What we’re doing in Serenje

Kerith Community Church is working with Christian development agency, Tearfund, and its partner, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ).

The aim is simple, to work through the local churches to provide practical assistance for those living with HIV and to be their advocates in the community and to local government. EFZ is a voluntary network of evangelical Christians in Zambia. Founded in 1964, it currently has a membership of over 130 churches and Christian organisations.

It has been a partner of Tearfund for over 10 years, working on issues of gender, empowering women, evangelism, food security, advocacy and relief work. EFZ also partners the Serenje Pastors’ Fellowship, set up five years ago as a church-wide response to HIV and AIDS. Today it brings together 18 different denominations.

Together, Kerith Community Church, Tearfund and EFZ are committing the next five years to tackle the problem of HIV in Serenje. This will mean that:

• 3,000 vulnerable children of school going ages will access education support

• 600 people living with HIV will have access to improved home and community based care through 100 well trained caregivers

• 1,000 small scale farmers will have access to improved farming techniques, crop knowledge and seed varieties resulting in household food and income sufficiency

• 120 leaders will be capacitated to initiate and sustain local development programmes.

You can find out more about the work of Tearfund by visiting their website: www.tearfund.org