OUR STORY
Support Sustain Succeed Zambia (S3Z) is a story of home.
Miriam grew up in Zambia. Her parents were missionaries there from 1976-1991, so this was Miriam’s childhood /teenage home.
Miriam is very familiar with the culture and the challenges that many of the local people face on a daily basis.
Miriam loves Zambia and is grateful for the years she spent living there.
Part of her heart will always remain in Zambia.
After her childhood in Zambia, Miriam moved to the USA, eventually got married, and had children.
Then in 2011, she and her husband, Charlie, visited Zambia on a mission trip with their 3 children.
Charlie was able to see all the places Miriam had talked about over the years and he experienced the country and culture for himself.
During that mission trip, they served individuals in under-resourced communities. It was there that they met Peter Chikoseleshi, a local pastor, who also directs a community primary (elementary) school for the vulnerable and impoverished children in his area.
Charlie and Miriam developed a close relationship with him during that trip that has deepened over the last decade.
We believe that education is power, and it cannot be taken away from someone once it has been acquired.
S3Z history & future plans
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2011 - 2019
After their visit in 2011, Charlie and Miriam helped periodically in the humanitarian work that Peter was already doing on a small scale in his community. They eventually helped him to start a registered non-government organization (NGO), Advocacy and Development for the Poor.
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2020 - just the start
In January 2020, after much prayer, consideration, and counsel, Charlie and Miriam founded Support Sustain Succeed Zambia (S3Z), a registered 501(c)(3). Their desire was that the two official organizations would work toward community development and self-sustainability for the individuals residing in their communities.
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2020 - focus on education
Beginning with the township of Mapalo, just outside the city of Ndola, they decided to focus on making sure that the most impoverished and vulnerable children in that community would begin to have access to education because, without education, there would not be much hope for a successful future.
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2020 - identifying needs
They immediately got to work identifying students who needed support in order to go to school, while also ensuring that those children would be able to continue their education through grade 12. They started with sponsoring 40 students in 2020.
They also began a children’s feeding program at the start of COVID with over 25,000 meals served through the end of 2021.
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2021 - keeping school open
They sponsored 100 students to go to school. Provided all 22 Mapalo community primary schools with digital thermometers and required COVID sanitation supplies to remain open for learning. All desks, textbooks, teaching books, computers and supplies were purchased in preparation to open the high school for grade 8 in January 2022
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2022 - a new school
In 2022, they opened a secondary school (high school) and as of the end of their first school year 2022, they are currently supporting over 140 students to go to school.
They also purchased land for school expansion.
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2023 - 2024 school expansion
The school expanded from 3 classrooms to 10 classrooms and opened additional grades! The 200+ students have more room to learn and study. Farm land was purchased for our agricultural classes.
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plans for the future
In 2025, we plan to launch a school support program for our pregnant and parenting female students by providing childcare on school site and offering mental health and academic support.
Charlie and Miriam’s hope and prayer is that others will join their endeavor to see thousands of impoverished and disadvantaged children in Zambia receive an education and be given the chance to attain their highest potential.
“It has been so encouraging to visit Zambia and see the children in their uniforms and in their classrooms receiving an education, instead of staying home with no opportunities or begging on the streets.” -Miriam
“In January 2022, we opened a high school and have plans to increase by one new grade each year. We continue to expand the school buildings and it is amazing to see the excitement grow amongst the teachers and students as the school grows..” - Charlie
We believe in Equality, Compassion, Integrity, Empowerment, & Respect.
Meet Barbara
“Hi, my name is Barbra. I am in grade 8 at Mapalo Bread of Life School. After secondary school, my dream is to go to university to pursue medicine so that I will become a doctor that will be saving people's lives. Thank you.”
We believe all people should be treated with fairness and dignity and their differences should be celebrated.
We know that when we are compassionate, we suspend judgment, we can build meaningful relationships and we can empathize with people. We believe acts of kindness and compassion are not a hand out, but rather a hand up. We strive to live and operate with the highest level of integrity, demonstrating honesty and openness in both our personal affairs and the work we do as a nonprofit.
To us, empowerment means recognizing and encouraging the abilities and strengths of individuals and helping them to reach their potential. We aim to incorporate all of these values in everything we do, ultimately acting with respect to all those we gratefully serve.
Meet Moses
"I am a teacher at Mapalo Bread of Life in the Department of Natural Sciences. The reason why I want to continue teaching at this school is because I want to make a better future for our children. Thank you.”