Home Based Care with Bread of Life Church Case Study
Jubilee Centre September 11th, 2007
Mapalo Bread of Life Church runs a weekly home based care visiting group that officially meets on Tuesday mornings. In reality the volunteers are so dedicated most of them visit patients at least three days per week with some visiting every day!
This community project was initiated by 2 women from the church. There are now 8 volunteers visiting across their vast community wherever they hear of people being sick. The volunteers aim to do more than just visiting, they offer spiritual encouragement, health advice, practical support and are there as a friend and counsellor. The patients are chosen by the volunteers who have theirs ears to the ground and know their community well. It is wide ranging work that may include cleaning a patient’s house, sharing a word from the bible, encouraging someone to go for HIV testing or negotiating between family members over a dispute – all in one day!
The volunteers want to ensure a good level of care and support for the patients and their families, so they aim to not let the numbers of patients get too high for them to manage. In this way the volunteers can get to know the patients well and work with them in an in-depth way. Of course, in a community suffering from rates of HIV/AIDS of above 20% and high incidents of malaria & TB and where there is little official health care, there are always more patients the volunteers can take on.
Mapalo Bread of Life Church is engaging in the community around them, following Jesus’ example of being part of the community and not restricted to places of worship. Through supporting the HBC volunteers in administration, access to resources and spiritually, the church has ensured a programme that empowers the volunteers who run it and is supported fully by the church. The church is now part of a network of churches in the area seeking to be salt and light in their community of Mapalo. Bread of Life is leading the way through encouraging others to be involved with HBC and supporting this through meetings and training.
The Church is partnered with Jubilee Centre, a Zambian NGO seeking transformation of communities through the world wide church. It is a two-way partnership supporting one another in various capacities. Jubilee Centre supports the work of the church through empowering local churches in Mapalo to have a voice in Zambia and across the world through social contracts, media and advocacy work. Specifically to this programme JC provides programme support, training and has obtained funding for food, clothing and transport money for 20 of the patients and orphans. Bread of Life supports Jubilee Centre by taking overseas visitors around to visit and learn what it is like to live in Mapalo. After spending time with Bread of Life and its ministries, many visitors report this as the highlight of their trip to Zambia and go home envisioned to make changes to reduce global poverty.
For the HBC volunteers it is about being a living example of Gods love in the community. Although this is their community and they are facing the same trials as everyone else, they know they are blessed because the bible has taught them that they are wonderfully made and are equal to everyone else. They gain strength from the fact they know they are as important as everyone else in Gods eyes, no matter how poor they are economically. They also feel blessed as through the close friendships they have made as they work together and support one another.
Ultimately though, it is about growing a Christian community and strengthening Mapalo through strong relationships and a reliance on God. Bread of Life Church and other churches in Mapalo have become engaged in community work that changes lives and seeks to be at the forefront of bringing transformation to their community.
