FIELD VISITS SPRING 2024
Check out this publication co-authored by Pamela Mahohoma, Zienzele All-Star!
This past year, Kevin Ramsden, longtime Friend of Zienzele and academic colleague of Prisca’s, established a partnership between Great Zimbabwe University and the Young Global Researchers Project. Zienzele All-Star Pamela Mahohoma participated in the research for Phase Two of this project, and co-authored a report with a fellow student in the Early Childhood Development Department at GZU. Their report considers the role of NGOs in rural development in Zimbabwe, and focuses on the Zienzele Foundation as a model.
The report is particularly well put together, and is soon to be published- we are so thrilled that Pamela will have a journal publication under her belt!
We encourage you to read the report- it includes excellent interviews with two Zienzele regional representatives!
Here is an excerpt:
Mrs. Chirigo: The Zienzele foundation is our diamond. It has changed our lives. We are now living a greater life all because of the Zienzele Foundation. It has taught us to make use of our own two hands, that we should not sit on them, but rather use them to do work so that we can help our families. So I say to every mother out there, “Come and let’s work together.”
CLICK HERE TO READ ALL OF PAMELA’S REPORT, AND THE WONDERFUL INTERVIEWS WITH TWO OF OUR ZIENZELE REPRESENTATIVES!
WE HIT WATER!
Such exciting news to report:
ALL THREE BORE HOLE WELLS ARE COMPLETE, AND WE HIT WATER AT ALL THREE!
This was a massive logistical undertaking, and we are beyond grateful for the hard work put in by the members of our Zimbabwean Zienzele Board.
On behalf of the hundreds, even thousands of people living in the communities served by these wells, Nancy and Prisca would like to thank everyone who helped make this happen:
Cultural Survival Keepers of the Earth Fund
Dollar-a-Day Fund/ Player’s Philanthropy Fund
Several individual donors who wish to remain anonymous
and everyone that made a donation or bought a raffle ticket at our Z-Night fundraising event in May!
TOGETHER WE DID IT!
A CHALLENGING TRIP TO MUSHAI
It is always hard to see one of our groups having a hard year, when the numbers of women and the baskets they weave dwindle. This trip, the women and the kids in Mushai were welcoming as always, but it has clearly been a rough patch. We very much hope to see this group turn things around!
RUNGAI VISIT
BORE HOLE WELL UPDATE FROM THE FIELD!
And away we go! All three bore hole wells are being drilled, and we hope they will be completed during Nancy and Prisca’s trip!
These three Zienzele students sure earned their lunch! They worked for three days preparing the site for a bore hole well at their community center- it is so exciting to see things move so quickly!
also notice the addition of metal ‘cages’ around the windows- turned out the Centers needed to be baboon-proofed!
FIELD VISIT AUTUMN 2023 IS UNDERWAY!
Nancy and Prisca are at it again!
Prisca, Nancy, and Kevin Ramsden meeting with staff at Great Zimbabwe University, to celebrate Kevin’s project connecting students from six countries to research health work and education. Our all-star Pamela was one of the participants, and this study is to be published!
Musvovi ladies on a chilly day
Meet Chiredza Mahovo! Nancy met Chiredza at the Forbes 50 over 50 conference in Abu Dhabi, and she will do a business development workshop with Zienzele! Nancy and Prisca are both very excited about this new connection with such an impressive Zimbabwean woman!
a HOT day in Chomuruvati, but very excited to see four new members weaving baskets and much improvement in the quality and quantity of baskets here!
a meeting with Coordinators and Representatives on a chilly day (cozy and dry inside one of our Community Centers!)
SHIPMENT: NEW BASKETS IN/ CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD CLOTHING OUT!
ONCE A YEAR, ZIENZELE RECEIVES A SHIPMENT OF BARRELS FULL OF NEW BASKETS, AND WE FILL THOSE BARRELS WITH DONATED CLOTHING FOR CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS.
THE BASKETS ARE HERE!
WHICH MEANS: KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR POSTS ON OUR INSTAGRAM/FACEBOOK PAGES ANNOUNCING NEW INVENTORY IN OUR ONLINE BASKET SHOP, OR IN-PERSON BASKET SALE EVENTS THIS AUTUMN.
CLOTHING WILL SHIP SOON!
WHICH MEANS: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION OF CLOTHING, NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO REACH OUT TO NANCY BY EMAIL—WE DO ASK THAT YOU GET IN TOUCH SO THAT WE CAN LET YOU KNOW THE SPECIFIC KINDS OF CLOTHING/SHOES/ETC THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS THAT WILL RECEIVE WHAT WE SHIP.
ZIENZELE AUTUMN 2023 FIELD VISIT: MUCH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT!
THANKS TO SEVERAL VERY GENEROUS DONORS, THIS AUTUMN, NANCY AND PRISCA WILL BE MAKING THEIR FIELD VISITS IN A NEW-TO-US VAN! AND GOOD THING—THERE ARE EXCITING THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TRIP!
1) WE WILL HAVE TWO PEOPLE JOINING US, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE THRILLED:
KEVIN RAMSDEN HAS BEEN OUR DEDICATED FRIEND OF ZIENZELE AND A VERY SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER FOR US IN KYOTO JAPAN SINCE ZIENZELE’S VERY FIRST DAYS, AND PRISCA AND I ARE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM JOIN US FOR PART OF OUR TRIP!
THIS YEAR, A BRIGHT AND ENTHUSIASTIC YOUNG WOMAN CAME TO Z-NIGHT AND INTRODUCED HERSELF TO US—AND WOW DO WE FEEL LUCKY TO HAVE MET HER! TANAKA CHIKATI IS A DARTMOUTH STUDENT FROM ZIMBABWE, AND SHE WILL JOIN US FOR OUR FIELD VISITS THIS AUTUMN. TANAKA IS ALREADY PLANNING NEW WELLNESS WORKSHOPS FOR OUR ZIENZELE WEEKEND, AND WE ARE BEYOND IMPRESSED—WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT SHE IS GOING TO BE A PART OF OUR WORK!
2) BOREHOLE WELLS! OUR HOPE IS THAT THE DRILLING WILL BE FINISHED WHILE WE ARE THERE, SO WE CAN SEE THE POSITIVE IMPACT ACCESS TO SHARED WELLS WILL HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITIES!
THREE EXCITING UPDATES!
THREE EXCITING UPDATES:
1) THANKS TO SEVERAL VERY GENEROUS DONORS, ZIENZELE HAS THE MEANS TO PURCHASE A NEW-TO-US VAN, ENSURING THAT NANCY AND PRISCA’S AUTUMN FIELD TRIP WILL HAPPEN AS PLANNED!
2) ZIENZELE WILL RECEIVE A GRANT FROM THE OBERKOTTER FOUNDATION, THANKS TO A HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO HAS BEEN A LONG-TIME VOLUNTEER AND WALK-FOR-ZIENZELE STAR! THIS STUDENT WROTE AN ESSAY ABOUT ZIENZELE THAT NOT ONLY EARNED HIM A SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE OBERKOTTER FOUNDATION— THE FOUNDATION WAS MOVED ENOUGH BY HIS ESSAY TO MAKE A DONATION TO ZIENZELE! CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, KIDDO!
3) WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE LISTEN CENTER—MUCH OF THE CLOTHING THAT WE SHIP TO ZIMBABWE FOR CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD CHILDREN IS GIVEN TO US FOR FREE BY THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION. THIS YEAR, LISTEN HAS A NEW DIRECTOR, ROB ROY MCGREGOR, WITH STRONG CONNECTIONS TO ZIMBABWE— HE LIVED IN ZIM FOR YEARS, AND WHEN HE LEARNED WHAT WE DO, HE REACHED OUT TO NANCY. HE HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ZIENZELE AND LISTEN; WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE LOCAL ORGANIZATION!
Z-NIGHT 2023 WAS A HUUUUGE SUCCESS!
WHERE TO BEGIN?!?!
This year we had more NEW supporters join our event than ever before! In part, this was due to the enthusiastic interest shown by folks at Kendal in Hanover, following Nancy’s presentation there in May. We are still moved when people respond so wholeheartedly and generously to the work we do! It was a thrill to meet so many new Friends of Zienzele!
This year our silent auction was our most successful yet! We are grateful to the many local businesses and artists who donate to our auction—we end up with a diverse selection of auction items, and this year sure proved that to be a recipe for success!
Anyone who attended this year could not help but be impressed by the STUNNING live musical performance of KeruBo and her supporting band, and the delicious food by the barefoot Gourmet. GREAT NEWS, FOLKS: BOTH will be back next year! So keep an eye out for our save-the-date post and polish up your dancing shoes….
Last but not least:
WITH YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT, WE REACHED OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR THE BOREHOLE WELL CAMPAIGN!!!!!!
This summer, drilling will begin! WE DID IT!
ZIENZELE’S 2023 FUNDRAISING PRIORITIES
TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF:
EDUCATING CHILDREN
EMPOWERING WOMEN
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Dear Friends of Zienzele,
Happy New Year! We are heading into 2023 — our TWENTY-THIRD YEAR!!!—with great optimism, and as always, Nancy and Prisca have big plans!
We would like to draw your attention to programs central to our mission, that are funded entirely by the donations we receive. Our capacity to maintain these programs and expand them depends year in and year out on the generosity of our supporters— we thank you for the support that has brought us this far, and ask that you consider making Zienzele a part of your annual charitable giving in 2023!
CLICK HERE TO MAKE A SECURE ONLINE DONATION!
ZIENZELE’S 2023 FUNDRAISING PRIORITIES:
POST-SECONDARY DEGREE PROGRAM
During our most recent trip, we held career workshops for secondary students and for students who finished secondary school during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when next-step options were unavailable. We have identified eighteen students who did or are doing well enough now at the secondary level to advance into a post-secondary degree– and they are eager to do so! This year we are looking to raise the funds we need to support all of these students through a post-secondary degree. These advanced degrees and professional certificates are so important: each degree gives a young person the ability to support themself, and this independence has huge consequences for their safety and that of their family.
SECONDARY SCHOOL PROGRAM
Zienzele supports fifty-six current students in secondary school; forty more students are poised to advance from grade seven into secondary school, if Zienzele can provide support in the form of fees and help with basic expenses like uniforms, books, and school supplies. Every single year that we can keep a student in school improves their long-term life outcomes. This is especially true of young women–by every measure, young women’s lives are safer and healthier the longer they stay in school.
CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD PROGRAM
Zienzele has forty-three Child-Headed Households in need of sponsorship in 2023. A year’s support, which includes school fees, food staples, clothing and shoes, costs $365– one dollar a day makes a profound difference for our most vulnerable families. We are so thankful for the support of our existing sponsors–your generosity has changed SO many lives! Let this be a gentle reminder to renew your sponsorship for 2023 if you wish to continue your support for this program (and have not already done so). If you are new to this program or are considering becoming a sponsor, learn more about what we do for child-headed households by CLICKING HERE
BOREHOLE WELL CAMPAIGN
We have realized our dream of building three community centers, and our caregivers have drawn our attention to a need for access to a shared borehole well. Access to water is precarious so many places around the world, and Zimbabwe is no exception to this. In the villages where we work, cyclical drought is a constant source of anxiety and hardship, in part because these rural areas often have no access to deep drilled wells–when riverbeds run dry, that is it. Over the next three years, our goal is to fund the drilling of three bore hole wells, one at each community center. This year we hope to raise $8000 to fund the first borehole at the Community Center in Berejena.
We have been so fortunate to have your enthusiastic support! For over twenty years, the friends of Zienzele have consistently responded with generosity to our calls for donations, and that has empowered us to rise to the evolving needs of the children and caregivers that we support.
TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF CHANGING LIVES!
Your support has made an indelible impact on generations of young people, and on entire communities.
Please consider making the Zienzele Foundation part of your 2023 annual charitable giving!
Thank you again for your support, and here’s to another year of changing lives by educating children, empowering women, and building community!
Nancy and Prisca
FIELD VISIT AUTUMN '22: OUR THIRD COMMUNITY CENTER IN RUNGAI!
With your generous support, and with dedicated hard work on the part of our Rungai-area women’s cooperatives, WE DID IT! Our third and final Community Center is complete and already being put to great use!
Each of our three main regions have their own community centers!!!
CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD DAY, AUTUMN 2022
FIELD VISIT AUTUMN '22: WOMEN'S HEALTH WORKSHOPS
Once again, the amazing Cynthia Stadler joined us and led women’s wellness workshops for our caregivers. In the past Cynthia has run cervical cancer screening workshops, and this time, she led workshops focused on the broader symptoms of aging: the changes associated with menopause, arthritis, and more. We believe information is an important form of power—if women are aware of the health risks they face, they are better equipped to demand the care they need to stay well.
FIELD VISIT AUTUMN '22: BASKET SHOW!
Not to tease, but check out the baskets our women’s cooperatives brought to the Basket Show competition!!!! Thank you again to Cynthia Stadler for these wonderful photo portraits of our star weavers from each group!
FIELD VISIT AUTUMN '22: CAREER WORKSHOPS
This visit we held career workshops for secondary students and for students who finished secondary school during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when next-step options were unavailable. We have identified eighteen students who did or are doing well enough now at the secondary level to advance into a post-secondary degree– and they are eager to do so! This year we are looking to raise the funds we need to support all of these students through a post-secondary degree. These advanced degrees and professional certificates are so important: each degree gives a young person the ability to support themself, and this independence has huge consequences for their safety and that of their family.
Our workshops also supported students who will not proceed to a post-secondary degree, by identifying for them the kinds of opportunities open to them with their secondary degree. We emphasized the importance of having more than just a plan A or B, and how that helps people more readily adapt to the unpredictability that is a fact of life in Zimbabwe (and elsewhere). We spoke with students about the risks involved in two choices that often feel like the only options: marrying young and seeking work in South Africa. We talked about the risks, but also we discussed ways to be safe-ER if that ends up being the choice they make.
Hooray, Radhizho!
FIELD VISIT: AUTUMN 2022
Enjoy these wonderful photos taken by Cynthia Stadler during our Autumn ‘22 trip!
CHILD-HEADED HOUSEHOLD DISTRIBUTION DAY
WHAT MORE CAN WE SAY?
This is always one of the hardest best days of every trip. Our most vulnerable families, but WOW do we see what a profound difference we can make in children’s lives with this program.
PLEASE:
if contributing to this program is within your means, please do consider sponsoring a child-headed household.
$365 a year accomplishes SO MUCH.
heading home with their Child Headed Household supplies
Secondary School All-Star and future lawyer Radidzo with her new hat, clothes, backpack, shoes, school books and food staples…. we are SO proud of you, Radidzo!
This was the Gavhu family’s first Child-Headed Household ‘day’: Raizhou, Sheperd and Alpha (Hardlife stayed home). They were very happy with the school uniforms, clothes, shoes, food, and supplies. We are SO glad that we have found this family.
RUNGAI WORKSHOPS
Pamela and Edith, both Zienzele kids grown into wonderful strong young women, lead a workshop for a new generation of Zienzele kids!
Blessing lends a hand as Pamela and Edith lead a Red Light/Green Light workshop about making smart choices
boys paying close attention
running around between workshops to stretch legs and have some fun!
a Zienzele workshop highlight: ‘aroostashah’ at Rungai
Sandra (Grade 3) is a perfect spokesperson for ‘Be Focused’: she is Edith’s firstborn child and a second generation Zienzele kid. Every year a girl stays in school makes an exponentially positive difference in ‘outcomes’ : their physical and emotional health, their safety in relationships, and their capacity for financial independence. It means SO MUCH for us to see healthy, educated, resilient Zienzele women setting their daughters on the same path. Your donations make it possible for us to bolster these hopes, and make sure these girls get every chance to thrive.
a great day of kids’ workshops in Rungai!
a very attentive crowd of Zienzele Ladies, and a good day to work inside to stay cool (at the Zienzele Community Center)
Stanford, from Caritas, led a business management workshop for the ladies
and not to brag, but some of these ladies have been developing a very smart new business: selling prepared ready-to-weave sisal fibers to our basket groups!