About LMO Education Foundation
Empowering the kids of Lord's Mountain to achieve their dreams
Lord's Mountain Orphanage was founded in the early 2000s by Bernard and Betty Lumene, missionaries from Congo. They developed a loving home, providing food, education, and spiritual formation for the kids, many of whom had lost their parents to AIDS. Bernard and Betty built a campus in Zambezi, Zambia, that included a girls' dorm and a boys' dorm, a kitchen and meeting room (study room), a guest house, a recreation hall, and a church. There the kids studied, played, hung out, and lived like one big family.
When the kids graduate from high school, they must take an extensive comprehensive exam to be accepted into college. It's not easy! But some have succeeded—several have graduated from teaching programs, one from physical therapy, and three remain in college.
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LMO also includes an electronic library: the Zambezi Electronic Library (ZEL). Begun with assistance from Libraries without Borders, the little Raspberry Pi server has books, videos, and other learning materials that the kids can access through Bluetooth onto tablets and computers. Former LMO kids are employed to run the library.
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In 2020, at the onset of Covid, the orphanage sadly was forced to close. The kids went to live with their closest relatives in the surrounding area (three are more distant but still stay in touch), while the high school students were able to board at their local school.
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The LMO Education Foundation was established in 2020 to ensure the kids achieve their education goals. Each one has the opportunity to go to college or trade school, to pursue his or her dreams.
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ZEL moved to a larger office space within the town, near the market, and there are dreams of providing even more educational opportunities for kids in the wider community. Stay tuned!
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The Board:
Barbara Noe Kennedy (President); Bernard Lumene (Vice President); David Kennedy (Treasurer); Kelly Deloach (Secretary); Holly and Dave Anderson; Rolanda Eldridge; Ashley Jenkins; Trent Jones; Saundra King; Betty Lumene; Jane Rinard.
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"Dream Big!" –Pastor Bernard Lumene
Our Mission
The LMO Education Foundation is devoted to the education and love of more than 45 kids in rural Zambezi, in the North West Province of Zambia.
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We are committed to:
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Tuition for all K-12 Lord's Mountain kids, including books, uniforms, etc.
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College scholarships to all LMO high school graduates
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Electronic Library access to the community, staffed by graduates of the former orphanage, with e-resources that include Khan Academy, Wikipedia, and Project Gutenberg, to name a few. Here's the library.
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By the Numbers
45+
kids K-12 supported since 2015
04
kids currently in college
04
college graduates with teaching and medical jobs
30
kids currently enrolled in K-12
Meet the kids here.
