Dear Friend,

I wanted to take a brief moment to recap all of the exciting things that have happened with Sakamana in 2025. It is a tremendous blessing that we are able to serve (on average) 400 students year-round in a before-school nutrition program in Kabwe, Zambia.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND UNIFORMS

We were so blessed to receive a very generous donation from Hinckley Ridge Baptist Church. They were so kind to send four barrels full of school supplies, Gospel literature, and balls for the students. In January, we were able to distribute all of the goodies. On top of this, we also received an incredibly generous monetary donation from HRBC that has allowed us to supply the students with a school uniform. In total, 260 students attending seven different schools received a new school uniform this year Receiving a new uniform is a huge asset for each student. We have found some great shops in town where we can purchase most of the uniforms. For a percentage of some of the girls, we have employed a local seamstress to make their uniform since it is a unique design that cannot be found in a shop in town. The uniform project will continue into 2026.

STUDENT THANK YOU PROJECT

In May, we began writing thank you notes from our students to our partners. That was such a fun project to accomplish! It took many weeks, but it was enjoyable. I would go to the different areas where we serve Sakamana and bring 6-10 students each time to my house. Then, we would sit on the veranda while the students wrote a few thank you’s each. Afterwards, we enjoyed a snack together. I enjoyed getting to know the kids a bit more on an individual basis. Reading their notes to our partners also gave me deeper insight into what they wanted to do when they finished school. Even though the project took longer than I expected, it was well worth it! The thank you notes were mailed from the States in August. The response I received from so many of our partners was positive and encouraging.

IMPACT

On average, Sakamana serves 400 students Monday to Friday year-round. That is over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND STUDENTS served in a year. Absolutely incredible!!

In addition to impacting the lives of our students, we also employ 14 people in very small part-time roles so that Sakamana does not miss a beat. Serving so many students take a lot of helping hands!

IN CONCLUSION

God has been so faithful to provide for all of our needs in the past year. Our local currency, the kwacha, has strengthened by 27% in the past year which is good news for the local economy. Last year at this time, it was approximately K27.50 to $1. Currently, it is approximately K20.00 to $1. This means that our dollar donations need to stretch farther. Unfortunately, the price of eggs has gone up by about 11% in the past year. The price of milk is the same. Currently, the price of peanuts has gone up by 25% because it is planting season, and the supply is low in the markets.

If you feel compelled to renew your monthly partnership or send in a one-time donation, that would be a huge blessing to us. Visit our donor page at www.sakamana.org/donate to become a monthly partner.

I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you for your love and support for Sakamana. What a blessing each of you are to me, personally, and to our organization. I count it an absolute privilege to serve the students in our area through the Sakamana before-school nutrition program.

May God richly bless you in 2026.

Kind regards,

Rebecca Staal

Founder, Sakamana, Inc.

2025 Sakamana Re-cap

Umbrella Project 2025