Vima Lupwa Homes http://lupwahomes.org/blog We Care and Bring Families Together Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:56:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Vima Lupwa Children’s Art at Thump Coffee http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=109 http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=109#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:15:00 +0000 admin http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=109 ART: Vima Lupwa Homes Zambian Children’s Art (throughout September)

This month, Thump Coffee showcases art created by children living at the Vima Lupwa Home in Luanshya, Zambia. Vima Lupwa, the locally-based nonprofit founded by Bend native and Central Oregon Community College student Malerie Pratt, provides a loving foster home for a handful of the most needy among Zambia’s more than one million orphans.

Featured artists include Melody Banda, age 12; Mwape P. Malubeni, age 11 and Malama Membe, age 16, who runs the home’s bicycle repair business. The framed art will be available for purchase, and all proceeds support Vima Lupwa Homes and its mission.

Pratt, who recently returned from more than a month in Zambia, walked 10-kilometers to the nearest Internet connection to send an update on the Vima Lupwa children: “These are completely different children than I left last year. There is a peacefulness that has come over the house. The aggressive behavior they came with is no longer needed for survival. I am happy to report how successful this home has been and what incredibly patient parents Violet and Mr. Mwala are.”

Violet Membe, a Zambian social worker and mother of two, co-founded the Vima Lupwa Home with Pratt. She and her husband raise the foster children as part of their family, providing a truly Zambian upbringing where they are raised with their own culture, values and religion.

For more about the Vima Lupwa Homes project, as well as photos and biographies of the children, go to www.lupwahomes.org.

]]> http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?feed=rss2&p=109 Upcoming Events + Ways to Help http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=108 http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=108#comments Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:13:38 +0000 admin http://lupwahomes.org/blog/?p=108

Vima Lupwa Homes: Upcoming Events + Ways to Help

VIMA LUPWA HOMES
Home for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia
“We care and bring families together”

The Vima Lupwa Home has lots of ways you can get involved and help. Please contact us if you are interested in helping with any of these events:

Garage Sale
September 27th - 8:30 to 3:30
440 NW Congress St. Bend Oregon
Volunteers needed all day.
If you would like to donate please only drop off clean, nice, sell-able items anytime prior to the 27th.

Fall Festival
The Fall Festival booth Oct. 4 and 5 in Bend, Oregon. This involves helping to put up and take down as well as manning the booth. We will be selling lots of awesome African merchandise as well as give out information about Vima Lupwa Home in Zambia. Any volunteer time would be really appreciated.

Holiday Cards
We are again selling our annual children’s art holiday cards. The cards are sold in bunches of 10 (all recycled paper with soy-based ink). We would like to start selling cards late October to early November. Last year it was a great success and we need all the help we can get. This could involve selling them at local schools, downtown, at functions, to your friends and family, your choice — any help would be great!

2009 Calendars
Thanks to Richard from Nativity Lutheran we will be selling a 2009 calendar featuring our Lupwa kids and their art work. We need to get the word out for these to be a success.

Your own ideas
Your ideas are welcome. If you have fundraising idea to help our home for children in Zambia we would love to hear it. No matter your age or experience these are all of our children and it takes all of us for this home to be success.

Thank you for your time.

-Malerie & Marlena
lupwahomes.org

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