Compass Zambia

05/11/2026

MWANDI NEWSLETTER APRIL 2026

Believe it or not I do try and get these out in a timely manner, but yet again I must apologize.

It’s hard to believe so much progress has been made at the Trade Center. On the 3rd we hired the tractor and trailer from our City Council to load the big heavy water tank stand and deliver it to the property. This stand weighs about 500 kg or over 1000 pounds and is all steel, it took 22 guys to get it on the truck. We unloaded it at the property and realized we would need 4 additional guys to stand it up on its foundation. On the 7th we hired the 4 guys for an hour of work. They managed to get it up and we immediately started filling the hole in with the stone, cement and water mixture to secure it in its place. Although this is the 3rd stand, I have put up over the years I still hold my breath and pray it does not fall over. We use thick heavy nylon rope to steady it and pure manpower to get them up. We had to wait till the 13th to haul the water tank up. Now when our water company decides to shut off, this happens often without warning, we have our tank filled.

Our IT room is in the last stages of plastering; this takes a long time and is an art form of its own. The plumbing store room that measures 7 x 5 meters (over 22 feet x 16 feet) has been completed. We had to build it that big to hold all the long PVC pipes, bath tubs, toilets, sinks, everything a plumber needs to learn the trade. The plumbing class rooms are up to the ring beam. The plumbing building is actually 3 rooms, it includes the large room for the students to learn all the practical work, the theory class room for study and the teacher’s office that has an enclosed store room for the small hand tools. There was a small illegal unfinished brick structure on our property, that I had intended to tear down until Devine, our plumber, informed me we needed it to do the actual installation of the various plumbing equipment. When we get too many holes in it all we will have to do is plaster them up and go again.

I have 4 very experienced builders working for me that I do pay well but who could be making a lot more money if they only spoke English well enough and had the opportunity to go to a trade school when they were young for the TEVETA certificate. TEVETA are the official trades schools in Zambia. We only have a couple in Western Province very far from us. This is what breaks my heart, they have the skill but no formal education and no certificate that would enable them to move forward and get good jobs. For the last 3 years they have been training the young guys who work for us, and they are getting very good at the practical side of building. I am now working on a plan to address this issue, and hopefully we will be able to help them in the next two years.

This is what the trade center is all about. Our plumbing and IT students will be able to pass all the theory classes as well as the practical lessons at our center. They will then only have to go to the official TEVETA school in Mongu, our capital about a 6-hour drive from us to take the final tests and be issued with the certificates. They will only have to stay for 2 weeks. Mongu is very inexpensive for a boarding room for the students.

Our village has grown but the education offered in our village in particular and all of Western Province in general is lower by far than any other part of the country. Drinking is a big problem with our youths, there are small illegal “Shebeen’s” that sell homemade “Kachasu” that is made from maize, yeast and sugar, it’s potent and very dangerous, it’s also very cheap. The police keep shutting them down but they pop up in days. There is no chance for our youths so they lose hope, and the age-old problem continues to grow. The answer is of course education; it is the key to success and hope. I will continue to do what I can to uplift this community. In reality it is the very generous donors who we depend on who have made all we do possible, without them I am just a big mouth old lady, who has nothing but strong will and an iron fist. The many donors who trust me to use their money are the hero’s and there are no words to express our thanks. It is always so special when they come to visit us and see for themselves the difference they are making in the lives of so many.

I have identified and I am starting to groom three potential people to take over as a group to run everything when I am no longer able to do so, but I am still far from that time. They do need additional schooling. All of them are former or current students of ours. They will have to do their practical training with me for a couple of years, and the trust will be hard earned. But a plan is starting to come together.

Compass Private School Mwandi is doing well, we closed for the term 2 weeks later then the other schools on April 24th to make up the time we lost in January. The many rules we enforce are paying off, our kids are speaking English, they are on time, they do not fight, they are well behaved, the teachers are doing a great job and it was worth the effort and time to transform the system. Many of our students whose parents took them out when I was in the process of turning the school from “Community” to “Private” are coming back next term.

We completed the 213th hut and took the family beds and food. Hut 214 is almost completed; these were the last of the 3 huts that were paid for by Victoria and Paul last year. We will start hut 215 and 216 for the groups coming in June next week. It’s not as easy as it sounds. There are many stages and it takes at least a month with 4 of my guys working on them, this is the project our volunteers work on with the families, who they are building for. It’s an amazing project. The families we build for have nothing and desperately need a roof over their heads, the most basic of necessities, and they whole heartedly help our volunteers. These huts are the first homes the kids have ever known and they belong to them, they will forever be the family home and they will always remember the people who built them did not look or sound like them. We build them to last for over 20 years and are easily repaired by the families for a very long time.

Amanda my dear friend from the UK who has been here 6 times in 15 years arrived on April 16th. We stayed the first night in Livingstone just the two of us. It was so good to see her, we have always stayed in touch and I stayed with her when I was in the UK in 2004. I am two months older than she is and she never lets me forget it! When she first came out years ago our life experiences were as different as any two people on the planet. She was a respected attorney never got in trouble and was law abiding, me, well for those of you who have read my book, “Wings on my heels”, I was not that person. For some reason we just connected, our relationship has developed into one of the strongest lifelong friendships I have ever had.

She has built many huts and got dug in the first day we got back. She started with just the first mud ball stage and by the time she left it was 90% completed. She insisted we go to the Church next door both Sundays she was here, she loves the choirs. In short, I had the most amazing time with her, we talked and talked every night over our sundowners. The time flew by and on April 30th my 74th birthday we left for Botswana and Elephant Sands. I love to spend my birthdays there and having Amanda with me made it so special. The pans are full because of the heavy rains here and in Botswana so only a few Elephants were around the lodge. We did see quite a few on the game drive as well as giraffes etc. We left for Chobe National Park on May 2nd, I went on the river cruise with her, the number of hippos and the size of the croc’s surprised even me, the river was full of wild life. At 5:45 on May 3rd we were in the park and although we did not see lion we saw most everything else. She has been on several safaris with me and has seen lion so not seeing them this time was not a big deal for her. We had an amazing time, I enjoy her company so very much. I stayed over 2 nights in Livingstone and on the 4th we had dinner at the Falls! It just never gets old, the level of the water in the river determines the amount of water going over the Falls. It is very high this year, the spray was the highest I have ever seen. Mosi-au-tunya is the local name for Victoria Falls and means the “Smoke that Thunders” and when it is this high it thunders! I realize I am getting into the month of May but I could not just leave off the last of Amanda’s stay with me. I miss her so much already but we talk on WhatsApp.

I did not get back to the village until May 5th and I had a lot of work to catch up, and that is the reason this newsletter is so late.

We were able to bring the green 110 landrover back home from the mechanic where it has been getting fixed for about 6 weeks. Felix drove the old pick up in and changed vehicles. The pick up is old and the amount of work it needs every year is staggering, the upkeep on all our vehicles is very high. They all do a lot of work. The pick up is the only vehicle we can carry the water drums in to the hut building sites. We had to make a plan so Felix took our OLD trailer in and had some metal strips welded to the bottom of it, we are hoping it can work till we can bring the pick up back. Our road is one of the worst in the country, it tears our vehicles up, things that should never break, do, and they are important parts that require taking the engines apart to even get to. The stretch of road that is the problem is only 70 km (about 44 miles) from Mwandi to the border of Botswana half way to Livingstone, it takes us almost 4 hours to travel that distance, it’s brutal. We have been promised a road for over 12 years but here we are. We save on fuel going so slow and the only traffic jams we have are the herds of cattle. But it’s getting old and everyone is fed up; we pray our leaders in Western Province are finally putting the pressure on the Federal government to get us a road!

Our weather has been magic! We never really had the very hot season; it rained on and off most of January, February and March. It even rained in April and that never happens, but the over cast skies kept it cool and now we are going into our winter and it appears to be coming early this year.

May should be full of surprises that I am keeping under wraps for now, I do not want to jink anything. But stay tuned!

As always, much love to you all
Paula and Felix










Home For AIDA Orphans
Homes For Aids Orphans
3 Nakandini Road
Mwandi, Zambia 41100
(260) 978-090-819
Zambian Registered Non Profit Organization
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Compass Zambia
Compass Zambia
5256 S. Mission Road
Suite 703 #316
Bonsall, CA 92003
1 (760) 801-4462
State of California registered 501 c-3 corporation
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3 Nakandini Road | Mwandi, 41100 ZM
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04/03/2026

MWANDI NEWSLETTER MARCH 2026
March began with Les, from Kimbolton Castle Rotary club in the UK, our long-time donors for many years, arriving a day late on March 2nd. His son in law, Paul and grand son Johnny, arrived on February 28th so they had an extra day in Livingstone to see the Falls and rest. We drove directly from the airport to Mwandi. On the 3rd I took them all to the school Les, and his Rotary club have been so instrumental in building as well as the trade center that his club have already donated funds to help us build. We took the food, Ryan and the gang, bought to the family we built hut number 212 for, although we had to take it to the old hut where she was staying because her floor had not dried out.

Les had to go up to see some friends north of us on the 4th. They returned on the 6th with two of their friends and we left for Botswana on the 7th. While all five of them were whisked off for a 2-day 2-night mobile safari, I stayed at the lodge. I have known the family who owns Thebe since I first arrived in 2003 and although Annatjie, the mom, has been a friend for so many years, it had been ages since she and I had spent quality time together. We had planned to spend that afternoon together. And we did she treated me to a pedicure while she got a massage, after the pampering we went to her house and talked over a bottle of wine and caught up, it was such a special day. Since I took my laptop, I was able to get some work done on Sunday. The guys arrived back at Thebe early on the 9th tired but thrilled they had spent 2 nights in Chobe National Park, they saw everything including 2 or 3 prides of Lions. We got to Livingstone in time for them to rest and me to get some shopping done. That night we had ‘Dinner at the Falls”. This was my second time and it will never get old, it’s simply the most exclusive dinner spot on the planet, there are really no words to express how stunning it is. They flew out on the 10th , I drove back home and got back to work.

The man we purchase all of our cement from had always delivered it to us; however, his truck has been broken since December. Felix and I delivered 250 pockets to the trade center, 5 pockets at a time for 2 months. It was a lot of fuel, wear and tear on the vehicles and so much wasted time. The city council agreed to deliver 600 pockets using their tractor and truck at one time on Saturday the 14th. They could only carry 150 pockets at one time. I had part of my guys at the shop in town loading the truck and the other guys at the trade center unloading and storing them all in the new large store room. It took 5 hours but now it is done and hopefully we have all the cement we will need to complete the project.

On the 17th our green 110 work landrover had to be taken to Livingstone as it now has to have the fuel injectors repaired, Felix drove it in and I took the Toyota. We left the landy at Nick’s (our mechanic) and used the Toyota to do all the shopping, it is impossible to drive to Livingstone and back in one day, the road has gotten worse and we are forced to drive the 70 km of bad road at 5 to 20 km an hour. We got back on the morning of the 18th.

The first hut Victoria and Paul donated the funds for is now completed and the family has moved in. It took a bit longer due to the rains in January and February. We have started the second hut which will be the 213th hut we have built since we started this project in 2007. This one is progressing very quickly and they are already at the throwing stage, this woman has 6 kids, she as well as the older children are working alongside our guys every day, when they are not in school.

We have completed the IT class room, the builders have started plastering, while the other guys have been clearing the rest of the land, we will need for the other buildings. The slap for the plumbing store room has been laid and now they will start the actual plumbing class room that will be rather large as the room for doing the practical work must have space for welding etc.

I always knew this trade center was desperately needed but after I found out the details of what the government’s plan for the education of our children starting in 2028 is all about, it is clear we will have to start thinking and planning on extending it to other trades in 2027. In a nut shell they have taken out our middle school. So, in 2028 our students will take the national test at the end of 6th grade and then they will have to go to what they are calling Form 1-4 (O) level that will be 7th through 10th grade. Our already overcrowded high schools will be swamped. Our kids will soon start dropping out either in 8th or 9th grade very few will make it to 10th and pass the National test. There is only one school in all of Western Province that is approved for A level, grades 11th and 12th. No one will be able to go to college unless they pass A level. In short most of our kids will need to go to a trade school to have any kind of future, and most of them will only have a certificate at 6th grade. No one knows why this is happening and we are all praying it will die a quick death, but the damage will be done. This system may work in Western countries but we don’t have the schools, or equipment let alone the teachers for this to ever work. Only the very rich in the major cities will be able to hope for a college education.

We have applied for our testing center number and our local DEBS (Department of Education) has inspected the strong room where the test papers must be stored, and have approved it. Next year we will be able to admit 7th grade students and test them. Moving forward all we can do is give our students the best education we possibly can through 6th grade and they will take the test from our school. The many rules we enforce are paying off and our students are socking English up like sponges. They must read, write and speak English as now all schools must teach in English only, if they don’t understand English, they can’t learn anything else. Our students now must speak English once they enter the school grounds, that means they must speak to each other only in English even while playing or break time. It is working but I do listen at our wall that is also the wall for the lower primary school to make sure the young ones are only speaking in English. At times when I hear them playing and talking in Silozi I am over there in a flash to make the teachers listen and correct them, but we are getting there. Our students at the upper primary school grades 4th through 6th already speak English and the head master is there to enforce the rules but they are doing great! All things considered I am very proud of our teachers for the job they are doing. We took this school to a new unheard-of level in a village, and trying to run it as near to a Western one as possible. A very few parents had some issues at first but now all of them are very happy. We know when the new semester starts on May 11th we will be getting a lot of our former students back; the word has spread about the quality of education we are giving the students. I must thank ALL of our generous donors who made it possible for this school to be built, as well as everyone who has donated funds to help us stabilize the school and pay the teachers since we took it back in January.

On the 27th I drove into Livingstone intending to fill up with fuel there. But to my complete shock there was NO fuel, no petrol or diesel in Livingstone (or Zambia) not even at the black-market sellers. I had to have Felix drive in from Mwandi to bring me fuel we have stored at home. He brought me 2- 20-liter containers we filled the landy back up and put the rest in the Toyota. The following morning, I drove to Zimba eye clinic about 70 km north of Livingstone to pick up my dear friend Yenjean and three other women for a Botswana safari. I took the 2 containers with me as Botswana has fuel!

Yenjean works so hard at the eye clinic and only has two days at the end of her time here and they love to stay at the upper-class lodge Jackalberry (owned by Thebe). It is indeed lovely and they always give me a free room but this time they went a step further and gave me a full river view room. They went on the game drive and I went and filled up the car and containers with fuel. After lunch they were taken on the river cruise. I took the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful view. The morning of the 29th they were again taken on a game drive; while I slept in. We crossed the border after breakfast and arrived in Livingstone in time for them to rest. I went with them on the dinner cruise up the Zambezi. It was great to be able to spend time with Yenjean and her husband Ivan.

I came home on the 30th and here we are. I am actually caught up and happy I am able to get this newsletter out pretty much on time.

Our weather has been magic. The heavy rains have stopped, with only occasional showers in the late afternoon, for this time of year it’s actually cool, at the hottest part of the day it can get a tad warm but usually there is a nice breeze.

Till next month. Have a blessed and happy Easter.

God Bless
Love to you all










Home For AIDA Orphans
Homes For Aids Orphans
3 Nakandini Road
Mwandi, Zambia 41100
(260) 978-090-819
Zambian Registered Non Profit Organization
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Compass Zambia
Compass Zambia
5256 S. Mission Road
Suite 703 #316
Bonsall, CA 92003
1 (760) 801-4462
State of California registered 501 c-3 corporation
Facebook
3 Nakandini Road | Mwandi, 41100 ZM
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03/11/2026

MWANDI NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2026

With this newsletter I will be able to get caught up and hopefully be on time the rest of this year. I was so rushed when I wrote the last one, I forgot to mention all of our college students got back to the schools, fees were paid and every one of them are doing so very well.

The school is beginning to run efficiently, the kids are getting to school on time, speaking English at all times the teachers are keeping to the new rules and at break times they are playing with the children. The parents had to adjust as well but they now appreciate the education we are trying to give their children; there were a few complaints but with our head master explaining to them the importance of all the new rules they are beginning to see the positive change it’s making. To all the generous people who donated funds to help us get through this situation and get the school on the right track we can’t thank you enough.

The 18th Felix and I drove into Livingstone using the Landrover and the Toyota we, had to pick up several items we needed to start work on the trade center. The landy was full and we were ready to go back to the place we stay for the night when the landrover would not start the key would not turn and the steering was locked. Nick, my mechanic, had to come and take the ignition apart in the middle of the street and temporary fix it so it would start. A new ignition had to be ordered but we were able to get it going and keep it going until the part comes in. Felix started back the following morning. I stayed to pick Ryan up.

My dear friend Jennifer’s son Ryan his girlfriend Genevive, Marco and Matt arrived two days later than planned on the 19th of March. We drove directly to Mwandi and they started work on hut number 212 on the 20th. They worked so hard for the three days they were with us and we had such a good time. They bought food for the woman and her kids whose home we have almost completed, we left everything at our place until we are able to deliver it to her when I got back.

On March 23rd we started off on the Botswana safari arriving at Elephant Sands around 3 or 4. Botswana has a lot of rain just like we did so the pans are full of water, however there were several elephants entraining us at dinner, my favorite tame mongoose made her appearance and charmed everyone, to top it off a pack of wild dogs ran through chasing a Impala, the Impala got away but to see the wild dogs was a rare treat. They saw quite a lot of game on the drive the following afternoon but the most important sighting was the rare Black Mane lion in the high bush near ES. It was so exciting, I was going to go with them but when we got to ES I had two flat tires! It was lucky I got all the way there before they went flat. The owners have been friends for years and their sons were in Francistown the second largest city in Botswana they phoned them and had them purchase me 4 new tires and deliver them to Nata 55 km from ES, they took one of their tires and my spare put them on my vehicle and off I went to pick them up and have them installed. I needed the tires and was planning on getting them in Botswana so it all worked out the cost is a lot less then in Zambia. We made it back to Thebe and they had a nice time on the river and the game drive. Since they saw the rare lion, it was fine they did not see cats in Chobe.

We got back to Livingstone on the 26th and went to for a special dinner at Victoria Falls. It is the most amazing dinner spot, right where the Falls tumble over, it’s after the time visitors have to leave so we were the only ones there. We had a great traditional dinner with drinks and the best view ever.

Felix had driven the Landrover in on the 26th and took it to Nick to get the ignition fixed, the parts had not arrived so we left it with him. The morning of the 27th we met the big truck to load everything we had purchased a couple of weeks before to build the trade center. It included all the metal needed for the door and window frames, grill gates, all the metal for the tank stand including the 2000-liter tank, toilets, many kg of various sizes nails and all the roof sheets many of them were 5.5 meters. It took over 2 hours to count everything and load the truck. From there we had to go to pick up all the poly pipe and plumbing materials. With all that done Felix went back to Mwandi in the truck with all the materials.

I stayed with Ryan and the gang and we went on the dinner cruise up the Zambezi; we all had a great time. They also went on a game drive in our small National Park Mosi-au-tunya to see the Rhino’s our pride and joy. The 28th I picked up two special people from the airport, Paul and his son Johnathan who are the son in law and grandson of Les from Kimbolton Castle Rotary club who have been donors for years and years. They were staying at Fawlty towers, I dropped them off and picked up Ryan and the group to deliver them to Maramba River lodge for their last two nights in Livingstone. It balances their experience, as Maramba is right on the Maramba River and there are hippos and Elephants around, it’s the place to relax and enjoy the views. I had such a great time with Ryan and the gang and I am so grateful they came out.

Les was to arrive on the 1st of March but missed his flight but that is for the March newsletter that I should have completed at the end of March!

The trade center is going up fast. The store room is completed except for the door frame and doors that are being made now, the IT room is up to ring beam level and now that all the materials are in Mwandi our metal man is busy doing his part with the window and door frames and the tank stand has been started. We have 2 teams of guys making bricks all day so our builders have a constant supply. Felix has been amazing in keeping the project on track, I am now able to take care of the school and all the bookkeeping. It’s been a long busy two months but we are now leveling out.

We have had a few bad storms but they don’t last long and it’s starting to let up, we are hoping the rainy season is coming to an end. It’s actually quite cool with cloudy days that we are grateful for.

Hopefully I will be able to get the newsletters out in a timely manner now that all the work required to get the school up and running is over.

God Bless
Much love to you all
Paula and Felix














Home For AIDA Orphans
Homes For Aids Orphans
3 Nakandini Road
Mwandi, Zambia 41100
(260) 978-090-819
Zambian Registered Non Profit Organization
Facebook

Compass Zambia
Compass Zambia
5256 S. Mission Road
Suite 703 #316
Bonsall, CA 92003
1 (760) 801-4462
State of California registered 501 c-3 corporation
Facebook
3 Nakandini Road | Mwandi, 41100 ZM
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02/15/2026

MWANDI NEWSLETTER JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2026

I don’t even know how to begin this so bear with me.
New Year Eve was amazing with Sharyl, we went to a cozy little concert with amazing live music, I have not been out on New Years Eve for so long. On January 1st I had a lovely night with Nancy and Michael, on the 3rd Ramona and I went to hear live music, the 4th the family had a gathering at the beach for Brent’s son in laws birthday, on the 6th my grandson drove me to Los Angeles for my long flight back home. It was that day I got the notice that the Department of Education here had closed Compass Zambia Community School. I knew when I turned the school over to the community to keep it as a community school it would not work out, but I gave them a chance. They failed miserably; my whole being turned to getting the school back.

Felix was at the airport to pick me up on the 8th, but we had to stay two nights to take care of business and I set meetings up in Mwandi for Saturday. What I saw upon my return at the school broke my heart, I won’t go into details as it’s just too depressing. I immediately went to work and took the school back. My thanks go out to our local traditional court (Barotese Royal Establishment) who immediately changed the land lease on both pieces of land to Home for Aids Orphans to be used as a private school and the new trade center. This must be done first and they wasted no time in getting the new leases in my hands.

There is a mountain of paperwork to start a business here, and a private school has to be a business. My 10-hour days started being 14 to 16 hours. The Department of Education (DEBS) here in Mwandi worked with us as well as the Ministry of Education in our capital Mongu. There were trips to Livingstone to get the documents signed and stamped for a private school to be opened. Our DEBS here helped me so much with all the steps, as I was flying blind. Finally, everything was in order and I took the 8 copies of 60 pages each and after physically inspecting both schools our DEBS signed it off. On the 4th of February I drove the 7 hours to Mongu to hand everything over to the Ministry of Education in person. They immediately gave us the green light on February 5th to open the school. Compass Private School Mwandi was born. Maximo our headmaster helped me so much and he started enrolling students while I was still in Mongu. School opened on February 9th almost a month late. This time is being made up during the first month long break. We will only break for 2 weeks and not 4 and the kids will go to school all day on Friday (I have no idea why half day Friday was ever observed, but I have stopped it for good). I go over every morning in order to make sure this school starts on time and all the new rules are enforced.

Some of the parents did not believe I could get the school opened for months and took their children to other schools, but many did believe I could, we lost around 90 students leaving us with around 340 or so. The trust they put in me made me cry and all the work was worth it. Now that I have complete control of the school, and have a board that I completely trust the level of education we now offer as well as the many rules for both the teachers and students will start to pay off very soon. It is a big adjustment for everyone; a lot of things have changed but we are enforcing the rules to the letter. All schools must now teach in English in Zambia, we always did this but we have taken it a step further, the students as well as the teachers must speak English at all times with each other period. These kids are young and are already soaking it in.

I sent 4 of my guys to start the yard clean up and trash pit clearing at both of the locations. Felix and Devine did the repairs in record time. This will never happen again. Donors put their trust in me to build this school and there is no way I will ever see it fail, not to mention the students who deserve and will get the best education possible.

I came back with my house bare of all the photos, when I was away Felix and the guys renovated my bathroom and all the ceiling boards had to be repaired or replaced in all the rooms, so all the many photos had to be taken down, there are over 193 frames on the walls of my house, many of them hold 3 to 4 and 5 photos and many had to have the back repaired. I could not get in my closet because all of them were stored in there. I could not work without getting my house in order, so little by little Charles and I repaired the frames and with the help of the photos I had taken of all my walls before I left, we were able to get them all back where they belonged. I don’t have much furniture as I don’t need much but the photos are memories of my life and the times in Zambia and most importantly the good times with friends in the USA and family that hold me together when I get depressed or lonely. I have only put a couple of photos in this newsletter of the hallway and part of my bedroom, but every wall in my entire house is covered with photos.

Felix took charge and got all our casual workers back; they were all very happy to have their jobs again. Not only did Felix start clearing the land for the trade center and get it started he also started building the first 3 huts that Victoria and Paul donated the money for us to build.

On January 23rd, I believe as this time is kind of a blur and I did not find out till I was in Livingstone on January 26th my best friend in Zambia and also on our board, Des Hitchins passed away in a freak accident, he had just turned 50 on January 16th. I have had no time for any social media and only found out when I was in Livingstone from friends there. My heart was broken and I was in a state of shock, lucky Felix was with me and we managed to get everything we had to do in Livingstone done, he more or less took charge and knew what we had to purchase from where. His memorial was on February 8th I left Mwandi at 4:45 A.M to get to Livingstone in time to take care of a few things before 10:30 when the memorial started. It was attended by over 100 people and broadcast live to the UK where he had lived many years ago. I saw and reconnected with so many people I have not seen in years. His brother, James along with friends and family did an amazing job and it was held at the Zambezi Waterfront, where all of us have so many memories of time spent there with Des. The venue was perfect and it was one heck of a sendoff, he would have loved the celebration of his life and we toasted him many times, we even drank the gut rot wine he was so fond of. His ashes were scattered in the Zambezi River that he loved so much by his family the following day. I miss him but time will dull the pain but the happy memories will stay in my heart forever.

At this time the trade center is progressing in record time, the store room slap has been laid and the walls are going up, the IT room has been started and the foundations already in. I realize I have said this many times, but building here is all by hand there are no machines it is just strong guys with axes, shovels, spades, and hand tools everything we work with is manual. It’s hard dirty work and they do it so well. Photos just do not show how hard and physical this all is. I was not able to be at the building site when the trees were hacked down and the stumps removed as I was too busy getting the school back, but I didn’t have to be, Felix has proven himself to be able to get the job done without me being there all the time.

I don’t know if people realize the US$ is losing value around the world, and it is hitting us hard here. It has gone from 23 Zambian Kwacha to 1 US$ down to 18. This means for every $ I,000.00 I change to our currency I am now getting 18,000 and not 23,000. The price of goods here are not going down by much only what the locals eat but my staff wages and the high cost of steel and everything else we build with including cement has not gone down. The generous budget I had for the trade center is now in trouble. I now have to run the school with less students and we did not increase the school fees because I was not here and there was no school. What we collect in tuitions pays for the expenses for about 1 ½ months, out of 4. I am using funds from my daughter who donates for our educational needs and every scrap I can come up with. We run on 3 terms a year. Yes, we will increase the school fees next term and we will be getting a lot of our students back but it will take me about 6 to 8 months to dig out of the financial issues at this school. The teachers had to have a raise in pay as they are NOW working more hours and actually working. When I had control over the school it sustained itself but this mess has left me with a lot of unexpected expenses with changing the name and all the legal documents that had to be filed and the travel I have had to do paying for lodging and fuel has taken its toll.

If anyone can help with any amount no matter how little we are in desperate need of assistance. It’s very easy to do you just go to www.compasszambia.com and on the very first page there is a donate button or you can send a check made out to Compass Zambia and mail to my daughter Amelia McFarland 2091 Rio Vista Dr. Fallbrook Ca 92028. You can indicate where you want me to use the funds, teacher’s salaries, trade center or whatever you want to help us with. Anyone in the USA gets the tax benefit as we are a 501 c3 in the USA. I know the world is not in a good place and things are so uncertain, but here most live in poverty that you can not imagine unless you come and see for yourselves. I can’t let this school fail these kids only have us. Without an education there is no hope and no future.

The rains have slowed down a little but we have had some horrific storms that left trees falling on buildings and in the village clogging the dirt paths, none of ours came down because we keep them trimmed back and look after them. I did lose my beautiful big cactus; it did not fall but it was so heavy it was coming out of the ground and would have fallen on the kitchen so we had to cut it down and we replanted all the pieces and now have a cactus garden near the kitchen. We have a lot of cloudy days and for that we are grateful as it cools it down and it’s not that hot at all! The storms do cause a lot of problems with our power as trees fall on the lines so we have had a few days without power but we make a plan!

I didn’t think the road could get any worse: I was wrong! We have absolutely been promised this road will be started as soon as the rains stop, but I will wait to see the work started as they have been saying this for 10 years, but this is election year, so maybe!

I apologize for all the errors in this newsletter but I had to get it done on Sunday, it generally takes me 2 to 3 days to get it right, but time is not a luxury I have right now, sorry……..

God Bless
Love to you all
Paula, Felix and all my amazing staff!

















Home For AIDA Orphans
Homes For Aids Orphans
3 Nakandini Road
Mwandi, Zambia 41100
(260) 978-090-819
Zambian Registered Non Profit Organization
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Compass Zambia
Compass Zambia
5256 S. Mission Road
Suite 703 #316
Bonsall, CA 92003
1 (760) 801-4462
State of California registered 501 c-3 corporation
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3 Nakandini Road | Mwandi, 41100 ZM
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Compass Zambia is a NonProfit Organization designed to support its sister organization Home for Aids Orphans located in Mwandi, Zambia. Our goal is to help the community by improving the lives of those who live there. We do this thru various projects such as building homes for families who have been...