Volunteer Experience 2023- Vision of Hope
In 2009, under the shade of a lemon tree, in a village called Chawama, what we know today as Vision of Hope was born. Initially, the visionary who we know as Madame Chitalu made it her business to engage with girls who were living on the street and were facing dire social problems such as addiction, prostitution, corruption, and to persuade these girls that there was a better existence for them. Within 2 years Chitalu's headquarters was relocated to a humble building in the village and became a sanctuary.
Under the shade of an avocado tree this time, the business of transforming lives would take place, with both literacy classes and sewing lessons being in session simultaneously. And although there was a hole in the ground for a toilet, one outdoor shower, no indoor running water and often the one outdoor tap would be out of order for days, this was a huge upgrade that could accommodate up to 35 girls (in 5 sets of bunk beds) who would otherwise be on the street. From this base, the hard work of addressing the issues that resulted in these girls being where they were and the tireless efforts to safely reunite them with their families, if possible, was undertaken. There were many obstacles still to be navigated, such as street noise from locals playing music loudly, buses making their presence known and local drug dealers offering free or cheap wares in the attempt to attract a new customer base. To quote Chitalu, this was a 'process of growth' and it continued at this location until 30th August 2016.
It was the lack of ability to expand and therefore to sustain progress that drove the move to the new venue where Vision of Hope is based today.
From the outside, Vision of Hope is no different than any other residential accommodation in the area, a deliberate move that helps reduce the stigma that the girls are already facing, just by the hand that they have been dealt. There is no sign or name plaque on the exterior wall. As Chitalu says "the writing on the wall goes with you on your face, so we avoid that". It is with this empathetic, nurturing approach that Chitalu and her team at Vision of Hope conduct all of their business. When they first arrived at this venue, it was an area of bare land and one of the first things they did was plant a seed from the avocado tree in Chawama which continues to grow more than a foot for every year they have been here. If that is not a metaphor for the work they do, I don't know what is.
Within these grounds there is a focus on blending in with nature, the trees provide shade as well as nourishment, yielding papaya, peaches, avacados and figs among other things, and the girls learn about sustainability and are taught to appreciate the environment in the hope that they take their learning with them wherever they go. In fact, every daily activity is used as a learning opportunity eg, showering and cleaning routines and keeping bedrooms tidy are skills taught to passed on from one girl to another, promoting teamwork and responsibility. Watching TV is encouraged so that the girls can remain abreast of current affairs. As well as this, attending school, where safe to do so, is a priority that the girls embrace.
It is not just the residents who benefit from the stellar work from the Vision of Hope staff, but the outreach programme provides the wider community with the skills and knowledge to better provide for themselves, increasing the chances of the girls being safely reunited with family.
As with most things, success brings with it, a number of challenges, the main one currently being that referring agencies are keen to place large numbers of girls there which can have the effect of diluting the 'Quality of Service'; an area that Chilatlu and her team have been focusing on this year. Their aim is that they have a manageable number of girls 'so that each child is treated uniquely' and they can focus on 'what kind of attention we give them'.
We saw today what that unique treatment can harvest. We were treated to a medley of traditional singing and heavenly voices that touched our hearts in the warmest way. The girls spoke so articulately about the activities they are involved in and it was impossible to see beyond the smile on their faces and to believe that their lives have ever been anything other that happy.
My words cannot come close to describing the energy that Chitalu's presence, voice and smile gives off, but the Vision of Hope anthem that the girls performed for us to today does....
"There is more love/peace/HOPE/joy somewhere, I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it"
Zikomo (thank you), Vision of Hope, for allowing us to be partners with you, here's to many more years of growth and success. My final words are another great quote from Chitalu..."its not the end and the sky is not even the limit for Vision of Hope".
-Nuala McCabe
