About Us

Don and Christine first moved to Zambia in 2001 for work and only intended to stay for a two year contract but liked it so much they decided to stay on. Their first house was in town near one of the shopping complexes, Manda Hill. There is a junction outside Manda Hill which used to be a hotspot for street kids. Wanting to help, Don and Christine began inviting these children to their house on Sundays to give them a meal and letting them shower, wash their clothes and swim in the pool. Christine is a doctor and would also tend to any minor medical issues the kids had or arrange for them to be treated in hospital for more serious conditions. In this way they got to know several of the kids and their stories.

Don and Christine

In 2002, a boy came to the gate looking for help with flu and scabies. He was brought in and treated for several weeks and eventually it was decided he would stay on and get enrolled at a nearby school. He was the first kid to become part of the family but he was not the last. By 2004, there were 18 boys aged 14-22 living with Don and Christine and more were asking to stay every Sunday.

In 2006, the next generation of street kids was beginning to appear at the Manda Hill traffic lights as well as other hotspots round the city. The average age for a child to end up on the street in Zambia is 11 and the average life expectancy once on the street is 7 years. This meant that if something was going to be done to help these new kids, it had to be done soon. Don and Christine decided to take the next step and bought the farm so that they would have more space to take on more kids. OMF was created and had 40 boys and young men on site by 2007.

Sunday lunches, 2006.

In addition to the work with street kids, there was now also a teaching farm set up. The farm uses conservation techniques and environmentally friendly methods, such as bio-gas, and showcases how to utilise a small space to maximise production. As the first boys began to leave home and make their own way in life, new additions would arrive. In 2009, a primary school teacher from England named Abi began a small school onsite for the farm labourers' children and children from the local community unable to afford school fees. Taonga school grew from a few children in a small room to having over 100 pupils and a purpose-built set of classrooms. By 2010, the majority of our first boys had left and it was a new set of faces. However, the work continued with each child bringing their own story and personality to the family. OMF has grown and developed in the ten years since it was established and continues to do so every day.

Family photos, 2008 (top) and 2013 (bottom).

Don and Christine both maintain careers which funds most of the project but we have a network of friends and family across the globe who sponsor school fees and donate money to help cover costs. While we are a registered charity we do not receive any government or NGO funding. Ever since the first boy was taken in, OMF has been run as one big family. We believe it is this philosophy that has contributed to our success where other institutions had failed.

To find out more about each individual project then go to the 'Projects' tab.