Rock of Wisdom is a Christian education project based in rural Zimbabwe, created to provide children with access to safe, consistent, and meaningful learning. The project was founded by Julia Hopper and Geoff Hopper following Julia’s mission visit to the community in February 2025, where she encountered families facing significant barriers to education, clean water, and basic infrastructure.
What began as a simple visit soon became a clear calling: to help build a school that would serve as a place of learning, stability, and hope for children in the area. Working in partnership with Pastor Junior Gwenhe and local community members, the vision for Rock of Wisdom grew into a practical, long-term project centred on education, faith, and sustainable living.
The school is located on a large piece of land in Melfort, near Harare. Parts of this land are already being cultivated to grow crops such as maize, vegetables, and fruit trees. Alongside the school buildings, a farming and livestock project is being developed to support long-term sustainability, provide food for students, and teach practical life skills to older children.
Our Vision
We aim to create a learning environment where children are not only taught academic subjects, but are also equipped with character, confidence, and practical abilities that will serve them throughout their lives. Rock of Wisdom is intended to be more than a school building; it is a community-centred space where education, faith, and daily life are connected.
Our Approach
The project focuses on:
Providing safe and reliable classroom spaces
Supporting literacy, numeracy, and core learning
Teaching practical agricultural and life skills
Building structures that are simple, durable, and suited to the local environment
Working closely with local leaders and families
Our Founders
Julia Hopper is a student at Charis Bible College in Bradford. Her mission trip to Zimbabwe in 2025 was the starting point of the Rock of Wisdom vision, and she remains closely involved in the development and support of the school.
Geoff Hopper is a retired management accountant and also a student at Charis Bible College. He has served as a trustee and treasurer for several charities and provides financial oversight and practical guidance for the project.
Our Commitment
Rock of Wisdom is working towards forming a formal board of trustees and completing UK charity registration. Until this process is complete, all donations are handled transparently through JustGiving.
We are committed to honesty, accountability, and responsible stewardship of every contribution. Our goal is not only to build classrooms, but to help create a stable and hopeful future for the children and families this school will serve.