Zambian school children in front of their new classroom, built with funds from the sale of Maanza a Leza jewelry.
The Maanza a Leza project was founded in the spring of 2004, by members of Mullins United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Our mission is to extend God's loving grace to the poor of Zambia, by establishing an on-going covenant relationship with one impoverished village and seeking to minister to their needs.
The remote village of Sichibeya, a community of subsistence farmers located hours away from the nearest paved road, was chosen for the project. When the villagers were asked what kind of help was their greatest priority, they expressed their hopes and dreams for their children.
The village school had classrooms for grades 1 – 4. After 4th grade, students had to walk 6 miles, each way, through the bush to reach the nearest school with a 5th grade and up, so most of them had to end their education at grade 4. The people of Sichibeya longed to be able to educate their children, but were struggling to provide the basic necessities of food and clothing, and had no means to purchase the building supplies for additional classrooms. The Zambian government requires communities to supply both school classrooms and teacher housing, before providing teachers to an area.
One of the Maanza a Leza project founders had been making jewelry as a hobby and then as a small part-time business for several years, so she taught the other Maanza a Leza project volunteers how to do it, and started a non-profit "cottage industry," making quality beaded jewelry from sterling silver, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones, and other quality components. All profits from the jewelry sales go to fund the Maanza a Leza ministry in Zambia.
In the 4 years since the project started, the Maanza a Leza volunteers have raised over $40,000 for the ministry. It has funded the construction of three classrooms, so that children of Sichibeya can now attend grades 5, 6, and 7 without leaving the village. It has also sponsored the college education of a gifted young woman from the village, Mukanyanga Muzyamba, who received a bachelor's degree in health sciences from Africa University in Zimbabwe in June 2010. Ms. Muzyamba is hoping to complete a masters degree in public health, with the support of Maanza a Leza, and then to start a health care clinic in rural Zambia.
After finishing and furnishing the rest of the needed classrooms, our next goal will be to construct teacher housing. Eventually we plan to fund construction of a community center that can be used as both an early childhood center, a youth job training center, and a library. The impact of the project on the lives of these Zambians has been, in the words of the village school headmaster, "the greatest event in the history of our village." It has given hope to those who felt hopeless, and has taught the volunteers who support the project just how much power we really have to do good in this world.
Every time you purchase a piece of Maanza a Leza jewelry, you are improving the lives of the children of Sichibeya, helping to build classrooms, buy books, desks, and other necessities, so that they can look forward to a brighter future. Since all the jewelry making is done by volunteers in a church classroom or at home, our only expense is the cost of the quality materials used in the jewelry. We have no other "overhead," and so between 50% to 70% of the sales price is clear profit, used solely for the aid of the village and the education of the village children and sponsored university student.
It is our hope that you will use Maanza a Leza for all your jewerly purchases, and will spread the word about this life-giving ministry to your family, friends, and coworkers!
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