Meet the Mweemba Family!

Name: Chipo Mweemba. Child #216
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 04/04/04
Grade: ECCDE4
Wants to be a Teacher
Speaks: Tonga
Favorite Subject: English
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Sport: Soccer
Lives in Chatika with Mother, 4 Brothers and 2 Sisters
Chores: House Cleaning
Health is Fair

Name: Hardson Mweemba. Child #220
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 01/04/04
Grade: ECCDE6
Wants to be a Teacher
Speaks: Tonga
Favorite Subject: Mathmatics
Favorite Color: Black
Favorite Sport: Soccer
Lives in Chatika with Mother, 2 Brothers and 1 Sisters
Chores: House Cleaning
Health is Fair

Juma Mweeba- 11 years old Child #4
\*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: January 4, 1999 Sex: Female
She is in the 5th grade and speaks English and Tonga.
She lives with her mother and 3 sisters in Moonga.
Favorite Subject: Math
Future Career: Teacher
Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Pastime: Netball
Chores: Washing dishes
Health: Fair
Name: Rhodah Mweemba. Child #176
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 03/07/97
Grade: 6
Wants to be a Nurse
Speaks: Tonga
Favorite Subject: English
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Sport: Netball
Lives in Chatika with Grand Mother, 7 Brothers and 1 Sisters
Chores: House Cleaning
Health is Fair

Esnert Mweemba-8 years old Child #116
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: January 15, 2002 Sex: F
She is in the 2nd grade and speaks Tonga
The child lives with her granfather, 2 brothers and 1 sister in Mwanachabwa
Favorite Subject: Mathematics
Future Career: Nurse
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Pastime: Net Ball
Chores: House Cleaning
Health: Fair

Name: Racheal Mweemba. Child #266
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 01/03/96
Grade:
Wants to be a Teacher
Speaks: Tonga/English
Favorite Subject: Tonga
Favorite Color: Black
Favorite Sport: Studying
Lives in Block - E with Uncle, 2 Brothers and - Sisters
Chores: Dish Washing
Health is Good

Name: Ancient Mweemba. Child #221
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 02/04/01
Grade: 3
Wants to be a Teacher
Speaks: Tonga
Favorite Subject: Matmatics
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Sport:
Lives in Chatika with No, 4 Brothers and 2 Sisters
Chores: Soccer
Health is Fair

Name: Kembo Mweemba. Child #253
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 01/15/97
Grade: 4
Wants to be a Police
Speaks: Tonga
Favorite Subject: Science
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Sport: Soccer
Lives in Hachingala with Father, 2 Brothers and 1 Sisters
Chores: House Cleaning
Health is Fair
Name: Kelvin Mweemba. Child #138
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: 12/19/91
Grade: 5
Wants to be a Teacher
Speaks: Tonga/English
Favorite Subject: English
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Sport: Studying
Lives in Makkuka with Father, 5 Brothers and 3 Sisters
Chores: Studying
Health is Fair
Favorite Subject: Mathematics
Future Career: Teacher
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Pastime: Soccer
Chores: Laundry
Health: Fair



Coilard Mweemba- 14 years old Child #94
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB:March 12, 1996 Sex: Male
He is in the 6th grade and speaks English and Tonga
He lives with his grandfather and 1 brother and 2 sisters in Mwanachambwa
Favorite Subject: Social Studies
Future Career: Police
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Pastime: Soccer
Chores:House Cleaning
Health: Fair
Laudy Mweemba- 9 years old Child #9
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: June 1, 2000 Sex: Male
He is in the 4th grade and speaks English and Tonga.
He lives with both parents, 2 brothers and 2 sisters in Mbozi.
Favorite Subject: Math
Future Career: Policeman
Favorite Pastime: Soccer
Favorite Color: White
Chores: Weeding
Health: Fair

Stephen Mweemba- 13 years old Child #15
*NOT SPONSORED*
DOB: Feb 1, 1997 Sex: Male
He is in the 7th Grade and speaks English and Tonga
He lives with both parents, 2 brothers, and 2 sisters in Mbozi
Favorite Subject: Mathematics
Future Career: Police
Favorite Colour: Green
Favorite Pastime: Soccer
Chores: Cleaning house
Health: Good


I wanted to feature one extended family all in one post. The benefit of doing this is that you can see who is living with whom, and can sponsor children in the same family, or even share a family with a friend. A lot of the children live with relatives, but that is all completely normal in Zambian life. The family is not just the mother father and children. The family includes cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc. It is interesting to note that in most cases, they do not differentiate between cousin and sibling/ father and uncle/ mother and aunt.

I will be sending out a second package of Ty beanie bears to the children sponsored from now until May 31st. You can choose the bear you would like to send your sponsored child, and you can even send them a letter! To see the teddy bears available, click here

Who is your family?

This is a simple post to kind of explain the typical Zambian family. Above you see the photo of my family (minus myself of course). My daughters are sisters, everything makes sense so far, right. Now, here is where it gets a little tricky...

In Zambia about 20% of children are not living with their parents. Their family is not the typical mother and father and 6.5 kids. Instead, it may be grandmother and one sibling as well as cousins in one home. Then, the mother and father may have 3 other children at home with them. The family is actually an extension of the immediate family we are used to talking about.

Look back at the bios of your sponsor children and you may see what I am talking about. The terminally ill woman and her husband for example:

They have 3 boys and on the boys' bios, it states they have 3 brothers and 0 sisters. However, these boys actually have a sister! The sister lives with the grandmother. Her bio says that she has 1 brother and 7 sisters. In actuality, these may be cousins that the grandmother is raising along with the sister. The cousins that may live in the home are treated the same as biological children.

This is something to look at when you are looking at your child's information. The children listed as brothers and sisters means that those are the children currently living in the home where the child lives. I wish I could live so close to all of my family. It would be nice most of the time :o)