Small School, Big Impact

Daine eagerly waited from his spot on the rug as his teacher at The Esther School in Chongwe, Zambia stood up to lead chapel.

The teacher spoke of the names of God and illustrated how Jesus is the Living Water. Daine drank in every word.

A few days later, Daine’s mother came to school with a request. She asked the teacher if she could buy a Bible for her son.

“Every day, Daine comes home and shares the Bible story he learned that day. He tells his brothers and sisters, and when he goes to play with his friends in the village, he tells them too. A Bible will help him to keep sharing,” the mother told the teacher.

Meanwhile at the school, Rita ran her eyes over the walls and white board of her Grade One classroom, reading everything she could see.

Something had clicked earlier in the year for Rita, and since then, she hasn’t stopped reading. Books, labels, phrases on t-shirts – whatever she sees, she reads.

After school, Rita takes out the one book she has: a children’s Bible. She reads to her 5th grade sister, who attends the local basic school.

Already, Rita’s English surpasses her sister’s, but everyday, Rita teaches her the English she learned at school.

These are only two of the many stories of the impact of The Esther School in Zambia, a mission-focused outreach of GEMS Girls’ Clubs, an organization recommended for support by the Christian Reformed Church.

The GEMS Girls' Clubs, formerly Calvinettes, were started more than 50 years ago in one church in Grand Rapids, Mich. by Barb Vredevoogd. Since then, the clubs have grown and are now based in many churches in North America.

The ministry has also taken on an international reach, as seen in The Esther School.

The Esther School began when a local chief realized the under- resourced and overcrowded classrooms that plague many of the schools in Zambia, and wanted to make a change, said Dana Krol, sponsorship coordinator of the school.

The chief donated 25 acres of land to GEMS Girls’ Clubs to build a school for the children of his village, and in 2012, The Esther School began.

At the heart of GEMS’ ministry is the vision of seeing girls around the world living out their faith and expressing love for God and for others, said Krol.

The Esther School is that vision becoming a reality. Girls all over North America are living radically faithful lives. They raise money, correspond with letters, sponsor a student, and find ways to support The Esther School, said Krol.

Currently, 98 students attend The Esther School, from preschool through Grade 2.

Each year, a class of 25 students will be added until all 12 grades are complete.

A Zambian teacher partners with an educator from North America to ensure the best combination of education and culture is provided to the students.

The Esther School seeks to be self-sustaining through using solar power, growing food for lunches, and reusing wastewater. Students are paired with a sponsor, who provides support by paying school fees, corresponding with their student, and faithfully praying for them.

At The Esther School, students become fully equipped to serve God, their families, and their communities, said Krol.

The impact of The Esther Schoolisn’t just found in one student, one school, or even one continent.

“It reaches far beyond. It’s found in the siblings taught to read. In the friends and family members with whom Bible stories are shared,” said Krol.

“It’s found in the sponsor who receives the daily prayers of their student. And it’s found in girls of the GEMS Girls’ Clubs across North America who give up birthday presents to support this GEMS’ ministry and learn to love in big ways.”