Baby Milk Project

Project overview

The people of Lukulu in Zambia suffer great deprivations in comparison to the rest of the country. This remote region can only be accessed by one very poorly maintained dirt road spanning 200kms to the nearest tarred surface.  The population is currently around 96,000 and the poverty level stands at 98%. 

The Baby Milk project was initiated in 2006 when a Zambian medical superintendent at the local hospital requested assistance from the Loreto Sisters to help save the lives of four orphaned babies. Since then, referral from hospital staff, community health workers and community leaders has determined the ongoing need for the project managed by Loreto Sister Patricia Hanvey. The project’s objective is to provide milk for orphaned and undernourished babies in the impoverished Lukulu District, Zambia.

The project has literally helped to save the lives of hundreds of babies who would have had no access to milk formula needed to survive. With 17% of the Zambian population HIV positive, many babies are unable to be breast-fed by their mothers after the age of 6-months due to the mother-to-child transmission risk. 

Project objectives

• Provide basic nutrition for orphaned, vulnerable or undernourished babies at risk, in the impoverished Lukulu District. 
• Enhance the well-being of children in their initial growth, offering a better chance for them to grow stronger and lead healthier lives. 
• Support impoverished guardians who do not have the means to provide this support for the babies. 

2018 Project achievements

• On average up to 170 babies are assisted by the project each year. 
• MWIA donors who have provided ongoing support to this project can see the positive results, as children who first entered the program years ago are now leading happy and healthy lives. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PROJECT SUMMARY FLYER
ON OUR ‘baby milk’ project

Vehicle support for the Integrated Health Care Support Programme 

Project overview

Since arriving in East Africa in 1921, the Loreto Sisters have supported the local community  through spiritual ministries, education, health and pastoral work.  

Based at the Sancta Maria Parish in Lukulu, Zambia, the Loreto Sisters have been dependent on funding from international donors, philanthropists and income from their schools to serve the community and deliver pastoral activities.  These include supporting mother and infant nutrition, income generation, home-based care and spiritual counselling.   

These programmes, delivered across the Lukulu District, form the basis of the Integrated Health Care Support Programme (IHCSP) which commenced in 1998. Sr Pat Hanvey, an Irish Loreto Sister and Co-ordinator of the programme, has been living and working in Lukulu for twelve years. 

A dispersed and impoverished rural-based population, together with an under resourced Ministry of Health, has created an ongoing need to provide mobile health and pastoral care. 

This project will provide and maintain a new vehicle, supporting the Loreto Sisters’ pastoral work to serve the most vulnerable in remote areas.  The current vehicle used to deliver the programme is becoming less dependable and will not run for much longer. There are very few sealed or well–maintained roads in Zambia and driving between townships is unsafe without a reliable vehicle. 

Project beneficiaries

Those who will directly benefit from the purchase of a new vehicle are: 

• 120-150 vulnerable people(mostly women) every year, who are sick or in childbirth and unable to get to a hospital on their own.  
• Approximately 30 caregivers transported to visit people living in remote locations. 
• Orphaned and vulnerable babies reliant on the milk programme (up to 100 annually) who receive milk and medicine transported by the vehicle.
• Impoverished disabled children and adults who are transported to access specialist treatment, otherwise unavailable to them.
• Housebound disabled seniors,including those living with leprosy.  These citizens are transported to Church every Sunday and otherwise could not attend. This is often the only social outlet for them. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PROJECT SUMMARY FLYER
ON OUR ‘VEHICLE SUPPORT’ project

Lukulu Teacher Scholarship and Community School Support

Project overview

The project will provide educational training and vital resources  to community schools within the Lukulu, Mitete District.  These are the only existing schools for children to receive and complete their primary education.   

The Loreto Sisters have been working with these rural community schools since 2006, and along with the Ministry of Education, have constructed classroom blocks and teacher housing, provided in-service and formal teacher training and financial support to untrained teachers to complete Grade 12. 

The project’s objective is to provide scholarships for twelve young men and women from rural community schools in Lukulu and Mitete District, to attend the Mongu College of Education Teachers College to be trained as primary school teachers.  It is imperative that teachers are trained adequately if the students they teach are to grow, learn and flourish.  

Project objectives

• Children in community schools will be better educated in literacy and numeracy. 
• The community schools will prepare primary school children with the academic background to enter secondary school.
• Provide teaching scholarships. 
• Produce 124 double desks, enabling 4 students per desk to be seated. 
• Provide 24 community schools with basic teaching stationery and resources. 
• Repair the teacher house in Wamba community school.  

2018 Project achievements

• Six qualified graduates have returned to teach in community schools in the Lukulu, Mitete Districts. 
• Loreto has already helped train many teachers across 24 community schools in Lukulu.  
• Trained teachers and improvement in the level of literacy and numeracy of primary students has enhanced the possibility that more students will progress to secondary education.  

Join us today in helping children to reach their potential and unlock poverty.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PROJECT SUMMARY FLYER
ON OUR ‘lukulu teacher training’ project

Ultrasound upgrade for the Lukulu District Hospital

Project  overview 

The main goal of this project is to support the Lukulu District Hospital in delivering high-quality health care to the local community.  

Staff at the Lukulu District Hospital identified the need for an upgrade to the current ultrasound machine.  It is used sparingly because it is very old and they feared it would break down leaving no access to an ultrasound at all.  

The current ultrasound machine will be replaced and staff will receive training on how to effectively utilise the new machine. Access to a modern ultrasound machine has the potential to save lives through the early detection of a vast number of conditions.     

In response to this critical health need, MWIA was grateful to receive an international grant for funds for the acquisition of a new ultrasound machine for this remote hospital.  This equipment will significantly improve the quality of medical services and health care delivered at the hospital.  This project is supported by an international grant received from Kindermissionswerk, Germany.