The COVID-19 outbreak has directly affected The Kukhoma Project (TKP) as it pertains to our staff, girls, and the nation’s already failing economy. Our first priority is to care for the safety and well-being of our girls, their babies, and our staff. We are committed to still pursuing our mission of restoring, equipping, and empowering these girls and their families, even in the midst of this global pandemic. Please read below to learn what we have done so far and how we plan to navigate the next several months.

COVID-19’S IMPACT ON ZAMBIA’S STRUGGLING ECONOMY

On Wednesday, March 18, Zambia’s Ministry of Health confirmed the first cases of COVID-19 in the nation. As the nation slowly administers tests, the number of cases gradually continues to climb. With an economy already in turmoil, the nation was feeling the impact of the pandemic before any cases were confirmed, such as changes to supply chain of goods (largely from South Africa), as well as national closure of learning institutions and travel bans to and from high-risk countries. It is anticipated that as the spread of the virus grows, additional restrictions and bans will be placed on social gatherings.

TKP RESPONSE AND CAMPUS LOCKDOWN

As of Sunday, March 22, the TKP House enacted a lockdown, restricting any non-essential travel to or from the property. Our dedicated direct-care staff understands the importance of social distancing and has agreed to remain on property until further notice, in an effort to effectively protect against the contraction of COVID-19.

BULK PURCHASING | For successful implementation of our lockdown, our team spent the days prior stocking up on bulk purchases of food, toiletries, and other essential goods.

VIRTUAL PROGRAM INSTRUCTION | Our girls are continuing to receive counseling and academic services through remote online instruction from the safety of our property. The girls’ school instructors, as well as our counseling partners, have arranged to conduct virtual sessions.

PARENT/GUARDIAN CLASSES SUSPENDED | For the moment, any instruction sessions with the parents/guardians of the girls are suspended. In the most recent class with them, the importance of social distancing was discussed, and each family returned to their homes with hand sanitizer.

INCREASED ELECTRICITY BACKUP | As the economy grows more and more unstable, electricity availability will likely diminish nationwide. Our team worked quickly to install additional solar panels to increase the capacity of our backup electricity system. This ensures that we are able to continue to carry out our programs during our lockdown period.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT TKP DURING THIS TIME?

In this unprecedented time, our team is doing all they can to make wise, long-term decisions in the best interest of our mission - serving our girls, their babies, and their families. Here’s how you can help us during this time.

PRAY for the health and protection of our staff, girls, babies, and families, and for discernment to make wise decisions in this time of uncertainty.

GIVE a gift to help offset the un-budgeted and necessary financial costs to protect our girls and their babies. These costs include additional solar panels, additional internet data, large-scale bulk purchases of consumables, etc.

The Kukhoma Project is fully reliant on the generous giving of its donors, and we need your support now more than ever.

To help us navigate the coming months well, make a donation today by clicking on the button below.

SPREAD THE WORD by receiving our emails and following us on social media as we keep you informed about how we are navigating this time in our world. Like and share our posts, and encourage others to engage with what TKP is doing, despite the global pandemic. You can sign up for our email updates and find links to our social media at the bottom of this page.