Inverness County Cares (ICC) was established in 2012 growing from the former Inverness County Welcomes, an organization created in 2010 to help refugees settle in as new Canadians. The ICC founders were a group of people who wanted to give thanks for our fortunate situation as citizens of Canada and provide assistance for those in great need.
In 2015 we began a partnership with Chalice.ca which was of great benefit to our organization. This partnership gives ICC accounting services and field-staff on the ground at the school sites, who can provide first hand reports on the conditions of the schools.
Our first project was providing support for a school in Nairobi, Kenya for street children. After the completion of the Kenyan project ICC turned to our partners, Chalice Canada, for help finding a new group to support. We were given five choices and after much deliberation a consensus was reached that ICC would support two schools for the blind and visually impaired in the north of Zambia. The two schools were already associated with Chalice.ca and our support would bring them to a new level of development and enhance the support provided by Chalice. St Mary’s is located in Kawambwa and has 110 students, the St Odilia School is located in Mporokoso and has 310 students. Students at both schools are blind, have albinism or visual impairment of varying degrees. St Odilia in addition has 230 students without visual challenges. This integration positively changes attitudes toward students with albinism.
The schools are located in small towns which are surrounded by many rural villages, with most villagers living in mud brick homes with thatched roofs. They provide for their families by subsistence farming where their well-being is determined by environmental factors which influence crop yield.
The students at the schools, especially the students with albinism, have lengthy stories of hardship and difficulty caused by a lack of understanding of their conditions. Most rural schools provide very little adaptations for children with diminished visual acuity or children with albinism who face a lack of understanding of their condition. The fact that albinism is a genetic condition is not understood and the age-old myths where these people are considered bewitched or are ghosts still linger to the present day. Most alarming is the belief that magical potions containing body parts of persons with albinism can bring success and good luck to those who purchase these potions from witch doctors. To this day persons with albinism must be wary of kidnappers who may maim or kill them to access their body parts for the witch-doctor’s magical potions. In addition, there is misunderstanding of the serious danger posed by the strong rays of the sun. Persons with albinism either don’t understand the danger of the sun or just don’t have the resources to purchase sunscreen, hats and clothing to cover their skin which does not have the natural protection of melanin. It is rare to see people wearing bucket hats or clothing to cover their limbs. On the other hand, it is common to see children with spots on their skin which are precursors to melanoma.
The school catchment area is large and many children live in areas where the bus (donated by Chalice and ICC) cannot navigate. This February we hope to purchase a Toyota Tacoma truck to help the sisters access remote areas, ensuring even the most distant students can come to school. The 28-seater bus is now used to collect groceries and building supplies. The truck will ensure the bus lasts much longer and the truck will be much more economical to drive.
Inverness County Cares is a close-knit organization with members finding their niche and working together for the good of the children. We are a society with a board of directors as well an honorary board of directors who support us with their approval of our projects. ICC meets once a month either in person or online. Minutes are kept and opportunities explored to enrich the lives of the children. We are thankful for both our regular members and our associate members who keep our society running.
We are so grateful for the donations provided by so many caring people. Your support has allowed us to surpass our original goals and enables us provide more than we ever expected. In addition to our annual donation of $30,000 per year for education, food and shelter we are now able to add items that enhance the quality of life at the schools. In December 2024 two local donors donated a total of $7,200 to dig a well in Mporokoso. This was a major event in the lives of the people who needed a clean, dependable source of running water.
ICC is very grateful for the support of our bottle and can collection sites. Every refundable bottle and can, you drop off in our collection trailers in Port Hood and Mabou, makes the world a better place for the students at our two schools.
We gladly accept:
drink boxes, plastic, glass or tin juice containers
soft drink and alcohol containers
water and flavoured water containers
any other sealed drink container except milk and milk products
Please NO tin food cans or milk containers.
Inverness County Cares (ICC) is a local charitable organization, founded in 2012 and based in Inverness County, NS, Canada. ICC works in partnership with Chalice.ca, a Canadian charity, based in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Chalice provides guidance and assistance to help ICC provide a better life for the children at the Kawambwa schools. The Kawambwa Project involves supporting two schools for albino and visually impaired students, in Northern Zambia. Inverness County Cares always welcomes new members. Individuals who wish to donate, can use the donate button on our website https://invernesscountycares.com When using E-transfer, please include your mailing address for CRA tax receipts and a thank you message. E-transfer address: [email protected] or send a cheque to Inverness County Cares, 5414 Route 19, Judique, NS, Canada, B0E1P0. Taxation receipts provided.
