We hope this message finds you well. We are reaching out to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support of Faith’s Orphans Fund. Your generosity makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the orphans in Zambia.
As you may be aware, the recent Canada Post strike in December caused delays in mail delivery, which impacted many of our supporters’ ability to make year end contributions. In light of these disruptions, we are pleased to understand that the Canada Revenue Agency has extended the 2024 donation deadline to February 28th 2025.
This extended timeline allows you the opportunity to ensure your donation reaches us without concern of it not being included in your 2024 tax return, and we truly appreciate any support you are able to provide during this time. Your commitment to the ministry of FOF is invaluable, and together, we are making a lasting impact.
If you have already made your contribution, we thank you deeply for your generosity. If you plan to donate soon, please rest assured that your gift will be received and processed before the new deadline. If you could please indicate which tax year you would like your donation allocated to, we will ensure that happens.
Thank you again for your unwavering support. We are incredibly grateful to generous donors like you who help us continue Faith’s work in Zambia.
With our very colourful autumn coming to an end, the majority of the leaves now on the ground, and daylight savings time no longer in effect, we are keenly aware that winter will soon be upon us and the celebration of our Lord’s birth close at hand.
As 2024 moves toward its close, no doubt we can all reflect on both the blessings and the challenges that this year has brought to each of us. Certainly, at Faith Orphans there are blessings to be grateful for and difficulties to be acknowledged.
Faith and her team are so very grateful for the ongoing support of so many from Ontario again this year. The financial support that has been provided has allowed for the provision of school supplies, uniforms and shoes for over 4300 orphans in both elementary and secondary schools in rural Zambia. It has provided for 40 mature students to attend the FOF Skills Training Centre, and 10 students to attend various public colleges. It has also allowed 150 mature students to attend Teen’s Missions Life Skills Bootcamp.
The incredible host of Ontario based sewers, knitters and packers have provided 181 boxes of dresses, skirts, shorts, T-shirts, and school supplies, as well as 45 bales of hand-knit sweaters and blankets, plus school uniforms. Also included in this fall shipment were 120 boxes of Gleaners dried vegetable soup mix for additional nutritional sustenance for the children.
Notwithstanding all of these blessings, the FOF Zambia team has faced numerous challenges. The country of Zambia continues to experience the results of little rain during the Oct 2023 – Feb 2024 “rainy season”. Much of the maize (corn) crop from the last growing season failed exacerbating the inflationary cost of food. With most of Zambia’s electrical power being generated through a massive hydro electric dam, there continues to be lengthy “brown outs” each and every day. This has caused significant fuel price increases which has affected the cost of many other commodities. As a result, life has become much more difficult and expensive in Zambia and we have had to make adjustments here to help alleviate the situation. Please pray for rain to come to Zambia for this year’s “rainy season”.
Within the FOF Zambia team, there was the sudden loss of the full-time accountant Payne in February, the razing of Faith’s family home through fire in March, the recent passing of long time FOF counsellor Pastor Mathew, and the passing of several extended family members and friends. Through these trials, Faith and her team have gained strength, courage and direction from the Lord and from the knowledge that Canadians are praying for them and supporting the work with the FOF children.
Faith and her family are also so appreciative of the Canadian supporters who chose to gift funds to them for the rebuilding of their family home. During Faith’s visit to Ontario in May, about 65% of the funds needed to complete the home were raised and now the family home is well on its way toward completion. Faith and her family are also grateful for the assistance of an Ontario based construction team that recently invested a week to help speed the completion of the building project. If there are some that wish to gift additional funds for the completion of Faith’s family home, FOF Canada is able to receive and transfer these funds to Faith even though a Canadian tax receipt is not available for these gifts.
As we have now entered the month of November, the FOF Canada board has begun to work closely with the FOF Zambia team to formulate the operating budget for 2025. We are so grateful for the generosity of the Lord’s people over the past 19 years that FOF has been registered in Canada, which has, by God’s grace, always resulted in enough funds being raised to meet the annual budgets. Will you help us meet the FOF’s budgetary needs for 2025 with a donation before the 2024 year end? Over the years, the core components of the annual budget have remained true to the original mission of giving an individual a chance to be educated, and break the cycle of poverty by being employable or becoming an entrepreneur while being introduced to the Lord Jesus. School uniforms, shoes, supplies – $20.00 x 4300 = $86,000College Student Tuition – $2,000 x 10 students = $20,000Shipping fees for clothing, blankets, school uniforms, Gleaners dried soup mix, school supplies – 2 shipments x $10,000 = $20,000Teen’s Missions Life Skills 5 week Bootcamp – 120 students x $150 = $18,000FOF Skills Training Centre 1 year residential program – 40 students x $2,000 = $80,000Faith and the FOF Zambia team, along with the 4300+ orphans and vulnerable youth registered on the FOF program want to communicate their thanks and gratitude for your generous support. As you have heard through numerous stories shared and seen through videos posted, the impact of this support is truly life changing. All of us on the FOF Canada Board of Directors as well as Faith and her FOF Zambia team, want to wish you and your family the Lord’s richest blessing in 2025. May your celebration of Christmas and the birth of our Saviour be especially meaningful to you and yours this year.
Gratefully, Ian RossOn Behalf of the FOF Canada Board of Directors, Faith Liyena and the FOF Zambia Team
We are pleased to announce that the arrangements to bring Faith to Ontario have been completed and that she will be arriving here on May 15. While the specifics for some of her travel and visits are still being finalized, we have produced a tentative schedule which can be found on the Events section of this website. The schedule will be updated as visits are finalized and we hope you will have the opportunity to visit with Faith at a location convenient to you.
Ian RossOn Behalf of the FOF Canada Board of Directors, Faith Liyena and the FOF Zambia Team