See our Fundraising page for details of our SWIM 4 ZIM fundraising project.

PROJECT MANAGER Smile's Project Manager in Zimbabwe is John Matiza. John is a Zimbabwean who trained at Moorlands Bible College, where he gained a BA (Hons) Degree in Applied Theology, Community and Family Studies, and also gained a Higher Diploma in HIV/AIDS Prevention, Management and Strategy, from the College of Venereal Disease Prevention, London. John also gained an MA in Missiology at All Nations Christian College. Conditions are difficult in Zimbabwe at present. Power cuts, and shortages in the supply of food and other basic necessities continue to undermine the well-being and health of the population. John is continuing to distribute the aid that we are sending via container, and we thank all those who have contributed so generously. Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide all that John needs for the Smile projects that he is overseeing, especially our feeding programmes and care of children and widows.

John Matiza

FOOD SITUATION

The food situation is worsening by the day. Smile is currently feeding 1,800 children each day in four schools but due to food shortages John is now having to travel a 20-hour round trip outside Zimbabwe to Botswana in search of mealie meal (maize powder), fish and cooking oil as these are very difficult and expensive to purchase in Zimbabwe.

SEA CONTAINER

Thank you to everyone who helped us load the sea container for Zimbabwe on 3 October with sewing machines, computers and other aid, which will be distributed to those in need by our Zimbabwe Project Manager John Matiza. Our grateful thanks also to all those who so generously contributed the items, which will make a huge difference to many widows and orphans. Thanks also to Access Self Storage of Orpington for their assistance with the storage facilities, which is a great help to Smile's work and greatly appreciated. Movie of sea container being loaded on our Videos pages.

John taking delivery of the sea container of aid in 2007

Clive bringing aid to Molife School in 2008

  
   
John and family with the generator – and with Emily H and Emily Fon their Smile Global Gap Year, with the new Smile 4x4 vehicle, ready to take aid to widows and orphans in Bulawayo – The two Emilies distributing aid at Epworth in Harare

 
John presenting widow with goats bought under the Gifts With Love Scheme – Parents and teachers at AIDS awareness workshop organised by Smile

David Combes travelled to Zimbabwe with Smile for 3 weeks in September 2007 and spent his time helping John Matiza at Smile feeding and school projects, distributing some of the aid and ministering in local churches. We thank the Lord for John's ministry in helping to bring smiles to many more faces, and encouraging the local Christians and Smile project workers, as they face difficult situations and challenges.

FEEDING AND SPONSOR A CHILD PROGRAMMES

The Smile Zimbabwe Fund supports our feeding programmes for children in Epworth (a poor suburb of Harare) and at Mukombami School and Fungai Village in Murewa, 75km east of Harare. Regular donations to the Smile Zimbabwe Fund enable us to give consistent help to those most in need, and also increase the numbers we can feed. Many children still go hungry, causing suffering and adversely affecting their concentration and education. If you would like to donate to the Fund or sponsor a child in Zimbabwe, please download our Smile Sponsor A Child Leaflet PDF (2 MB) which includes both of these options. Thank you for your support.

     
Feeding at Mukombami and Kubatana Schools

Smile also supports a feeding programme run by local shopkeepers for street children in Chinotimba, Victoria Falls.

SPONSOR A WIDOW

Our Sponsor A Widow programme is providing food, basic necessities, and income creation projects for many widows in Zimbabwe. Smile provides sewing machines and pays the widows for making the uniforms for the children at Mukombami school.

 
John Matiza distributing food aid – sewing machines to make school uniforms

SCHOOLS WORK

In 2003-4 Smile built a pre-school for AIDS orphans in the village of Fungai. The building has been used as a community centre, medical clinic, various youth projects and a church on Sundays. Micro-financing projects have included craft work, sewing projects, bee-keeping, carpentry and artwork, bringing much-needed income and independence to the villagers.

We have a DVD with 5-minute film of each of the four schools below, and a 20-minute film of all four schools, which we would be glad to send on request, or provide a speaker to show the films.

 
Smile pre-school and community centre at Fungai in 2003 when newly built – Unfortunately now roofless

 
John Matiza distributing aid at Fungai Vamwe: sewing machines to provide employment, and jumpers for the children

MUKOMBAMI Smile also runs a child sponsorship programme at Mukombami Junior and High School and has assisted with repairs and building work to the school. The school, which was established in 1932 by the United Methodist Church, is situated 57km from Harare and their 18 staff educate 640 children – 300 of whom have lost one or both parents through AIDS. The school's vision is to be able to improve their premises and educational facilities, so that pupils leave at Grade 7 proficient in reading, writing, computer literacy and craft skills such as needlework, handicraft and food production. The building itself is greatly in need of refurbishment and redecoration, and needs more classrooms, staff accommodation, toilets and furniture. Basic school equipment is required, such as text books, computers, sewing machines and sports equipment. The kindergarten caters for a further 80 children and is in need of toys, paints, crayons and picture books. The school does now have electricity and would benefit from the provision of audio visual equipment, printer and photocopier.

   
Clive with the children at Mukombami Primary School who have just received the lovely knitted cardigans and jumpers that keep them warm on cold African nights: THANK YOU SMILE KNITTERS! The children are also wearing their school uniforms sewn by the widows. Picture 3: Widows at Mukombami receiving their food parcels provided under Smile's Sponsor A Widow programme; these widows are in great need and are grateful for the support they receive.

   
Computer training – Smile team member with Headmistress, and Clive with staff at the newly-painted Mukombami School

Smile was able to redecorate the classroom at Mukombami Primary School. We have other school blocks that we need to renovate and paint, this improves the conditions on which the children can study and gives them a greater sense of confidence and pride in their school.

   
Graduation Day for Mukombami Pre-school children who received their Smile certificates – John giving gifts to teachers and cooks

KUBATANA SCHOOL Smile is feeding 300 children at this school and also sponsoring some of the children. We would like to sponsor more of the children at the school and if you would like to help in this way, please visit our Donations page.

     
Kubatana school

MOLIFE Smile is also seeking to help Molife School (Methodist) which is in great need of text books and every type of school equipment, repair and refurbishment of school buildings and teachers' houses, including electricity supply, building of an admin block and repair of fences. At present each text book has to be shared amongst many pupils which greatly hampers learning. They have a structured plan of desired improvements for the future, and are committed to providing the best school they can with the resources available to them – in their own words "To create a vibrant attractive school which is efficient and effective in the delivery of all round education." Smile wishes to bring their long-term vision forward as speedily as possible, so the existing children do not leave the school without benefitting from the improvements.

Smile is looking for ways to help these and other disadvantaged schools, and if you would like to increase Smile’s ability to help such high priority schools, please consider a donation/fundraising for our Smile Zimbabwe Fund, or helping the children through our Sponsor A Child scheme. A good education gives these needy children the means to escape their poverty and become self-sufficient, responsible citizens of their communities

We are delighted to report that the borehole at Molife School has been completed. This will benefit the whole school and local community, and make a huge difference to their lives and their health. We give praise and thanks to the Lord for his faithfulness in providing for those in need.

     
Feeding at Molife school – donation of computers

   
Smile logo painted on school wall by gap gear girls Emily Fox and Emily Holden – Team member Barbara distributing aid – John Matiza at the new borehole at Molife School (completed December 2008)

ST JUDE'S ANGLICAN SCHOOL This school is located approximately 10 km from Mukombami School and caters for 300 pupils from the surrounding remote villages. Chief Executive Officer Clive Doubleday and the Smile team visited the school during their trip at Easter 2008. They were appalled at the dilapidated and poverty-stricken conditions at the school.

The buildings are in an advanced state of disrepair, with cracks in the floors and walls, broken or missing windows, and roof beams that have been attacked by termites, leaving them very unsafe. The few desks and chairs that exist are falling apart. The resources are extremely limited – they have 1 maths text book per 15 pupils, and these are very tattered and almost illegible due to wear and tear. The school is in great need of a water supply and toilet block.

       
St Jude's School: termite-chewed roof beam – rocks holding up the bench – pupils books – inadequate latrine

We would like to help the school in the following ways:

• Repair and redecorate the school buildings
• Provide school furniture and kitchen equipment
• Provide school equipment – text books, stationery and sports equipment
• Build new classrooms
• Build new toilet block
• Drill a borehole to provide constant fresh water

The school has a good amount of land and with help this can be brought into productive agricultural production, providing the school with their own food supply. We would like to undertake micro-financing schemes to enable the school and villagers to cultivate the land. This would benefit the whole community and start them on the road to economic improvement and ultimately self-sufficiency.

We would like to extend our Smile feeding programme to this school and see the children sponsored through our Sponsor A Child scheme.

SCHOOLS PASTOR Smile wishes to appoint a full-time Schools Pastor/Chaplain, to be based at Mukombami School, to oversee Smile’s developing work in the area. The new pastor will be conducting assemblies and RE lessons for approximately 2,500 children in four local schools, giving them pastoral support, as well as pioneering a new church in this remote area.

Our Zimbabwe Project Manager Rev John Matiza is currently advertising the post and your prayerful and practical support through our Sponsor A Pastor scheme to make this happen would be greatly appreciated.

BOREHOLES

 
New well for Kubatana School – School latrines

Successful borehole at Fungai Vamwe village

Successful boreholes at Mukombami School and St Jude's School

     
Chinotimba Baptist Church near Victoria Falls and showing the Jesus video – Eastlea UCCZ – Ruwa Church

TEAM REPORTS

A life-changing experience! 3-month Career Break in Zimbabwe 2009 by Jayne Smyth

"I have been blessed to be involved in three different trips with Smile International, twice to Kosova, and once to Zimbabwe this year. My experience of being in Zimbabwe was a life-changing one. I had the opportunity to be involved in lots of different aspects of Smile’s work including the Feeding programme, Child, Widow and Pastor sponsorship programmes, admin work, teaching in schools, witnessing boreholes being drilled and installed, visiting churches, and so much more!

I am so thankful to God for the wonderful opportunities He gave me to serve Him through Smile International and I saw first-hand the difference that showing God’s love in practical ways can make to so many people. I would encourage anyone who is led by the Lord to go on a Step-Out trip, or career break, to be obedient, and go for it! Of course, the experience could be life-changing but then life really is an adventure in God."

 
Jayne helping John Matiza distribute food and cabbages to the widows

Trip to Zimbabwe 2009 by Natalia Roe

"Wow, what a trip, I will never be the same again. Early morning ventures into the African nation of Zimbabwe – meeting pastors, children and widows and feeding them was such an incredible journey. I went to an African wedding and an African funeral and these things don’t happen in hours, it’s more like the whole day, but so incredible. The people were all so wonderful, accepting, loving and hospitable with the little that they had. The people of Zimbabwe are so poor, but believe me they are so incredibly rich in their continuous reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ. People are dying every day. They don’t weep anymore as it is so common; death there is like a cold here. What a humble nation, full of love and faith. Each minute of eachd day is lived out by faith alone. Not an ounce of selfishness, grumbling, desire for the things of this world, but totally living with and grateful for what they receive from the Lord. It was EPIC."

 
Natalia at Kubatana School and helping to distribute cabbages for widows

Want to help? Here’s how you can

• Support our Feeding and/or Sponsor A Child / Widow / Pastor programmes
• Fundraise to enable Smile to develop our projects in Zimbabwe – visit our Fundraising page
• Provide clean, safe water by donating to our Smile Zimbabwe Fund

If you would like to support our work in Zimbabwe, your donation will go into our Smile Zimbabwe Fund, from which we are able to develop the projects according to priority of needs. Donations may be made by credit card via our page on the Just Giving website (www.justgiving.com/smileint/donate), by calling 01689 883325 and giving us your details, or by sending a cheque made payable to Smile International and addressed to PO Box 3, Orpington, Kent, BR5 1WZ. Please mark your donation “Zimbabwe” – Thank you for your support. Full details are on our Donations page.