Zambia is an African country hard hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with almost one million of its residents infected by the killer virus, and some 90,000 already having died from it. Suffering is widespread, exacerbated by the poverty that affects eight of ten Zambians, but none suffer more than the children made orphans when their parents die of the disease. These children face a bleak future, without parents to care for them and little if any assistance offered by the state. The United Nations estimates there are some 1,250,000 orphans in Zambia.

In 2001, Adamson and Anne Musonda decided to do something to help the children made orphans by AIDS in their native Zambia. They started by providing the basic food, clothing and school supplies needed by 400 children in a poor area of Lusaka, the capital, but soon realized they would have to develop long-term programs to help the children build productive and successful lives. In order to organize and expand their activities effectively, the Musondas set up Zambia Hope International with a base in Lusaka and an office in Missouri to facilitate international support.

In 2007 Hope Mountain Foundation of Frederick, MD became the US base for Zambia Hope and is actively supporting Zambia Hope programs in the United States.

To help feed the children and to provide education in agriculture, with the help of Jay Tailor, their first major supporter, they established a 10-acre farm, not far from Lusaka. After a successful first year, the farm has expanded to 120-acres. At the end of 2007 it was raising vegetables, corn, soy beans and ground nuts. A 20 sow pigery was under construction as are two ponds for fish farming.

At the same time, seeing the sorry state of local educational facilities, Zambia Hope ‘adopted’ a local school to improve its buildings and equipment and to make sure the children had the clothing and school supplies they needed. In 2006, with a donation from Jay Tailor, work was started on Hope School, which will eventually offer classes from elementary through high school. The school will teach a program of self-reliance and personal responsibility, as well as practical skills, in addition to the public school curriculum. By the end of 2007 Zambia Hope was supporting four schoos with a total of 1,200 children.

Zambia Hope has conducted a successful program to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS through teaching responsible behavior to children, and has provided a local clinic that serves 18,000 people with much-needed medicines.

By utilizing all donations in a responsible way, making sure the money goes to addressing the orphans’ real needs, Zambia Hope has attracted a growing number of supporters from Europe and the United States.