Nottingham church's Zambia building project

Daybrook Baptist Church is sending a team to Zambia for two weeks this summer to aid a building project run by charity Mission Direct

Twelve members of the church, including its two ministers, are going to build a dormitory for a rescue centre called Vision for Hope in the capital Lusaka. This will provide 20 girls safe accommodation where they can go back to school, develop new skills and hopefully be reunited with their families.

The team will also be supporting community projects including working with street children, a centre for abandoned babies and a food distribution centre. In addition they hope to lead a holiday club for 250 local children.

In total the team will comprise of 18 people, 15 from the Nottingham area.

Church member Jackie Jackson, who is leading the team, said, ‘It’s really exciting that we have this opportunity to volunteer on this project. We are a mixture of people, ages ranging from 12 through to 60 years, but we are all willing to work together and are looking forward to working with local Zambian builders to provide a safe place for these street girls.'

Each team member going to Zambia has raised their own personal support for their trip. As a team they also worked hard together in fundraising for the project itself - raising approximately £10,000 for building materials and resources for the centre, through activities such as a jazz evening and a 'Zambingo' night.

Locally Daybrook Baptist Church already serves its local community with a foodbank and a Job Club.

Mission Direct is a charity which focuses on practical mission, its volunteers either build or decorate classrooms, houses or clinics.