ZAMBIA ORPHANS-AID US
Supporting Children and Young Adults in Life
Rise Community Aid Programme (RICAP)
In 2005, local volunteers formed Rise Community Aid programme (RICAP) to provide palliative care to people with AIDS and support to the rapidly rising number of local orphans of AIDS. RICAP is located in Kafue in Lusaka Province.
ZOA pays annual school fees for 83 orphans identified by RICAP.
Friends Richard Tembo and Kondwani Kambole (Grade 6) live in the slum next to RICAP’s office (pictured with RICAP Field Officer).
Richard’s grandparents (below) can just about manage to feed Richard and his younger sister but school fees are beyond their means and they are very grateful for ZOA’s support.
ZOA also fund RICAP’s feeding programme for 20 malnourished, HIV-positive children under the age of five years. Most are single-orphans whose mothers are HIV positive as well. Around 50 cents per day supplies high-energy, nutritious food.
Children who came into the programme listless, malnourished, developmentally stunted and constantly in and out of the hospital with AIDS-related infections are now healthy, growing, running about and responding well to HIV medication.
Their guardians receive expert nutritional advice and have been given a vegetable plot where they learn gardening skills and can take produce home to eat and sell.
ZOA recently seed-funded RICAP’s income generating metal-working business to help secure their valuable programmes for the future. They have a steady stream of clients.
