Falconer Trust
The Falconer Trust is a UK Registered Charity existing solely to provide support for The Falconer Children's Home, Kabulemema, a registered charity in Zambia which is, itself, overseen by the Zambian authorities. The Trust has no authority to make any decisions or impose any stipulations on how the Home operates but it has a duty to ensure that resources provided to the Home are used correctly. The relationship between the Home and the Trust is, therefore, a collaborative one, recognising the autonomy of the Home.
The Falconer Home came into existence in 1947, established by Lilias Falconer who was born in Manchester on the 15th July 1915.
At the age of 15 she was telling her family of the call on her life to go to Africa “to look after babies and children”. In order to fulfil her vision Miss Falconer applied to Medical agencies to train as a nurse. At first, her applications were refused until 1939, at the outbreak of World War 2, when she was accepted into nursing and trained by the Salvation Army. After a course in tropical medicine she sailed for Africa where she saw the plight of babies, left to die when their mothers died in childbirth. After agreeing to care for one such child, Luke Fundulu, five more were quickly brought to her and, with her six babies, Lilias went further into the bush where she established her Children’s Home and Orphanage, which continues today, in the small village of Kabulamema.
No child was ever refused admission to the Home, and although many arrived sick, undernourished and sometimes on the verge of death, Miss Falconer’s nursing skills saw many of them grow into adulthood. Lilias was awarded ‘The Order of Distinguished Service’ by Zambia’s President Dr Kenneth Kaunda in his Honours List in 1969 and the MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984 which was presented to her at Kabulamema by the British High Commissioner for Zambia; Lilias refused to return to the UK to receive it saying that if they wanted her to have it they better bring it to her.
Miss Falconer’s wish was that her work would continue by the children she raised and the success story of the Home is that some of the children stayed and when ‘Mama’ was ‘called to her rest’ in 1998 they were trained, willing, ready and able to continue the running of the Home. Her philosophy of care for every child remains true to this day. During a visit to the Home in 1999 Professor Nkuma Luo, then Minister of Health in the Zambian Government, said “This Home is a unique place”.
From her death in 1998 until June 2026 the administration and running of the Home along with the management of the needs of an ever increasing family was undertaken by Simon Samutala, a faithful and dedicated man, who came to the Home as a baby at just two days old. He will be sadly missed but the work now continues under the Directorship of his nephew, Clarks Chisola-Mukuma, and his team.
St.Margaret’s Church has been linked with The Falconer Trust for over 80 years supporting the work financially and prayerfully with several members holding long-standing, personal, connections with the Home. Our link is now maintained by Duncan and Susan Stansfield, two of the UK Trustees. Their two children, Nicholas and Megan, share a deep love of the home and had the joy of fulfilling a long held dream to visit the home in August 2016.
More information about this amazing lady and the place she created can be found at www.thefalconertrust.org.uk where you can join a mailing list to receive a quarterly newsletter, obtain a copy of the book that tells Lilias’ story, “Mama Ndoma – The Story of Lilias Falconer, The Lady with the Golden Heart” by Pat Webb, or a CD of the children singing.