TWO FORMER members of Inspiration (Church of the Nations) in Okehampton recently returned to the town to talk about their new life in Zambia. Phil and Hilda Cracknell, who left Okehampton in 2005, live and work in Mukinge in the Kadempa district of Zambia. Zambia is known as the ?Real Africa? as it is three times the size of the UK but has a population of only 11.5million. The life expectancy for a man in Zambia is now only 38 years. The couple both work out of the Mukinge Hill Mission, which provides for a full-time secondary school, a hospital, college academy, and a basic school. The Cracknells have also built their own home, which at present is occupied on a daily basis by 75 children as a pre-school. The secondary school is a girls? school and currently has 520 pupils. The cost to put a child through education amounts to £40 per school term. This includes food, books and all materials. Mr Cracknell talked about the bursary scheme for both the school and nurses? training and the need for additional funds. He said that 50% of the children admitted to their Mukinge Hospital have already contracted AIDS/HIV. Mr Cracknell first went to Zambia in 1995 where he met his future wife and they later married in the UK and lived in Okehampton for two years. They were both active members of Inspiration church and Mr Cracknell also worked for Gilead Foundations, near Jacobstowe. They have two children Wami and Olivia. Pastor of Inspiration Mike Davies said: ?It amazes me how much we can actually do from the UK as far as money is concerned ? £120 to provide for one child?s education and food for the year, or £260 to pay for a nurses? training for one year. ?We can use our money to basically change a person?s life.? If anyone is interested in supporting the Mukinge Hill Mission then contact Mike Davies at: The Inspiration Centre, 101 & 103 Northfield Road, Okehampton, EX20 1BA or phone 01837 659233. It is hoped that in 2008 a mission team will travel from the south-west of England to visit Mukinge. It will involve a long over-land journey through Zambia. For more information contact Mike Davies.
