Zambia

Zambia is a land locked country at the crossroads of central, eastern and southern Africa. Unpredictable rainfall due to the El Niño climate phenomenon has led to over 50% of their crops being ruined.

Jacob’s Well partners with the team who run Stomacare Zambia. They are the only stoma care provision in the whole country and the organisation is run entirely by volunteers. One of whom, Ben Lungu, who previously had a stoma himself visits every patient he hears of to give them free stoma bags whilst their stock remains! Without this charity, the cost of a colostomy bag in Zambia is $15 each. The average monthly wage is $45. Even if you can afford the bags they are difficult to find. Even in the hospitals the staff were using a surgical glove instead of a colostomy bag, as they had no bags to give to their patients. Without these bags people who have a stoma are housebound.  Jacob’s Well sends 40 ft containers of stoma supplies to this organisation for free distribution to those who need them. 

 Jacob’s Well has also partnered with a school for 205 poor children just outside of Lusaka.  This school provides 2 meals a day, as all the children come from very poor homes and otherwise may not eat at all.  We have helped the school with a chicken project to help provide eggs for the school meals, drilled a borehole to enable dry season farming and also helped to fund other crops to help with their food costs.