Agriculture...

During our visit in June, we shot some good video of the Agriculture process we are teaching the villagers. We are in the process of editing that and will, hopefully, have some completed videos to post soon. Agriculture is a vital element in providing not only food for a family in Zambia, but also a source of a small income. Since they only have 2 seasons, rainy and dry, a process called drip-irrigation is used to help them grow 2-3 crops per year rather than just one. We have also encouraged them to rotate their crops and make better use of the lay of the land. It's an encouraging sight to see these huge heads of cabbage exploding out of the ground.

Needless to say, there is no Wal-Mart, Kroger, or Cosco. Everything they need they either grow or have to trade or buy; and when you have nothing to start with, that's sometimes impossible so starvation and malnutrition is the result. This Agriculture education brings new life to these small and remote villages.

Almost Time to Ship...

We have been working hard to collect all the donated medical equipment and supplies, optical equipment, eyeglasses, bore-hole drilling equipment, educational supplies, and other items on our 40 foot container heading to Zambia at the end of the month. It was quite a bit more than we expected to ship it but we're moving forward and know the money will be there when the time comes. We are unsure of our travel plans next year as the shipment arrives, but hope to be there sometime in May to receive and distribute.

We will have a packing day either October 21st or 22nd (probably 22nd) to unpack, organize, weigh, label and re-pack all the stuff we have collect thus far. This will be a huge undertaking which needs to be completed in a single day. If you're around, please come help.

Our Mobile Medical Clinic...

GOAL: Establishing a Mobile Medical Clinic to Satisfy Needs in the Kafue District, Zambia.

About The Zambia Project: The Zambia Project was established to better meet the collective needs of poor villages in Zambia. By providing medical care, increasing agriculture, helping establish community schools, teaching HIV/AIDS prevention, taking care of widows and orphans, offering life skills classes and educating villagers in basic hygiene and health practices, the Zambia Project looks to make a difference in several areas of life at the same time. Please visit our website for a more complete picture of our work and our vision.

Those familiar with our work and progress over the last year or so know we have been trying to establish a permanent medical clinic as a cornerstone to the ongoing work in Zambia, well that goal has shifted. After spending time in the area, meeting with local directors and department heads as well as conducting our own needs assessments, we now feel a mobile medical clinic is the way to go. This mobile unit will allow us to offer basic medical, dental and optical services to those who can’t make it to the existing clinics.

Health care for the poor is almost nonexistent. Though Zambia has been stable for many years and does have some things going for it in the “metropolitan” areas, the amount of need in the rest of the country is almost overwhelming. The Zambia Project is committed to meeting the completed needs of a community and thus we feel that taking the care to the people will work better than having the people come to the care. Transportation and travel are both very difficult in rural Zambia. With few bikes and fewer cars, most everyone walks everywhere they go.

Present Situation: We are looking for grant writers and Foundational funding to purchase and outfit our mobile unit. Prices range from $10,000 to $45,000. We have raised a few thousand “on our own” so far, but will need more funding before we can start taking the care to the people. It’s our plan use the first of our donations to purchase our mobile unit and hire a medical officer. We have been offered some office and warehouse space until we can get things up and running.

We just wanted you to be aware of our situation and our goal. If you’d like to find out more details, you can visit our website at www.ZambiaProject.org or call Ty Jones at 901-386-4163. Tax deductable donations can be mailed to: Zambia Project, 4023 Brunswick Road, Bartlett, TN 38133, or handed to Ty or Judy Jones or Charlotte Bradsher.

We Are Back In Zambia

2 days ago we arrived in Zambia for another medical mission trip. Our bags, however, decided to wait another 24 hours. So last night we traveled back to the airport, some 45 minutes on way, HOPING they would be there - and they were. We were (no doubt) excited as they contained not only our clothing (to replace the clothes we had been wearing for 4 days, but also much of the optical equipment and used glasses we will be using during the clinic.

We have 4 people in country right now meeting with officials, help visiting clinics, talking with other organizations (with operations already here. Three of us will return to the states june 11th, but the fourth will remain working out details on the clinic and meeting with more officials. We have many meetings and places to visit today and should know more about our direction and priority by the end of the day, but as it is always true in Africa - things change. You have to be flexible and adaptable and b ready when opportunities come and wait patiently as the evolve.

Our agriculture division, led by Richard Myers, has made great headway over the past three years and has several operating farms and training locations. Richard will return to Zambia in June/July and continue the hands on efforts with the locals. Obviously drip-irrigation, well drilling and basic ag education is tremendously helpful to those not accustom to raising crops.

We hope to post more tomorrow but internet connection is sketchy and we'll be heading out to the bush in 2 days and literally out of touch for 9 days. Please continue to check back in and monitor the working being conducted here. We are excited about the doors that are opening and await further resources to follow-though with some of these.

SUDDEN OPPORTUNITY

Those familiar with our work and progress over the last year or so know we have been trying to establish a permanent medical clinic as a cornerstone to the ongoing work in Zambia. Well, things are on the move, please read on...

Priority 1: Health care for the poor is almost nonexistent. Our first priority was to build a permanent medical clinic, therefore offering the poor, basic medical, dental and optical care. Acquiring land and constructing a building was going to take months of planning and the solicitation of funds upwards of $100,000, not to mention equipment, supplies, medicines, personnel, etc. Though the task seemed overwhelming, it was our mission and our goal so we went about making plans.

Sudden Opportunity: In March, 2009, we received word from our connections in Zambia (those scouting for land), that the Minister of Health in Zambia has a 3-acre piece of property just off the main north-south road. It is only fifteen minutes from our base of operations in Zambia. It has a 15-room concrete building (in need of repair) that the government was willing TO GIVE US if we could commit to the community medical clinic.



Present Situation: The building on the property needs quite a bit of renovation but its structure and foundation are solid. The property needs to be cleaned up considerably to make it usable as a clinic. We are estimating that those two costs will be around $16,000. Past that we’ll need to find/purchase equipment for the medical rooms which will run another $6,000 and Gather a “starter set” of medical supplies and medicines which will be around $2,000. We will then need to get everything over there which will be another $14,000 and provide some onsite personnel which will be $6000. These estimates total $44,000. We already have commitments for $12,000, leaving us to raise $32,000.

Aggressive Timeline: In late May, 2009, we will be returning to Zambia for our yearly medical mission trip. It is our hopes that during that time, we can meet with the Minister of Health and complete the transaction and take possession of the property. This would allow us to get started before returning to the states and leave our onsite facilitator to head-up the renovations.

Our Goal: We have been working towards this end for almost a year now and doors are opening up like we’ve never seen. It is our goal to raise $30,000 in 30 days, take this money with us and start renovations immediately, hopefully having an operating clinic by late August of this year. We feel confident that we can reach this goal and open this clinic but we need to move quickly.

Sure we’d like your help, but we are not asking for anything. We just wanted you to be aware of our situation and our goal. If you’d like to find out more details, you can visit our website at www.ZambiaProject.org or call Ty Jones at 901-386-4163.

Initial Board Formed

We have formed an initial Board to get things moving. It is composed of myself, my wife (Judy Jones) and Charlotte Bradsher, a nurse from the Memphis area. Our next move is to have our second Board meeting and elected additional board members to round out our "Working Board." We then plan on establishing an Advisory Board. If you have interest in either Board just know that our Board positions are for working and advising, and neither come with pay or perks. We want all donations we receive to go to the work and not to management or administrative costs.

We are also tracking the establishment of organizations in Zambia who will carry out the in-country hands-on work for ZP as well as investing time in forming relationships with existing organizations.

Website (finally) Complete

We have finally completed the first of our website. We have posted some information about the programs and a few of the partnerships we have established as well as a little bit more about us. We encourage you you visit the site, www.ZambiaProject.org and read some of the stories (click the word STORIES on the left hand side). We also have many photos and a few videos linked to the site. We will continue to add content as we have time.

We are excited to see the paperwork slowly working its way through. As most know, it's always tough getting started. We have assigned our initial Board members and will be having our first meeting in a couple days to discuss progress, direction and expanding the working Board by 3-5 people. We will then launch out to make more contacts with organizations already involved in various aspects of what we do, but in other areas/countries. We polan to learn from them and work with them to bring more aid and support to Zambia.