On behalf of the Barbara Barnes Foundation, I would like to thank everyone who gave such generous donations in 2020. Your contribution makes it possible for us to continue our mission of “Developing self-sufficiency through education in villages in Zambia.” The donations were used in support of several key accomplishments in 2020.
While COVID-19 presented limitations in our ability to travel to Nsongwe this year it did not hinder our resolve to complete our goals. The Foundation was able to sponsor 17 children in boarding school, 1 child in boarding school for disabled children, 4 children in public school, 3 young adults in college, and 1 young adult in Nursing school.
COVID-19 presented new challenges and needs in Nsongwe. As a result, we refocused our efforts on supporting the feeding program at the Nsongwe school. At one donor’s recommendation we added ground nuts (aka peanuts) to the nshima the children eat. Since ground nuts have a seasonal availability, we then introduced milk when the nuts were no longer available. These helped to supplement the much-needed protein in their diets. We continue to work with the village leaders to understand the needs and respond accordingly.
This year’s celebration of the Grandparents in the village still took place, but with a changed focus. We were able to supply them with corn for nshima 3 time this year. Moreover, we supplied them with ground nuts or milk based on eithers availability.
These accomplishments are only possible because of the thoughtful contributions from people like you and we look forward to your continued support in the future.