ESNAT
Esnat Avon (nee Phiri) is the Chair and a founder trustee of CONTESA, Esnat was born in Zambia where she grew up at home in the village with her grandparents until the age of 10. Esnat attended Chipempi Girls School (the only girls secondary school in the colonial era). Esnat met and married Roger in Zambia, they have five children and five grandchildren. Esnat and Roger left Zambia in 1976 and then spent over 20 years in Hong Kong. Esnat returned to live in the UK in 1997 due to the ill health of one of her children. After Roger retired in 2003 Esnat got down to work to try and get her dream of establishing a charity to help some of the huge number of AIDS orphans (see Esnat’s letter) and then with the added impetus of a small inheritance from her close friend Connie Tatum (who had been a missionary in Angola in the 1950′s) Esnat finally got CONTESA up and running in July 2005. Apart from carrying out all the UK administration Esnat manages all the projects on a daily basis through phones, emails and CONTESA operators and administrators in Zambia (these people are not employed by CONTESA but are volunteers who in some cases receive an allowance).
Esnat has also written a series of childrens books based around the character Bongwe the Baboon, using the stories she was told when growing up. As 25% of the net proceeds of sales go to CONTESA Esnat is hoping that these books will be published to provide a steady income stream for CONTESA (she is still looking for a publisher). Please also read Esnat’s interview with Daniel Mwamba, Editor of UKZambians and feel the intensity and warmth of her passion, helping orphans and disadvantaged children through CONTESA.
Esnat’s latest thoughts & comments are:
I feel that CONTESA has progressed greatly even though we seem to be just scratching the surface as there are so many more orphans who need help.
I love spending time with all our grandchildren, as they are growing this time is increasing but thank goodness for Skype as those who are far and wide I can still see them at least once a week.
Wonderful that all the 51 orphans in Grades 9, 10 & 11 at Kabwe & Messiah now have sponsorship through CONTESA.
Contact Esnat directly at esnat@contesacharity.co.uk especially if you are interested in getting more information on CONTESA, getting involved, running support programmes or going on a trustee accompanied visit.
MARGARET
Dr. Margaret McDermott retired as a GP in Dorset eight years ago. She has five adult children, two of Afro-Caribbean extraction and eleven wonderful and gorgeous grandchildren.
Margaret was born in China and she always had a great interest in the wider world and she greatly enjoyed her spell in Kenya some forty years ago, where her late husband Peter taught and Margaret worked in a mission hospital on the edge of the Rift Valley. Margaret’s late husband also taught in Ghana and much later worked with Tools for Self Reliance, a charity enabling African artisans. Margaret & Peter had always hoped to return to Africa when their children were grown up, to contribute and be part of the positive development of Africa.
Margaret met Esnat at church and was inspired by Esnat’s vision for CONTESA and the partnerships that could develop with Zambia, giving her the opportunity to help in a practical, direct and accountable way with children whose needs are so great.
Margaret has been to Zambia five times since 2005 to visit CONTESA projects and take CONTESA supporters to see how funds are spent and the great work CONTESA is doing.
“It is a great joy and privilege to work with CONTESA and our Zambian partners and to see the amazing changes in the children we serve over the past 5 years, who now have some dignity and hope.There is always more that can and needs to be done though, so plenty of opportunitiesand challenges ahead. I hope to lead another (mainly) youth team to Zambia in July 2012.”
Contact Margaret directly at margaret@contesacharity.co.uk
ROSE
Nigerian born Rose is married to Englishman Chris Kaye, Rose has lived in the UK for over twenty years, she has many of her immediate family living here and in the Unites States.
For the past 20 years Rose has been a member of the UK Branch of the Amauzari Progress Union which was set up to provide support for the local native community of that name in Nigeria. Rose is also a trustee of the local charity ‘Fresh Stream’ helping poor families in Nigeria and Gambia.
Rose owns a hair salon business in Bournemouth which she established in 1995 and which specialise in Afro-Caribbean hair.
Rose was a founding trustee of CONTESA and has a great interest in orphans as she lost her own mother when very young. Rose has visited CONTESA projects and has a great empathy with the orphans and disadvantaged children.
Rose’s latest thoughts & comments are:
I’m so pleased to be able to support Contesa which is delivering so much help and joy to these children and where all contributions go 100% to supporting the children.
Contact Rose directly at rosekaye@contesacharity.co.uk
ROSEMARY
Rosemary trained as an infant teacher but after a few years devoted her life to being a wife and mother. She has supported her husband, John, throughout his life as a Methodist Minister. Originally from Cornwall, they served in seven circuits, including Verwood, where they became close to the McDermott family. Their final circuit was Abingdon, Oxfordshire, where Rosemary has made her retirement home.
Driving around alone, attempting to avoid the potholes and ruts, made me feel so much at home there. To see our projects growing, the children looking so keen and healthy after they have been with us even for a short time, and their exam results so high, is a true miracle. And all thanks to Esnat’s vision.
We hope that 9 of us will visit in July 2012. I can’t wait.
DOMINIC
Hi there my name is Dominic Wareham and back in August 2007 was my first trip out to Zambia to visit the Contesa supported projects. This was also my first ever trip on a plane so if I didn’t like it I couldn’t get off! I however had no problems on the plane I saw all the contesa supported projects. I also went to see Victoria Falls and went to Botswana to do a safari. Following this trip I then decided to make a return trip in April 2009. I revisited the projects and saw how they had progressed. It was great to see how the money raised by Contesa is being used to change the lives of so many children and disadvantaged people. Every single penny that is donated to Contesa is spent on Trustee approved projects I was asked if I would consider joining the board of trustees at the end of 2009 and I was honoured to accept this responsibility. I was formally appointed as a CONTESA trustee in January 2010.
Dominic has visited Zambia and CONTESA projects three times now.
Dominic’s latest thoughts & comments are:
May 2012 and I have just returned from visiting CONTESA projects in Zambia. I really enjoyed going back and re visiting the CONTESA projects, I especially enjoyed spending time with the orphans and being able to share their joy at the sweets and toys that I had brought with me. This visit I was also able to spend some more time at the Family Futures School in Kabwe where I helped the administrator, Patrick, with preparing reports and getting get various quotations. I was able to see how dedicated he is working at the school. Even though I was there for a short time I was able to bring a smile to the children’s faces. I am already looking forward to going out again. I enjoy being able to share with others the work of CONTESA and what is happening at the various projects. It was wonderful to hear that the exam results are yet again really impressive at the Family Futures School in Kabwe.
Contact Dominic directly at dominic@contesacharity.co.uk
KATHRYN
Kathryn is married with two teenage daughters and works in Change Management and Training with large retailers. In July 2010 she visited Zambia for the first time, accompanying her father, a supporter of CONTESA. They met some of the children, including some of the sponsored students, and saw at first hand the difference that CONTESA is making. It didn’t feel enough to support from the comfort of an armchair any more, and Esnat’s invitation to become a trustee provided an opportunity to become more involved.
Kathryn’s latest thoughts and comments-
“While I have often supported large charities, I could always keep the issues at arm’s length. Through Contesa I have seen the issues at first hand, been challenged to become more involved, and been able to see the impact our donations make on the lives of children in Zambia. When I visited in 2010, one of the highlights of the trip was to meet the two students our family have sponsored in memory of my mother. Their ambition and determination to complete their education was astounding – but they are not unusual. There are currently 50 students being sponsored to complete their education, and I am now to help administer this programme. I have just received 50 applications for sponsorship for next year from pupils who have been working hard to pass the necessary exams – and I am told that there are more on the way. Most of the students have lost one parent, some two. Many have missed some schooling and are much older than we would expect for the level of education they are undertaking, and all have no income coming into the home to pay school fees. I hope that we will find a way to help them all.”
Contact Kathryn directly at kathryn@contesacharity.co.uk
LISA
Lisa is married to Margaret’s son Richard and they have four children aged 14, 11, 11 and 4. She is a Registered General nurse and has worked in GP surgeries and currently works in Contraception and Sexual Health.
Lisa’s latest thoughts and comments- Iam hoping to join the 2012 trip to the projects and is excited about seeing all the progress in the 7 years since I last visited.
Contact Lisa directly at lisa@contesacharity.co.uk
JACK
Jack was born in Lusaka, Zambia and lives in Surrey UK where he works in IT and Finance as a Financial Modeller. He spends his non professional time with his wife Jenny and three children Luke, Thandiwe, and Nathaniel.
Jack has been active in sports in the past playing rugby and hockey and occassionally still dabbles in a game of hockey and enjoys photographing landscapes.
Jack latest thoughts and comments: ” I have been extremely fortunate to have a family and good friends who have given me love, support, opprtunities and a good life I now look forward to working with CONTESA to bring positive meaning to the the lives of stricken and desparate children in Zambia”.
Contact Jack directly at Jack@contesacharity.co.uk
ROGER
Roger, is the husband of CONTESA Chair of Trustees Esnat and he was a co-founder trustee. Roger is a public sector chartered accountant. Roger spent nine years working and living in Zambia (1967-1976) where he met and married Esnat. Roger was Finance Director of the Zambia National Provident Fund. He loved the country, people and gameparks and thought Zambia was a beautiful and wonderful country with great potential, he still does.
After leaving Zambia Roger worked briefly in the NHS at Westminster Hospital before spending the rest of his fulltime working career in Hong Kong as an accountant with the HK Government. Roger retired in April 2003 after spending his last ten years of his career as the Director of Finance & Information Technology with the HK Housing Authority. Roger loved his time in HK and has been back each year since his retirement to conduct some short term consulting assignments.
Roger has a passion for Africa (and African music and also reggae) and shares Esnat vision for helping orphans in Zambia. However Roger leaves the ‘sharp’ end of CONTESA activities to Esnat, Margaret, Rose, Rosemary and Dominic and concentrates his time & efforts on the CONTESA newsletter, website , Charity Commission BOND etc
Roger’s latest thoughts & comments are:
CONTESA has come a long way in just 5 years and has made such a positive impact in the areas where it is working.
Retirement is harder than fulltime work! However thankfully you can pick & choose and concentrate more on what you enjoy (when time is available).
Believe that ‘Music is the food of life’ as it has always been my refuge in times of stress and when I need to refresh my mind.
Contact Roger directly at roger@contesacharity.co.uk In particular please email Roger with any proposals, suggestions, ideas for corporate sponsorship, advertising, the CONTESA Newsletter or the CONTESA website.
