About Lubasi Home
Foundation
Livingstone, a city of 114,000 people, has the highest AIDS incidence in Zambia, with 31% of the adult population being HIV-positive. Deaths from AIDS have resulted in a very large number of orphan children, and although by Zambian tradition, orphans are cared for by the extended family, there are many whose remaining relatives can no longer cope with the number of orphan children. At least 80% of Zambians are living in extreme poverty, which is exacerbated by the AIDs pandemic.
Lubasi Home resulted from the vision of a Livingstone resident, Mr Antony Ranjan, a Sri Lankan, who felt the need to do something for the orphans who are not being cared for, many living on the streets. Mr M C Patel of the Chhaganlal family offered capital funding from the proceeds of his businesses in Livingstone. The Social Welfare Department of the Zambian Government offered some buildings which used to be a Place of Safety for vagrants and destitute people, but had not been used for some years due to lack of funds.
The Catholic Bishop of Livingstone was approached for support in providing supervisory staff, and found two religious sisters and a brother to act as part time administrators. We now have one full-time religious sister, Sister Sylvia from South India, a member of the Holy Spirit Sisters.
A Board of Trustees was formed in October 2001 and renovation of the buildings and erection of a boundary wall were completed in March 2002, when staff were engaged and the Home opened with 10 children selected by the Social Welfare Department. Numbers soon increased to 20, mostly double orphans. In 2004 we are taking in 40 more children and selection is under way with the help of the churches and other community organisations, through the Social Welfare Department. We are especially looking for girls, as they are under-represented in Lubasi and other orphanages.

Board of Trustees
The first chairman of the trustees was a Catholic priest from Brazil, Fr Omir Oliveira. He played a large part in supervision the renovations of the buildings but was then transferred to another part of Zambia.
One of our founders, Mr M C Patel, died in 2003 the day before the official opening.
Trustees as at April 2004 are:

Chairperson: Antony Ranjan (Resident Partner, Moores Rowland Chartered Accountants and Assistant Governor, Rotary District 9210)
Secretary: Mr Elias Mutale (lawyer and member of the Lions Club)
Treasurer: Margaret Whitehead (City Councillor)
Administrator: Sr Sylvia, Holy Spirit Sisters
Assistant Administrator: Sr Agnes Daka, Sisters of St Francis
Assistant Administrator: Brother Patrick Murphy (Christian Brothers)
Mwape Walumba (Provincial Social Welfare Officer) (ex-officio)