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Zimbabwe

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ON THIS PAGE: Project Manager  /  Food Situation  /  Sea container  /  Feeding & Sponsor A Child programmes  /  Sponsor A Widow  /  Schools: Mukombami, Kubatana, Molife, St Jude's  /  Schools Pastor  /  Boreholes  /  Churches  /  Want to Help?

Zimbabwe is a nation of economic uncertainties and deteriorating living conditions. Inflation is now running at 4500%, putting the price of basic commodities out of the reach of many people and causing extreme hardship. The droughts over the past few years have further reduced food supply. Life expectancy has decreased to 37 years and 5.5 million Zimbabweans currently live with the HIV/AIDS virus. The suffering and poverty of many people in Zimbabwe is further exacerbated by the turbulent political situation. Life in Zimbabwe is a constant struggle for the majority of people living with a lack of education, food and healthcare, and many have fled to neighbouring countries.

Smile has been working in Zimbabwe since 2002 and our projects concentrate on feeding programmes, child sponsorship, education, micro-financing, and HIV/AIDS awareness courses, with the aim of helping the disadvantaged to become motivated and self-sufficient, with a brighter future to look forward to.

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
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 container loading  Loading Zimbabwe sea container 1  Loading Zimbabwe sea container 2  Loading Zimbabwe sea container 3
Movie of sea container being loaded WMV 9 MB 2 min 15 secs

John Matiza with sea container
John taking delivery of the sea container of aid in 2007
  Clive bringing aid to Molife School
Clive bringing aid to Molife School in 2008

  
John and family with the generator  John Matiza with new vehicle  Emilies distributing aid at Epworth
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

Smile has been able to provide John Matiza with a generator and a new 4x4 vehicle. John writes: "The generator has been installed at the house. We want to take this opportunity to thank Smile International and all our sponsors for making this possible."

John Matiza presenting goats to widow  AIDS awareness workshop
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 Mukombami 1  Feeding Mukombami 2  Feeding Kubatana 1  Feeding Kubatana 2
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 to widows in Zimbabwe  Widows making school uniforms with sewing machines provided  by Smile
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 at Fungai 2003  Smile pre-school at Fungai roofless in 2008
Smile pre-school and community centre at Fungai in 2003 when newly built – Unfortunately now roofless

Fungai Vamwe sewing machines  Fungai Vamwe children with jumpers
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.

    Zimbabwe widows at Mukombami receiving food parcels
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.

Pupils and computers  Mukombami Primary School repainted  Clive with staff of Mukombami Primary School
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.

Mukombami pre-school children with graduation certificates  Mukombami pre-school boy with graduation certificate 
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.

Children at Kubatana School     
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 scheme at Molife School  John - feeding at Molife School  Computers for Molife School 
Feeding at Molife school – donation of computers

Molife School with Smile logo  Barbara distributing aid  John Matiza at Molife borehole
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 roof   St Jude's School classroom   St Jude's School books  St Jude's School latrine
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

Many people have to fetch their water from polluted rivers and lakes, which are often the breeding ground for bacteria and parasites that cause serious illness and death. A borehole provides clean groundwater and removes the necessity to fetch water from great distances, which can take most of the day and is often carried out by children who are thus deprived of their education.

New well at Kubatana School  Latrines
New well for Kubatana School – School latrines

Borehole at Fungai Vamwe Centre  Fungai Vamwe village families
Successful borehole at Fungai Vamwe village
  Borehole at Mukombami School  Borehole at St Jude's School
Successful boreholes at Mukombami School and St Jude's School

CHURCHES

Since 2002, Smile has been supporting churches in Zimbabwe by helping with building projects and setting up projects in the churches to help bring in necessary finances to sustain the church. In July 2006 Clive Doubleday ministered at Falls Baptist Church. In partnership with Chinotimba Baptist Church and Pastor Arnold, Smile showed the Jesus video in the remote Zambezi Camp on the banks of the mighty Zambezi river to approximately 70 people, of whom 20 made commitments to the Lord. Pastor Arnold said, "It was really good for me having you in my church. The Sunday that followed we had four people who received Jesus on the day of Jesus film. I hope they will remain as we continue teaching them." In 2008 the Smile team accompanied John Matiza to Eastlea United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, and also visited Ruwa Church where they distributed some of the aid.

Clive preaching at Chinotimba Baptist Church  Showing Jesus Video  Eastlea UCCZ  Ruwa Church
Chinotimba Baptist Church near Victoria Falls and showing the Jesus video – Eastlea UCCZ – Ruwa Church

Want to help? Here’s how you can

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.
 

 
 

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