John Osmers Memorial Fund for Refugee Education

John Osmers died on 16th June 2021 in Lusaka, Zambia, of complications arising from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

John was an Anglican priest who has spent most of his life in Africa working for social justice. He survived two assassination attempts from apartheid South Africa, one in Lesotho when he lost his hand through a parcel bomb and again in 1988 when he escaped from a death squad in Botswana.

In recent years John has been working with refugees in Zambia, especially those from Rwanda. Rwandans have lost their refugee status which means they get no support for their education and it is far too dangerous for them to return home. John has been paying the university fees for 23 students from his pension and gifts of money.

Now that he has died the students fear that they might have to give up their studies in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and computer science. Without help their only option would be to go to the Maheba refugee camp and be peasant farmers.

Elizabeth and Derry Gordon have established a fund to support these students through to graduation. If people would like to support John’s work, donations can be made to the John Osmers Memorial Fund for Refugee Education at this dedicated account:
38-9000-0142667-08
(Account name DR & ME Gordon).

There is also a givealittle page created by Marie Gordon (which pays into the same account, in the name of ME Gordon).