Riverside Farm Institute

Riverview Wellness Centre is a tastefully designed facility ideally situated on 1,200 scenic hectares overlooking the Kafue River. Easily accessible, the Wellness Centre is only 60 kilometres south of Lusaka.

Riverview Wellness Centre is a member of Outpost Centers International. If you are suffering from a disease caused by lifestyle practices, Riverview, with its warm, homelike atmosphere of peace, solitude and relaxation, gives you an opportunity to get your health back on track, with facilities designed to provide personalised care. At Riverview you'll learn how to incorporate healthy habits into your lifestyle.

By offering informative health lectures, individual counselling and cooking classes, Riverview provides the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about good health practices. It ensures you can become self-confident about continuing your personal wellness programme at home.

Being a Seventh-Day Adventist Centre, daily devotions are held at 7:00 every morning and church services are held every Saturday. Whilst guests are very welcome to attend, there is absolutely no obligation to do so. However, no smoking or alcohol is allowed on the premises. On the site there is also a vocational training centre and a well-stocked Christian bookshop.

The scope of the centre

By getting down to the root cause of illness, rather than just treating the symptoms, Riverview Wellness Centre has successfully helped in the management of:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Obesity and weight management
• Heart disease and stroke recovery
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Impaired immune system
• Stop smoking
• Stress management

A physician meets each guest at the beginning of their programme, and at the end, and an experienced nurse is available. But this centre is not a hospital and the team are not able to accept the very sick. Riverview Wellness Centre is also not able to promise a 100% cure, and they cannot help irreversible health deterioration.

Health packages

Options available include day visits, weekends, five day mid week packages, and 10 day health and healing packages. Each programme has a specific health goal. The health solutions offered include immune boosting, general health and healing, stress recovery, stop smoking and weight loss. All fees are subject to change, errors and omissions excepted. Riverview program packages include:

• Accommodation and all meals (vegan)
• Health assessment (including cholesterol analysis, if necessary)
• Treatments (massage, hydrotherapy)
• Health lectures
• Cooking demonstrations
• Exercise, casual or guided
• A personal, friendly and caring service

Herbs such as moringa, aloe vera, wheat sprouts and fenugreek are given for specific health issues. These are naturally grown at the centre wherever possible.

Treatments

The Riverview selection of therapies are designed to promote health and well-being. They include massage, special hydrotherapy treatments and a combination of treatments which are included in the program package and usually last one hour. Although most treatments are scheduled as part of a particular program, other treatments may be recommended during a guest's initial health consultation.

Treatments are generally scheduled between 14:30 and 18:00 hours. No treatments are available on Saturdays. Massages include Swedish style, hot pack massage, lymphatic drainage, upper body and foot massage. Special hydrotherapy treatments include hot pack super treatment, relaxing sheet wrap, ice massage, hot foot bath and mild fever therapy.

Directions From:

Lusaka: drive south through Kafue town (towards Chirundu), past the Livingstone turnoff. Shortly after the turnoff there is a Total filling station from which you can see the large Riverside Farm Institute road sign. Follow the signs.

From Livingstone: drive towards Lusaka until the T-junction when you turn towards Chirundu. After a few hundred meters you will pass the Total filling station from which you can see the large road sign (Riverside Farm Institute). Follow the signs.

From Chirundu: drive towards Lusaka. After you pass the Nanduba Secondary School, before the turnoff to Livingstone, you'll see the large Riverside Farm Institute sign to your right. Follow the signs.

Riverside Farm Institute began in 1974 when the then owner Dr Foster invited Wildwood Sanitarium and Hospital in the US to send a group of pioneer medical and educational missionaries. Since then there have been American missionaries at Riverside. Riverside is now a multicultural hub represented by volunteer missionaries and workers from three continents and six different countries.

The institute is a supporting ministry working in co-operation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its mission is four-fold: to train, evangelise, serve the community and be self-sustaining. The Institute is a member of two international organisations – Outpost Centers International and Adventist Laymen's Services & Industries.

Course details

Riverside Farm Institute runs the following courses:-

• Scientific gardening
• Tailoring course
• Lifestyle educator course
• Evangelism course
• Nutrition seminar

Except for the nutrition seminar which lasts one week, all programmes are four months courses. Separate dormitories are available for male and female students, and there is a clinic and a library on campus.

Application process

Prospective students should apply by completing and submitting an application form. Further details and down-loadable application forms are available on the Riverside Farm Institute website. After applying, qualifying students are informed by letter of their acceptance. A non-refundable deposit of K200,000 secures a study place.

The balance of the tuition fees is payable on arrival. Students wishing to study Evangelism or take the Lifestyle Educator course also need a recommendation letter from their pastor or church.

Foreign students should contact the Education department at least four months prior to the start of their chosen course as they will need to apply for a study permit.

Current fees

Except for the Nutrition Seminar, courses last four months and fees include accommodation, tuition and meals. All fees are subject to change, errors and omissions excepted.

If you have any queries, contact the Education Secretary Mr Mutaka using the contact details on the right. Or download the online application form to submit your application.

Cost for self-sponsored Zambians:

• Scientific gardening, K1,020
• Tailoring, K1,300
• Lifestyle Educator, K1,100
• Evangelism, K900
• Nutrition (5 day course), K160

Cost for sponsored Zambians:

• Scientific gardening, K1,120
• Tailoring, K1,400
• Lifestyle, Educator K1,200
• Evangelism, K1,000
• Nutrition (5 day course), K200

Cost for students coming from abroad:

• Scientific gardening, US$700
• Tailoring, US$700
• Lifestyle Educator, US$700
• Evangelism, US$700
• Nutrition (5 day course) US$700

If you cannot come in person, Lusaka orders can be delivered free of charge. For other towns in Zambia, Riverside Christian Book Shop is happy to post your order to you, or send it by bus. Send your name and order by sms to 0976 017 293. The bookshop will sms you the total cost (includes packaging and postal charges) and bank account details.

Once you have deposited the cash and notified the bookshop, your order will be delivered. All book prices are subject to change, errors and omissions excepted. Riverside Farm Institute also offers missionary training and natural health programmes.

An appeal

If you have any such books in good condition that you no longer need, the Riverside Book Shop staff invite you to contact them as they are always happy to take second hand books.

Directions

From Lusaka, drive south along Kafue Road towards Chirundu. Crossing Kafue River bridge, keep straight for about 500 m after the police checkpoint. Turn off to the left at the large Riverside Farm Institute sign. You will reach the gate after 3 kilometres.

Books and items usually in stock include

• General titles
• Ellen G. White hard cover titles
• Bibles
• Felts