In Zambia the festive season is a time for giving, receiving and spending time with our families. On the eve of Christmas most families go to church and watch the Christmas play as it is a tradition in most churches to have the Christmas play on the eve.

All schools are closed during this period and children are all eager to receive something. Unfortunately it is not the case with most orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia because their families cannot afford.

They cannot even afford to have a traditional Christmas meal or celebration. There is nothing new for them on Christmas. Academic Work of Sweden donated money for Christmas to enable all the girls to have a Christmas to remember. Two Christmas parties were held in different locations and on different days on each side of the Livingstone to make distances to homes of the girls’ safer and easier to organize.

The first party was held at Nakatindi community school hall for the girls on the eastern part of Livingstone and the second one was at Youth community training Center (YCTC) on 6^th and 12^th December respectively. Transport was provided for all girls to and from designated points. The parties were scheduled for 2pm but the girls were so excited and started arriving at the venue as early as 10am. By 1pm nearly all the girls were there and were dancing and interacting as well as being entertained by traditional dances by a local drama group.  There was plenty of food for everyone, not forgetting a piece of the Christmas cake. One member of staff from Response Network was dressed as Santa Claus and dropped a gift for each girl and no one went home empty handed. Not only did the girls go home with a gift but with extra knowledge, Caleb Chabauni gave a motivational talk about the benefits of education. The Principal nursing officer for Livingstone District was also present and gave a health talk.

This is the rainy season in Zambia and because of the rain many people are freezing. So the Christmas gift for everyone was a school winter jersey. No need for the girls to worry about the cold now.

One of the sponsored students was doing extremely well at school and therefore qualified to study medicine at the University of Zambia.  So she got a very special Christmas gift this year: University sponsorship.

Part of the Christmas gift from Academic Work employees will also enable us to buy computers and put up a computer room at the Response Network premises, and this computer lab will be accessible for all the girls in the sponsorship program.

Christmas gift, university sponsorship, Christmas party and computer lab all in one package. Academic Work is the best Santa for 2014.