The House of Jerusalem Girls and Maternity Home - Zambia
Today:
The House of Jerusalem — formerly known as Silent Voices Maternity Home — in Kitwe, Zambia ministers to girls from the streets and
community who have unplanned pregnancies and who are alone with no support and no hope of caring
for their babies. Most of the girls come into this program through street ministries of our partners and
through Silent Voices Crisis Pregnancy Center directed by our partner, Barbra Mwansa. Silent voices
has been instrumental in saving the lives of thousands of children over the last eight years by offering
alternatives to abortion.
HOB funded the first permanent home in 2006. The ministry quickly outgrew this small house, and in July
of 2011 the ministry will move to a large home on a five acre property that will house at least 24 girls at
a time. HOB funded the construction of this home through the sale of the original house and additional
funds given over the last 12 months.
Girls enter this home at some point in their pregnancy and typically stay from 3 to 6 months. During
that time, they are given help and instruction on prenatal and infant care. They also have education
opportunities, job training and learn gardening skills as well. They are integrated into church life and
given a financial start to begin a small business to help them begin life after they leave the home. Ministry to
the girls continues even after they leave the program.
Currently, an HOB missionary who served as an intern at the home in 2010 is preparing to return as part
of the staff in the coming year.
History:
The birth of this ministry is primarily the result of the burden of our partner, Barbra Mwansa.
Barbra had a great concern that we provide a true alternative to the girls who entered the pregnancy
center with no way to prepare or care for a child. Some of them left convinced that abortion was wrong,
but had no place to live and no support. Through our existing relationship, we responded by partnering in
this work in 2006. HOB continues to support the home monthly thanks to funding from ministry partners in the states.
Looking Ahead:
This growing ministry has been housed in a very small, cramped home (approx 800 sq. ft) for the last three years. God has provided a huge five-acre property for farming, job training, and the construction of a new home (approx. 3,200 sq. ft.) will be completed in summer 2011.
With a larger home, House of Jerusalem can at least double the number of young women it can assist at any given time. In the last two years more than 25 women have received assistance from the Maternity Home. At that rate, within 5 years over 100 vulnerable mothers could be rescued and their children given a chance at life!
One Life Transformed:
This feature story on HOB Kids will be posted soon. Please check back again later.