Nothing Run-of-the-Mill About These Dads!

James and his wife, Peggy, live with their young family in Mpika, a community in rural Zambia. The sole breadwinner for his family, James worked part-time as a security guard and had difficulty providing for his five children. The prospect of paying for school fees, plus the associated costs of their children's education, was daunting.

They were deeply grateful when they learned both their son, James Jr., and later his little sister Venicia had been sponsored through Chalice.

In 2016, the Servants of Mary Sisters, who run the Serenje site, gave James another piece of good news. His community was going to receive a hammer mill through the Chalice gift catalog. These mills grind corn into "millie-meal" (corn flour). This is an essential item in any neighborhood because corn is a staple crop and millie-meal is the basis of Zambians' most beloved dish, nshima (shay-ma). Now James and a group of other neighborhood mothers and fathers can earn extra income, either by charging a small fee for people in nearby communities to use the mill or by milling sacks of corn for larger organizations. They have also been making the nshima fixings for Chalice's school feeding program. To improve their crop yields James, Peggy, and other sponsored parents participated in a farming training program. It was a resounding success and now they have enough to sell the excess for a small profit.

James Jr. is now in grade seven and loves social studies, soccer, and swimming. Venicia is a very bright and talented singer. With the help of sponsorship and the extra income from the mill, James and Peggy have ensured that all five children are enrolled in school and have enough food, hygiene items, school materials, books, clothing, and household essentials. James and Peggy extend their deepest gratitude to James Jr. and Venicia's sponsors, and all Chalice supporters, without whom their children's academic success would have been impossible.