Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Monday in Chamatutu:

“Chamatutu is at the proverbial end of the road: a small isolated village and one of our newer groups. In the past, they have struggled: they had to learn how to make baskets, they have no water for a garden, they have a poorly motivated population ( on the whole, folks are more interested in gold panning) so today was a HUGE surprise….

We met with the kids- not terribly bubbly, low aspirations. This is not unusual in villages that are new to Zienzele- it takes TIME to develop trust- we must remember that Chamtutu is early in their journey toward thriving self-reliance! Visits to new groups like this also remind Prisca and I to stay conscious of the profound changes we have witnessed in our ‘original’ groups. Sometimes we lose sight of that, having been at their side for each incremental change.

Then we met with the women. There were only about twenty women, many having left the group as their orphans left school. This is for sure one of our smallest groups. They talked with us of the challenges of people not making the baseline of 6 baskets each, of disagreements within the group, and of the inability to attract new members-hopefully it was helpful to talk it through with us.

Then they revealed the baskets.

BEAUTIFUL, HUGE, NUMEROUS BASKETS!!!

A total shock! Chamatutu’s sales wound up equal to the sales of Berejena-a larger, more experienced group!!

We all expressed how impressed we were, and naturally they were very pleased with themselves!

They also got to experience the immediate reward for their excellent basket production: we increased their student number to 26! They also got 2nd prize for the poultry show, so despite their somewhat glum tone, SOMETHING sure is working in Chamatutu!

We then went to Arch Munaka Secondary for a typically dreary meeting with the headmaster (again, once Zienzele is well-established, all these relationships improve) and then we met with our 13 secondary school students. We have five Form 5 students, and we look forward to getting to know them better when they come to Masvingo to join our Zienzele secondary student workshops next weekend!”

YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THESE SUPER-SPECIAL BASKETS FROM CHAMATUTU WILL BE AT

OUR ANNUAL ZIENZELE NIGHT CELEBRATION!

MAY 22ND (WEDNESDAY) AT THE DARTMOUTH OUTING CLUB IN HANOVER NH

Chamatutu Basket Group visit: small group, BIG baskets!

advanced dispatch from Nancy and Prisca: “CHAMATUTU: EXCELLENT BASKETS!'“

advanced dispatch from Nancy and Prisca: “CHAMATUTU: EXCELLENT BASKETS!'“

Did we mention that your first opportunity to purchase baskets from this Spring 2019 field visit will be at our

Annual Zienzele Night Celebration?

May 22nd (Wednesday) 5-8 PM at the Dartmouth Outing Club in Hanover NH

Preparing sadza for lunch, and Chamatutu’s view of the Munaka mountain range.

Workshop Day in Chiware!

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN CHILDREN!!!

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BE FOCUSED!

WHAT A ROLE MODEL WE HAVE IN PETRONELLA CHIKWATI!!

Petronella joined us again today to lead workshops that encourage Zienzele kids to stay focused and stay in school. Petronella is an amazing young woman, and someone we have supported and encouraged since she was very young: she was one of our original Child-Headed Households, she was part of our original drive to keep girls in school through secondary school, and she is a shining star of our post-secondary education program! All this AND she is an engaging and charismatic workshop leader- we feel such joy seeing her mature into such a wonderful, resilient, healthy, and strong Zimbabwean woman!

Petronella is currently at Great Zimbabwe University studying Geography and Environmental Studies. She is seeking an internship at a mining company and came to offer to work for Zienzele for the chance to earn the money she will need to cover transportation for this internship. Together the three of us agreed that she will clean the Masvingo Zienzele House and help with the roofing project we have scheduled there in May in exchange for the money she needs to make her internship happen.

If you would like to contribute to our support for Petronella’s next step, contact us!

Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Sunday: “It's Chiware-our last workshop of this trip! We left with our All-Stars, Petronella and Daniel, and we picked up Chipiwa and two new interns. When we arrived at Chiware, there were 118 children waiting for us. We did the usual intro with dividing up by school, then grade, then boy/girl, then ‘what is your dream’. We met many aspiring nurses, soldiers, teachers, a few doctors, lawyers and two pilots! Our workshop continued with our Be Safe Be Strong Be Focused theme and addressed the challenges of HIV, puberty, nutrition, abuse, drugs and alcohol, and early marriage, with the fundamental message about staying in school as a way to stay safe and strong. As always, the day included plenty of active games, songs, dramatic play and so much good fun with other Zienzele children. We are always moved by the difference it makes when Zienzele kids gather and see that they are not alone, and experience just how strong their community is. GREAT to see.”

Berejena Workshop Day!

“We were greeted by 88 kids from Berejena,

Makovere, Paradza and Musvovi”

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BE SAFE! BE STRONG! BE FOCUSED!

ZIENZELE ALL-STAR: GODKNOWS BVACATCHA

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Godknows led a wonderfully open and interactive workshop today, where he shared his own story: how he struggled with poverty, how he cared for his aging Gogo (GRANDMOTHER), how he went away to South Africa, and how when he finally came back to Zimbabwe, he got focused and stayed focused! Best of all, he shared how as a result of staying focused, he is now successful as a student at Great Zimbabwe University!

Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Saturday: “First we picked up workshop leader Chipewa Mugabe (no relation, we assume), her interns Aubrey and Princess, and our Zienzele All-Star of the day, Godknows Bvacatcha, and we all headed for our Grade 3-7 workshop in Berejena. We were greeted by EIGHTY-EIGHT kids from Berejena, Makovere, Paradza, and Musvovi. The theme of the workshop was again Be Safe! Be Strong! Be Focused! and our workshop covered issues of health, puberty, HIV, drugs/alcohol, and early marriage- all challenges one encounters on the road of life toward your dream. Many of the children want to be teachers, soldiers, nurses, drivers, and we even got one lawyer. The children were great, everyone very open and interactive, and for Prisca and I, the highlight was seeing Godknows share his own story of struggles with poverty, caring for an aging Gogo (grandmother), going to South Africa in search of work (something that is a high risk choice), and finally coming back to Zimbabwe, getting and staying focused, and now being at Great Zimbabwe University! Lots of games, songs, an exciting game of frisbee toss, and all in all a super-fun day for the kids with a lot of education tossed in. it was GREAT to be there!”

Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Saturday in Musvovi “We went back to Musvovi for our official school visit and basket purchase. We met with all the kids- forty-eight of them! Prisca and I were impressed by their confidence and willingness to speak English with Mai Joseph (Nancy). These students are speaking at a much higher level than any of the other schools, and several of them had used their English skills in the entertainment program at the Poultry Show.

Zienzele All-Star for today: Darlington Gumbo is one of three kids in a Child-Headed Household that we support. He is in Grade 7 and was #1 in his class last term! Hooray Darlington! He wants to be a doctor. Prisca and I are determined to figure out a way for him to attend Berejena Secondary School.

We then went to meet the caregivers- they were all still pumped about the poultry show. This is becoming a much younger group with a promising 15 new members- so there were many little babies, children of the younger generation. The three best weavers are aging and have been sick; their influence was missed, as both the quality and quantity were down- something we have seen in other groups where new younger members are stepping up and learning what the expectations are. Musvovi has often been tops in basket sales, but this visit their total from the sale was less than Rungai. I think the focus of the village has been on the chickens and perhaps the baskets paid the price! That said, we had a productiove meeting with the women, and as with the other groups, I suspect quality and quantity will improve as younger members catch on.”

Rhaditzho Shumba

In a previous post about Berejena, we introduced you to Rhadidzho Shumba.

from that post: “Our one remaining child is Rhatidzo Shumba- she is in fifth grade, and she has cerebral palsy. Her family chose not to care for her, but four years ago, an elderly neighbor who had been part of Zienzele took her in. Zienzele has supported Rhaditzo and her aging caregiver for the past four years as part of our Child-Headed Household program. She has done well in school and wants to be a lawyer. With continued support, we hope to see her reach her goal!”

We went back to Berejena yesterday, and we thought you might like to see a photo of Rhaditzho and her beautiful smile!

If you would like to join our effort to support Rhaditzho, please consider sponsorship through our Child-Headed Household program.

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Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Thursday: “Our day began at 6:30 so that we would have time to pick up all the Poultry Show official dignitaries with the van- including Mr Bodzho, who has officially retired but was eager to come! We walked to Mai Tafadzwa’s home, across the river, past the new garden, and arrived to quite a sight! A shelter "tent" had been set up for the special folks, multitudes of women were already there relaxing over tea and nyimo (cooked ground nuts). Special guests included chiefs, councillors, headmen, kraal heads, teachers, Agritex representatives, and a veterinarian. The show program began at 10 with many speeches. Prisca and I were moved to hear the expressions of gratitude toward Zienzele and to have people tell us what changing the lives of orphans and their caregivers has meant for the broader communities in these villages. The speechifying was followed by a "tour "of the chicken house and lovely entertainment by Musvovi Primary School students. The students recited a poem they had composed in English, and the poem spoke of Zienzele as a bright light that has uplifted women and orphans. To get such a clear (and very cute) sign that our work makes a difference, that felt GREAT. When we headed home we had 19 people in the van, all tobe dropped off along the way. Everyone was happy (and YES, every group that participated got a prize!) but the ladies of First Place Winner Musvovi, second-place Chamatutu and third-place Nemauzhe were especially pleased, as they got bragging rights to last until next year’s competition!”

A great Poultry Show in Musvovi!

First things first: the winning huku imba (chicken house)!

First things first: the winning huku imba (chicken house)!

Women from our Poultry groups came from their home villages to attend the Show, and all were quite curious to see the winning coop!

Women from our Poultry groups came from their home villages to attend the Show, and all were quite curious to see the winning coop!

Quite a crowd!

Quite a crowd!

Prisca helped make peanut butter…

Prisca helped make peanut butter…

Everyone got a full plate of lunch: sadza, sauteed rape (canola) greens, and chicken, of course!

Everyone got a full plate of lunch: sadza, sauteed rape (canola) greens, and chicken, of course!

Prizes!!!

Prizes!!!

Zienzele kids from Musvovi Primary School provided wonderful entertainment, and did their village proud!

Zienzele kids from Musvovi Primary School provided wonderful entertainment, and did their village proud!

Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

Wednesday: “Berejena was the first village we connected with back when we began, and the Berejena group has always been a source of beautiful, prize winning baskets, but the broader changes we have seen over the years were evident in what we encountered at Berejena today- the baskets were not up to the usual standard we have seen from this group.

As our older caregivers have left the project and as fewer households are losing their ‘parent’ generation to AIDS, our representative Rebecca has found new women to step into the project. These are women who might not be caring for orphans, but they are caring for their own children, so they are motivated to join the group in order to work toward school fees. These women are new to our process, and do not yet know the skill expectations for the baskets— I think that explains the shift in quality. We went over expectations, and next visit I suspect we will see improved basket quality.

There is now only one child-headed household left in Berejena!!!! This means that the households we have supported have now grown into adulthood, and improvements in HIV status-awareness and anti-retroviral treatment have resulted in fewer households deprived of a parent figure in Berejena. Our one remaining child is Rhatidzo Shumba- she is in fifth grade, and she has cerebral palsy. Her family chose not to care for her, but four years ago, an elderly neighbor who had been part of Zienzele took her in. Zienzele has supported Rhaditzo and her aging caregiver for the past four years as part of our Child-Headed Household program. She has done well in school and wants to be a lawyer. With continued support, we hope to see her reach her goal!

Petronella Chikwati got my vote for Zienzele All Star of the Day! She wrote a great letter to Prisca and I ( "the most important people in my life" ) this morning with the message that “challenges do not affect my studies, but rather strengthen my faith to study hard”. She is currently at Great Zimbabwe University studying Geography and Environmental Studies. She is seeking an internship at a mining company and came to offer to work for Zienzele for the chance to earn the money she will need to cover transportation for this internship. Together the three of us agreed that she will clean the Masvingo house and help with the roofing project we have scheduled there in May in exchange for the money she needs to make her internship happen.

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Petronella Chikwati,

Zienzele All-Star!

Nancy's notes from the field: Spring 2019

This entry gives you a sense of how we handle a more challenging situation. Prisca and Nancy make tough calls based on decades of experience supporting our caregivers and young people through profound struggles, and seeing what strategies have a lasting positive impact. Days like this are NEVER easy.

Monday: “ Today was our always-hopeful journey to Makovere. This is an aging women’s group working under poor management, a combination that never bodes well for basket production. Indeed, although the baskets were of a somewhat better quality than last visit, the quantity of baskets they produced was woefully inadequate for the number of children they need to support. We purchased what we could and then did a 1/2 price second round to boost the sales as high as we reasonably could.

Our visit to the school was also discouraging, much chaos and confusion. We sorted out the student list and then met with the kids: such cute sweet kids, but obviously living in very poor conditions. The visit to Razi Secondary School to meet with the 18 kids in Form 1-3 was also difficult. Several of kids we used to support are no longer at school due to poor performance or because they made the choice to head off in other directions.

One girl, Precious Maunge, is a special concern for us. She is one of several grandchildren living with Gogo (Grandmother) and Precious has the burden of caring for many of the younger children under Gogo’s care. The school claimed she was a behavior problem, that she was rude to her grandmother etc. But when we met with her, her school uniform was barely intact and she was wearing busted shoes. She passed 5 subjects and wants to be a nurse. We addressed the shoes and school, and offered a special encouragement for her to be safe, strong, and focused on school: a new school uniform from Zienzele if she passes 5 subjects next term. We'll see what happens.

We brought the plans for the Zienzele Community Center to the Councillor; he will bring the plans tomorrow to show the DA in Chivi. Everyone so far has been totally impressed by the printed plans (thank you, Christopher Smith!!). At the end of a long day, we returned to Masvingo and we purchased the prizes for the Poultry Competition: chicken feed, chicken fence, chicken-sized water-troughs, and chicken-medicine!”