing the family to stay together until a spot was secured for these sweet children out at the Tree of Life. Francis loves helping his house moms keep the house neat and loves to be hugged! With all the new friends and more than enough food to eat his shy smile can be seen all over the village!
Chingumbe Ngombo
Chingumbe is a single orphan who stayed with his mother, her other 7 children, as well as an additional 5 children who are related to the family and had nowhere else to stay. All 14 people lived in a one room shack made of timber with a covering of black plastic trash bag material, no running water, or electricity. He is from a compound called Buseko Market, which is one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka, as the houses are not even made of concrete block, but are made from sticks and trash bag material. In the rainy season, water leaks in as well, making sleeping with 14 people in a hot, humid, dripping-wet environment almost intolerable. Earlier this year this widow’s small-business stand and all of her items to sell at the market burned down, and she has been unable to start the business up again due to the capital needs. Family Legacy was able to provide a small business loan to her, but since she had to go to the hospital twice due to sickness, she ended up using the funds for food for the 13 children in the shack while she was in the hospital. Now at the Tree of Life, Chingumbe enjoys having three meals a day and having his own bed and blankets to sleep with every night. He especially loves going to school, and English is his favorite subject!
Lucky Phiri
Lucky Phiri (8 years old) and his older brother Alimon (10 years old), are single orphans from a very poor area of Lusaka called Garden compound. Lucky was hit by a car earlier in life which resulted in several abrasions to the head which scarred leaving no hair behind. Lucky is lucky to be alive! His home life was absolutely wretched in a small room with such poor hygiene that when the boys arrived they were severely infested with worms and other infections. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, both boys have exclaimed to Pastor Erick that they can’t believe how GOOD God is! They are now both on de-worming medication and have had full head-to-toe physicals. Lucky and Alimon are also on antibiotics for another infection. Lucky feels like he is in Heaven!
Misheck Kalumbu
2 years ago, Misheck (2 years old at the time), Naphtali (6 years old at the time), Dorcas (8 years old at the time) were completely abandoned by their parents. They lived in an extremely impoverished slum compound in Lusaka called Kanyama, with their “shack” of a home located right behind a bar. Misheck’s parents asked their neighbors to watch their children for 24 hours as they needed to go somewhere and would be returning the next day. Unfortunately, they never returned, and left Misheck and his two siblings completely abandoned! The neighbors were gracious and have kept them for 2 years, despite the extreme poverty situation they themselves have been in. Misheck and his siblings have been sleeping on a very small patch of dirt floor for over 2 years – literally the neighbor’s house was no bigger than 8 ft. by 8 ft.! Poor Misheck and his siblings have lived with deep pain and scars of rejection because of their parents’ abandonment. The children still don’t know of their parent’s whereabouts or why they even left them. For so long, they all felt very unloved and unwanted. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Misheck loves running in circles around the park and is typically found on the see saw! Misheck especially enjoys singing songs at pre-school and has already mastered the alphabet!
Abraham Chalo
Abraham and his 12 year-old brother are single orphans who lived with their mentally ill mother. Their father died from HIV/AIDS shortly after he impregnated the mother with Abraham. Abraham’s mother has been taken to the hospital many times, but no one is able to help her in her situation. Michael and Abraham were extremely malnourished because their living conditions had been so poor — they would sleep on a small patch of dirt floor with an old blanket. The boys have basically been raising themselves, and Michael has carried the brunt of the responsibility for Abraham. They both felt extremely neglected and unloved from the home life situation they were in. Now living at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Abraham is known as the joyful and lively one of the group, and he literally loves EVERYTHING about the Tree of Life! He has already been nicknamed the future president of Zambia!
Kunda Chilonge
When his father abandoned the family after his parents’ divorce, Kunda (8 years old) stopped going to school. His new step-father would not support Kunda in anyway and wanted nothing to do with any of his step-children, particularly Kunda. He has a physical disability in both his left hand and left leg, and is slower than most of the other kids. Because of this, Kunda would feel sad most of the time and very isolated as his friends would constantly tease him about his disabilities. Without a blanket, Kunda used to sleep on the floor in his fleece jacket from Camp LIFE 2008. Kunda now calls the Tree of Life Children’s Village home and he is overjoyed to be wearing brand new clothes and to sleep in a real bed off the floor with 3 warm blankets! He adores all his new friends and house moms who love him just the way God made him. Kunda thanks the Lord on a daily basis for the many blessings in his new LIFE!
Gift Musoneli
Before coming to the Tree of Life, Gift’s mother was planning to move the family and Gift’s grandmother to a remote village to avoid her drunk ex-husband. Gift’s father would frequently come to shout at his mother. Gift started avoiding school as he was afraid to pass by his drunk father on the way to school. Gift now calls the Tree of Life Children’s Village home and he is overjoyed to be attending school only a house away from where he now lives. He also doesn’t have to worry about passing anyone scary along the way as the Tree of Life security staff watch over the children all day and all night! Gift is doing well in school and LOVES his new LIFE at the Tree of Life Children’s Village. Praise the Lord for saving this child!
Mwewa Mulenga
Mwewa Mulenga (8 years old) is a double orphan who lived in Ngombe compound with his older brother (Chanda, 11 years old), his aunt, uncle, and grandfather. Over the past two years, both of his parents along with two of his older brothers (one very recently) were all four killed by his grandfather who heavily practices witchcraft. Mwewa’s uncle used to beat him regularly, and as a result his body is marred with markings because of the abuse and ritualistic practices performed on him. His witchdoctor grandfather would force Chanda and Mwewa to use the boys’ stomachs as a pillow to sleep on — at nighttime, Mwewa would cling tightly to his brother Chanda because he was scared of what the grandfather might do to them. Mwewa was a very quiet and reserved child because he has lived the majority of life to this point in constant fear. Chanda and Mwewa have suffered many diseases as a result of their unclean living environment, and both have swollen stomachs. Now living at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Mwewa is beginning to show his true personality more and is becoming the child God created him to be. He loves playing on the playground, going to a real school, wearing warm clothes, and sleeping safely through the night in his very own bed!
Christopher Kawanga
Christopher is a 13 year old boy in 7th grade. Before coming to the Tree of Life, Christopher was living with a friend of his deceased mother. When he was a young boy, Christopher’s father and younger sister were killed by his grandfather who practiced witchcraft. In order to escape their evil grandfather, his mother took her remaining two boys and fled to the Congo. Christopher watched his mother get murdered in front of his eyes during the Congo civil war. He and his brother George hid in a bush for four days not knowing what to do. A friend of Christopher’s mom came and found them in the Congo and brought them back home to Zambia. That woman is now moving away and couldn’t take the boys with her. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Christopher LOVES having a safe place to live and learn and grow. He is so thankful to be able to have a nice bed and not have to worry about where he will go or how he will fend for himself. He is finally being able to enjoy being a kid!
Alimon Phiri
Alimon Phiri (10 years old) and his younger brother Lucky (8 years old), are single orphans from a very poor area of Lusaka called Garden compound. Alimon cared for his younger brother Lucky after Lucky was hit by a car. His home life was absolutely wretched though in a small room with such poor hygiene that when the boys arrived they were severely infested with worms and other infections. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, both boys have exclaimed to Pastor Erick that they can’t believe how GOOD God is! They are now both on de-worming medication and have had full head-to-toe physicals. Alimon and Lucky are also on antibiotics for another infection. Alimon praises the Lord in church and now embraces LIFE to the fullest!He loves the trampoline and the swings!
Joseph Chita
Earlier this year, Joseph Chita (7 years old) and his older brother Francis (8 years old) became double orphans. Joseph’s mother died in January from a combination of cancer of the eye and HIV/AIDS. Before her death, Joseph’s Father’s Heart Discipleship Leader was able to bring his mother to salvation in the Lord. Upon her death, Joseph’s grandparents wanted to send him to an orphanage as they had no means to support the two boys. Father’s Heart stepped in and provided monthly food support allowing the family to stay together until a spot was secured for these sweet children out at the Tree of Life. Joseph absolutely adores his new home and his very own bed! School time is an absolute joy for Joseph and his quickly becoming a star pupil!
Gift Banda
Gift Banda and his three younger sisters: Hope (11 years old), Grace (10 years old), and Memory (7 years old) all stayed with their elderly grandmother who was too weak to do any work that could sustain an income to provide for her double-orphaned grandchildren. Gift’s father died on the same day when his sister Hope was born. Three and a half years later, his mother suddenly dropped dead from the “unknown disease”, which was most likely HIV/AIDS. Gift and his younger sisters have had an extremely hard life and have prayed for a long time for God to deliver them from their tragic and difficult circumstances. Gift would often be the man of his family and take his little sisters to church on a regular basis. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Gift is one of the top performers in his class! He absolutely LOVES his new life and thanks God for EVERYTHING the Lord has given them and claims each day that “The Lord is His Shepherd!”
Reuben Chongo
Reuben was young when his mom and dad died, and since then he has been staying with his 10 year old sister Rachel and his elderly grandmother, who is a marketer selling dry fish and charcoal. Reuben’s grandfather is a witchdoctor and has performed demonic rituals over both he and his sister. Reuben has demonic tattoos on his chest. Both Reuben and Rachael have been in serious need of help because where they slept was not a healthy environment at all. They lived in Buseko Market, which is by far one of the poorest compounds in all of Lusaka, and where all of the houses were made from plastic trash bags and sticks. Disease, sickness, and death are a constant daily battle for people who live in Buseko. Now at the Tree of Life Children’s Village, Reuben loves playing with all his toys, jumping on the trampoline, and singing in church! He is a delightful child and says he loves everything about the Tree of Life!
Chitombo Mwila
Chitombo is a single orphan whose father died when he was a baby. Before moving to the Tree of Life, Chitombo and his 9 year old brother Ronald lived with their blind mother, who would refuse to let them go to school. She would do this because she earned her living by begging in the streets, and she would daily take the boys to the market to beg. She would put Ronald and Chitombo into child labor in order to get more money. The small house they lived in was located in Chawama Compound right next to some dangerous railroad tracks. Chitombo himself is blind in his right eye because a rock from the train hit him in the eye as he and his mom were waiting for a train to pass on their way to the market to beg. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Chitombo says he loves his big bed and all his new toys and clothes. He especially enjoys going to school for the first time ever and is in the first grade!
Kapalu Ngombo
Kapalu is a double orphan who stayed with his aunt, her other 7 children, as well as an additional 4 children who are related to the family and had nowhere else to stay. All 14 people lived in a one-room shack made of frail wood with a covering of black plastic trash bag material, no running water, or electricity. He is from a compound called Buseko Market, which is one of the poorest compounds in Lusaka, as the houses are not even made of concrete block, but are made from random garbage that has been strewn around. In the rainy season, water would leak in as well, making sleeping with 14 people in a hot, humid, dripping-wet environment almost intolerable. Earlier this year this widow’s small-business stand and all of her items to sell at the market burned down, and she has been unable to start the business up again due to the capital needs. Family Legacy was able to provide a small business loan to her, but since she had to go to the hospital twice due to sickness, she ended up using the funds for food for the 13 children in the shack while she was in the hospital. Kapalu is a miracle baby! He was very sick from his living conditions and almost died from malnutrition, but since coming to the Tree of Life, he has made significant improvement and is on the road to a whole new life at a very early age! Kapalu loves living with his 3 cousins (Chingumbe, Chiinga, and Ngelembe) and is our youngest child at the Tree of Life!
Peter Phiri
Peter is the older brother of Maggie Phiri and he has suffered from severe neglect, malnourishment, and abuse in multiple ways from his caretakers. They lived in a two-room house with no electricity or running water. Maggie and Peter would both sleep on the floor in the front room. They had been raising themselves because their mom would leave them for most of the day, thus they were forced to fend for themselves in all areas. Maggie and Peter have been painful victims of the physical abuse from their 25-year-old mother who despised them because she was a child herself when she had them. Her mother has used a tree branch to beat Maggie’s small and frail body on a continuous basis. Peter has scars and tattoos from the affects of witchcraft. He is a very quiet boy and has typically tried to put on a air of toughness about him because he has been the main one responsible for taking care of his younger sister and even his cousins. Now at The Tree of Life, Peter loves to jump really high on the jumping castle and really enjoys going to school everyday for the whole day!
Temba Mulenga
Prior to coming to the Tree of Life, Temba Mulenga (6 years old) and his older cousin Beauty (14 years old) lived in a small two-roomed house with his sick mother. Temba’s mother has been battling tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS during his short life. As the diseases stole her strength, many times the children would be left all day without any hope for a meal while she waited at the hospital for help. Now, Temba is such a happy little boy full of food and full of LIFE! He has a ton of energy and has no fear. You can usually see him doing back flips on the trampoline and jumping off his bunk bed. He loves running around the Tree of Life with his new friends! Living at this amazing piece of heaven, the Tree of Life has been such a joy for Temba!
Michael Chalo
Michael and his 2 year-old brother are single orphans who lived with their mentally ill mother. Their father died from HIV/AIDS shortly after he impregnated the mother with Abraham. Michael’s mother has been taken to the hospital many times, but no one is able to help her in her situation. Michael and Abraham were extremely malnourished because their living conditions had been so poor — they would sleep on a small patch of dirt floor with an old blanket. The boys have basically been raising themselves, and Michael has carried the brunt of the responsibility for Abraham. They both felt extremely neglected and unloved from the home life situation they were in. Now living at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Michael loves to jump on the “jumping castle”, and he especially enjoys sleeping in his warm bed and sharing a room with his baby brother!
Ronald Mwila
Ronald is a single orphan whose father died when he was a very young boy. Before moving to the Tree of Life, Ronald and his 6 year-old brother Chitombo lived with their blind mother, who would refuse to let them go to school. She would do this because she earned her living by begging in the streets, and she would daily take the boys to the market to beg. She would put Ronald and Chitombo into child labor in order to get more money. The small house they lived in was located in Chawama Compound right next to some dangerous railroad tracks. Now at The Tree of Life Children’s Village, Ronald loves being able to be a kid again! His favorite subject is English and he is so excited that he can now say the entire alphabet. He is well on his way in learning to read and absolutely loves playing on the playground everyday after school!