-:- About Ebenezer Child Care Trust -:-

EBENEZER HOMES – MISSION STATEMENT
“A PLACE TO CALL HOME AND SOMEONE TO CALL MOTHER.”

Ebenezer Child Care Trust was founded in March 2001 and was initially a feeding program for street kids in the town of Livingstone, Zambia. Today it has expanded into a school for orphans and also rents out three homes where orphans are given the sense of a family they have lost. A Housemother lives with the children and takes care of them. The work of Ebenezer started when the Chara family moved to Livingstone following a vision given to Ranji on the 30th of March, 1996. In that vision God directed Ranji to begin a work among very needy children. She also saw little babies being helped, babies who had no hope of survival unless someone helped them.

She did not know where to start, or who could help her. The family moved to Livingstone to see what God would do next.

THE BEGINNING

Shortly after this act of obedience, the Lord connected them to some old friends they knew in Botswana. Kerstin Carlson, from Sweden, and Poh Choo and Wai Ying from Singapore. The ladies in Singapore paid the rent for the house the Charas rented out for some years. Kerstin contacted friends and churches she knew to help begin the work among Street-kids and orphans.

THE PRESENT

The work of Ebenezer is still growing and expanding and many other donors have joined their hands to help this work now. Among them are the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the USA. Ebenezer is very grateful to God and their donors for their invaluable support and help at such a time as this.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

The Founder, President, and Executive Director of Ebenezer Child-Care Trust is Mrs. Ranji Chara. Ebenezer Child-Care was founded on the 17th of March, 2001. Commonly known as ‘the Charas’ – the Charavanapavan family came into Zambia in 1982. Dr. Charavanapavan, a medical doctor, came with his family to take up employment after being selected by a team of Zambian doctors who came to Sri-Lanka.

Ranji, a Sunday School teacher, joined the Sunday School department in whichever town her husband was posted to, since she always had a passion to work with children.

In 1994, the family moved to Botswana for 7 years to educate their 2 children. In February 2001, the family moved back to Zambia, following a strong calling to begin a work with the children in Livingstone. This was a great step of faith since Ranji didn’t know any funding organization or anyone who could help her. But God in a miraculous way opened many doors, and the work of Ebenezer began. Dr. & Mrs. Chara, went in their Isuzu pick-up car every morning into the streets of Livingstone, and picked up children who were sleeping on the streets and eating from dustbins, and brought them to their church premises. The children were given a hot meal and soap and water to bathe. They were at first helped financially by some friends in Sweden, and as the money kept coming in, more and more children were fed and sent to school. A few months later Ranji rented out their first "children's home" for these homeless children. They now have three homes - one for girls and 2 for boys. They have 32 children at the present.

As the work began to grow there was need for structural planning. A Board of Directors were chosen and Ebenezer was Registered as a charitable organization on the 5th September, 2002.

Son, Sanjay (Above)

Pradeep and Jeevani (Daughter) Perera (Above)

Their daughter Jeevani, who was a qualified accountant (CPA) was also called by the Lord to join them to structure the organization and develop a strong accounting system. Financial reports are sent to all main donors regularly.

The work of Ebenezer began under a tree in 2001; we gave these street-kids a hot meal, and taught them the right way to live. They began to find a sense of belonging at last. Who despises the Day of Small Beginnings?

Currently we have around 30 children in the homes. The houses are costing about US $ 315 to rent per month. This is very costly for any Funding Organization. Therefore, Ebenezer Child-Care has just embarked on a building project on the piece of property they own. The property is on the main road to Botswana, just a little away from Town. The property is 250 m X 85 m and the Trust has got electricity connected to it and the water comes from a borehole. 3 Homes are being built right now to accommodate children who are really destitute and have no place to stay. The property is just next to the wild life sanctuary and elephants and buffalo come into the property very regularly. Ebenezer needs at least $ 25,000 to build a wall round the property for the safety of the children.

The trench is already been prepared for the wall, by faith.

Ebenezer is hoping to also raise funds to build a Home for babies. Many babies lose their mothers at birth or not long after birth. These babies often die, due to lack of nourishment and care by their relatives. Ebenezer is already adopting a 7 month old baby by the name of Esther, until the Baby Home is built. We hope to have at least 20 babies in this home, where proper healthcare and parental care will be provided.

All our girls in the Girls’ Home are very excited at the prospect of having a Baby Home built. Esther is being spoilt by everyone when she comes to visit us every two weeks for her food rations and healthcare. She is a happy baby and would never know what is in store for her, unless she is upheld by loving and caring hands. There are many babies like Esther whose futures are very bleak, unless caring people do something to help them.

EBENEZER TRUST SCHOOL

In 2004, the burden to start a school for orphan children grew, for the following reasons. There were so many children displaced and living on the streets, after the death of their parents.

A generation of children were on the rise, with no school, no hope, no future – just misery, uncertainty and gloom. They were living wasteful lives on drugs and alcohol.

Ebenezer Trust school was started on the 15th of June, 2005, for the sole purpose of helping orphan and vulnerable children get an education. There are still many children who are on the streets, because their parents have died. Their grandparents or relatives are too poor to send them to a Government school and as a result many children have lost hope of education. Ebenezer Trust School started with only 80 children, 3 years ago, offering HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS AND HELP TO THE NEEDY.

The Future of these children are bleak too, unless someone helps them in their education and see they get the necessary qualifications required for future employment. They are too young to understand the hopelessness of a future without parents or proper child-care. Ebenezer has provided this for over 280 children.

Leah, the Head of the School today, and her brother Yande, came to Ebenezer in 2001 as orphan children. Leah is a product of Ebenezer where she did a Diploma in Education and is the School Head now. Her brother Yande, is doing a 4 year IT degree Course in Northrise University. There are many other children who are supported by Ebenezer to do higher education in Secondary schools.

Rachael is another promising student supported by Ebenezer and so is Austin Austin works as an Assistant Chef in Sun International, Livingstone, after his education at Ebenezer. Loving arms from various parts of the world has helped this work to carry on and bring these orphan children to where they are now. Praise God for the awesome support we have received thus far.

The future of 280 orphan and vulnerable children have changed today, because someone cared enough to help them move on, from utter despair, to a bright future ahead of them.

Our children are given not only free education, but a nutritious meal and all stationery too.

The Meaning of Ebenezer is “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” Or “God is our Rock of Help.” True to its name, God has been our Never-Failing Help for all these years.

Today the help of Ebenezer reaches out to about 325 children in the community of Livingstone. Many people groups, churches, and Organizations help to fund this work now. The work is growing far and wide with the help of many faithful people all over the world. UK, Australia, Canada, America, and Sweden are among the many people groups and churches that help us. If not for the help of so many faithful and caring people, this work would not be possible at all. God has connected and still is connecting us to many people to day for the increase of this work among some of the neediest children. Surely He is our Ebenezer. We are so grateful to all our dear supporters in this work. The crown of our Success belongs to you. Thank you and God bless you.