Inverness County Cares

Inverness County Cares (ICC) has undertaken several extra projects at the Kawambwa Schools in addition to our yearly $30,000 commitment. It is with tremendous gratitude that we thank our supporters for their generous donations to the Zambian schools. We thank you for donating your bottles and cans for our recycle project. Thank you also for your donations and for supporting our fundraisers.

The St Mary’s school complex, built in in 1961 was beginning to show signs of wear. The children’s dormitories needed new floor tiles, paint, stable bed frames, mattresses and bed linens. In 2022 Inverness County Cares was able to provide funds to tile the floors, make new bunk beds, provide mattresses and new bedding.

This month the St Mary’s girls’ dormitory renovations have been completed, with the exception of one of the boys’ dormitories at St Mary’s (because of insufficient funding). The total delight on the faces of the children with their new beds and bed linens makes our work incredibly rewarding.

Since their inception children at both schools were in constant danger of abductions. In addition, at St Odilia their meagre belongings were often stolen, since the public freely used the school grounds as a short cut to other areas of the community. Inverness County Cares in partnership with Chalice.ca completed a partially constructed wall fence at St Mary’s School. ICC and Chalice.ca also built a wall fence at St Odilia which totally encloses the school compound. This wall fence was completed in September 2022.

This joy experienced at St Odilia over the new wall fence is in contrast to the devasting windstorm which blew the roof of the newly renovated dining hall at St Mary’s School.

A distraught Sr Agnes, the administrator of both schools sent us this message.

“A blown off roof at the newly renovated dining hall at ST MARY’S SPECIAL SCHOOL in Kawambwa.

No one could believe the strong winds we experienced in the month of September. Strong winds are usually experienced during the rainy season, not in September, but it now has happened.

It was on Saturday 24th September 2022 around 12:30 hours when the children were getting ready for lunch and the cook was about to sound the bell. The blowing wind was felt by everyone and in the short period of time, it became so strong that, everyone again was alert and afraid and the sound of the iron sheets from the dining rooms was heard. Children started running all over the place and members of staff were giving direction by shouting aloud and mentioning the podium. Most of the children ran towards the podium and those who were near the hostels entered the hostels. The strong sound was heard and in less than a second the roof was blown off.

“What has happened? What has happened?”, was the question for everyone!! Immediately! The answer was the roof of the dining rooms has blown off!! Even today it is the answer we are giving.Later, pupils gathered and an explanation was given to them, all were disappointed upon hearing that, “From today all meals will be taken from the outside”. The totally blind pupils and staff felt the impact. One totally blind boy by the name of Gershom cried out ,”Lord, help us”. Yes! the cry of Gershom is true and real. LORD HEIP US!!! For how long will the Children eat from outside? Lord Help us!! Rains are about to come! Lord help us!!!?

Inverness County Cares hopes to be able to send funds to repair the roof before the rain come. Thank you so much for your generous support. We and the children appreciate your generosity.

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 us 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 for USA and Canada.

The life of an albino in Zambia and many parts of Africa is filled with fear and uncertainty. 

From birth they are misunderstood and persecuted, due to widespread misinformation communities believe albinism is infections and it can be passed on by close contact.  It is not understood that albinism characteristics are inherited and when a ‘white’ baby is born to black skinned parents it is often assumed that the woman has been unfaithful to her husband.  

This creates family strife and the child is often shunned by the community and by their kin. Many albinos often live in isolation, some not even allowed to live in the family house or interact with local children. In addition to the stigma of their appearance most have limited sight which deteriorates as they age. Their white skin caused by a lack of melanin, leaves them unprotected from the UV rays of the sun resulting in melanoma at a very early age. 

Inverness County Cares (ICC) in partnership with Chalice.ca works toward improving the lives of albinos and the blind in Zambia. The two Kawambwa schools, St Mary in Kawambwa village and St Odilia in Mporokoso, Zambia, are administered by the sisters of the Child Jesus a local Zambian order. 

Inverness County Cares relies on the support and generosity of the people of our surrounding communities. ICC collects refundable bottles and cans which are donated and placed at a collection drop off truck in Port Hood at Ted and Hermina Van Zutphen’s lane and a collection truck at the Mabou Freshmart (thank you Wayne and Karen Beaton). Thank you to Ted Van Zutphen, Raymond Debont and Stanley Beaton for managing the collection and sale of the bottles and cans.

Last year ICC planted a large field of organic potatoes at the Judique Farm. It was a labour-intensive project including tilling, planting, irrigation, weeding and picking thousands of potato bugs. We produced an excellent crop and we were very pleased with the financial returns, thanks to our supporters. 

This year 2022, the Judique Farm’s organic garden is producing, beets, cucumbers and beans and in the coming weeks we will have green tomatoes. 

This year we planted a trial crop of garlic, many thanks to Barb Fitzpatrick and Tom Campbell for garlic bulbs and advice. The garlic has exceeded all our expectations and in total we have 1,400 heads of garlic for sale. They are totally organic and presently are hanging to dry and cure. 

These garlic are tasty and edible now and are suitable as seed garlic for next year’s crop which should be planted in late October and into November. We have 400 solo garlic bulbs which are a specialty item where the clove does not divide and produce a lovely, juicy bulb (similar to an onion in appearance) that is easy to peel and delicious. 

For garlic and tomato orders call Colleen MacLeod at 902 227 5425 or email [email protected]

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 us 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 for USA and Canada.

I am Yvonne Mary Chibwe born from a family of three. My parents’ names were Patrick Chibwe and my mother Mildred Sampa. My mother died of malaria when I was four years old. The first-born Kelvin was 11 years and Moses the second-born was 8 years old, I am the only girl and the last born. My father was murdered recently in 2020 in a terrible incident, when my step mother killed him with an axe.  

When my mother died, we started staying with my aunt, the young sister to my mother. She kept us well, but unfortunately, she died when I was 12 years old. I never felt any discrimination, because my uncle, the husband to my aunt, continued taking care of us until today. Our uncle Mr. Collins Mwitwa is Catholic and very much dedicated to the rosary. The whole family prays the rosary well. When I was baptized, I added the name Mary, that’s why am Yvonne Mary.

I started school at an ordinary village school because my uncle had no idea about a special school for the blind. My Uncle works as a community health worker at an Under Five Clinic, which is a post-natal clinic where babies are taken for immunization and mothers are taught how to take care of their babies until they are five years. The clinic weighs babies, teaches mothers how to prepare balanced meals for their babies and teaches family planning and hygiene in general.  In 2018 Jackson Phiri who is a worker at our Under Five Clinic made my uncle aware of the Kawambwa School. He explained to my uncle about the Kawambwa School for the blind. My uncle agreed and immediately took me to Kawambwa and I joined St Mary’s Special School.

At St Mary’s Special School in Kawambwa, I met Elizabeth Manda when I started school. She really helped to come out of my negative self and to ignore the comments from people. We pray for my uncle, who is harassed because he cares for an albino (me).  His family and the community frankly told him “Yvonne is not your relative” and discouraged him from supporting me. My uncle always answers in our local language, “I accepted to take care of Yvonne with my late wife and I will continue to care for her”. I am so fortunate to have him to depend on.

There is power in praying the Rosary. Our Mother Mary intercedes for those who are devoted to her. I am now in grade ten at St Mary’s Secondary School. I am in a class of 40 with Elizabeth.

Now my Motto is, “Every success should start with me”. I am doing fine in all the subjects and I like civics education. My advocacy is “disabled people, especially girls should have a positive mind towards life”,

Please everyone come and be part of this advocacy. Thank you for your support and for making our school a more comfortable and a safer place to live.

I love you all.

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 us 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 for USA and Canada.