"Mercy is an outstanding mother. I saw Zewelanji when she first came to the center, she was so thin, and I was scared for her life, but Mercy was determined to provide her daughter with the care she needed. All we [SHN Staff] needed to do was support her, train her, and provide her with access to the proper feeding resources." Mirriam, SHN Social Worker Meet Mercy, Amake* Zewelanji.  Zewelanji is 2 years old and began attending our Garden Community Care...

31 July, 2019

Welcome to Special Hope Network, Jessalin! We are happy to introduce our newest full-time Special Hope Network staff member to you. Jessalin Elliott will be working toward Special Hope’s sustainability and expansion of our Community Care Center programs located in Lusaka, Zambia.  She has been here in Lusaka for the past few weeks meeting moms and kids, observing in our programs, going to hospitals, clinics, churches, markets, riding minibuses, and doing just about everything possible to get a feel for...

02 May, 2019

Why I Want to Work With Kids With Intellectual Disabilities Mr. Berven works with students in the GLAD program at our Resource Center. He teaches them academics, adaptive, and social skills. I want to work with kids with intellectual disabilities because I believe they are human beings who are equally made in the image of God. Due to this fact, they deserve all the rights that pertain to the sustainability of the good life of a human being. Hence, they need health...

18 April, 2019

Hilda works with children at the Resource Center. She teaches them academic, communication, and adaptive skills one-on-one and in small groups. My name is Hilda Penge, I heard about Special Hope Network (SHN) through a friend who has a child with a disability, she attends Garden Community Care Center. She told me about how the organization helps and supports children with disabilities. This encouraged me to apply for a job to be part of the team supporting children with disabilities. Working...

08 April, 2019

Children with intellectual disabilities are like any other children in this world. They are children who can learn, work and do any other activities like all children. As a teacher, I like and enjoy teaching these children because they love being with people and enjoy doing different activities as well. Seeing such stigmatised children making progress in their lives makes me happy. My goal as a teacher is to help such children acquire skills and opportunities like any other child....

14 March, 2019

Hellen works as an educational specialist with children at our Community Care Center in Garden Compound. She primarily teaches and encourages growth and development in pre-academic skills. My job is personally my career path. Working with children with intellectual disabilities comes with unique challenges and opportunities. The children and parents I work with make every day fulfilling. I enjoy working with Special Hope Network because doing what I like is freedom and liking what I do is happiness. My happiness comes...

11 March, 2019

On February 8, 2019, Special Hope Network along with the Tim Tebow Foundation and International Baptist Church in Lusaka helped put on the very first 'Night to Shine' prom in Zambia. The event was an overwhelming success. Over 70 adolescent and adult guests with intellectual disabilities attended the event as well as almost 200 volunteers and over 90 parents of the guests. ...

14 February, 2019

My name is Enny Zulu, and I work as a educational specialist for Special Hope Network (SHN).  I would say am a kind of social & fun person to be around, I love to learn a lot of new things to better myself, love to watch movies, cartoons & spending time with family & people that build me up to being good at my inner being. Enny works one-on-one with students in the STAR program at Special Hope Network's Resource Center....

14 January, 2019

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor, for we are coworkers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. “ 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 Hi, Special Hope Family, my name is...

14 December, 2018

  This summer I was able to visit my youngest daughter, Martha Fuechsel, and participate in her work as a special needs educator with Special Hope Network. While volunteering at the center and enjoying touristy activities on the evenings and weekends, I gained a more realistic impression of SHN’s mission and life in Lusaka.   As Martha showed me around, I was startled by the crass contrasts between rich and poor. The sprawling city has miles and miles of crowded communities called compounds....

03 December, 2018