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Make This Christmas Merry . . . and Meaningful!
 What could be more in keeping with the holiday spirit than to help a child in need? Please buy Zienzele baskets for all the loved ones on your shopping list this year.
Our beautiful baskets are hand made by caregivers in Zimbabwean villages. All basket sales pay school fees for orphans — education is their hope for the future.
Every basket comes with a card explaining the meaning of this perfect gift, and every dollar goes to Zimbabwe to keep a child in school. Education is the best hope for the future that these children have. Think of it — the gift of a basket to friends or family helps give a child education and hope!
Orphans and African Tradition
Traditionally, orphans in Africa have been taken in by relatives or neighbors. This tradition broke down in Zimbabwe because of increasing poverty and the deaths of many caregivers due to HIV-AIDS. The Zienzele Foundation was established in 2000 in response to the growing crisis.
 Zienzele's Approach
Building on tradition, we help villages achieve self-reliance and care for orphans themselves. This involves
Despite daunting circumstances in Zimbabwe, Zienzele's approach is bringing hope to children and their caregivers in some of Zimbabwe's poorest rural villages. Please visit the rest of our website to learn more about our work and join in our efforts.
Fall 2011 Field Reports x
Nancy worked with Prisca in the field this fall, and some of her field reports are available. Following is an excerpt. To read more, click here.
... The visits to Mupagamuri, Chitatu, and Chamatutu were very good. Updates on the kids via the caregivers and headmasters went well and baskets were purchased. Much catching up with all the caregivers and of course much discussion and sharing of pictures of our grandson Joseph. A couple of the headmasters have asked Zienzele to provide calculators for the classrooms. I did not get the impression that either Nancy or Prisca thought this was a priority for us. It would seem that pencils, exercise books, and textbooks might be more important. It remains the case that Zienzele is the largest single payer of school fees. Parents, who pay as much as they can, are very worried that if we were to leave, the schools might close. Nancy and Prisca have assured everyone that for now at least we will continue to pay school fees. Suffice to say that the negotiations to establish the school fee rates are an exercise in confusion at times, but our caregivers are becoming more assertive...
We Did It!
A year ago Jim and Nancy recognized that the 1995 Toyota Hiace van that has served us so well for ten years was approaching the end of its service life. With the support of the Board of Directors, the Foundation began a fund raising effort to replace this once-reliable field vehicle within 18 months. So with a goal and our typical unbounded enthusiasm, we kicked off this fund raising effort at the Zienzele Night celebration in May of 2010.
During the last year or more, the many friends of Zienzele have partied in Florida, walked miles in Japan, raffled a painting by Meg McLean, sold tickets for a quilt, wrote, directed, scored, and choreographed a play for the Trumbull Hall Troupe, and most importantly, told our story to anyone who would listen.
And you heard us!!! During the past summer, a little over a year after we began, we met our goal of raising $40,000 for the purchase of a replacement Toyota Hiace. We are inspired by the generosity of our friends and their continuing support of our work. A huge thank you to everyone who helped us.
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New in the Media
Click here to view an interview with Zienzele's Nancy Clark on Vermont's CBS affiliate, WCAX-TV. It's the major part of the station's coverage of this winter's Charity Crafts Fair at St. Michael's College. (Be prepared for a 15 second ad before the clip begins!)
Zienzele Video
Now Online!
A video about the work of the Zienzele Foundation is now on YouTube. Click here to view it.
Update on
Langton Mahechani
Langton Mahechani, a critical member of the ZF from 2001 to 2007, recently graduated from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Langton also completed an internship with the Center for American Progress and has been accepted into the MA Program at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. Langton is now studying at the Heller School and focus on Social Development and Conflict Resolution, topics certainly appropriate for Zimbabwe.
Several people have asked that we post a list of good reading about Zimbabwe. The relatively short history of the country has been inspiring, troubling, and tragic. Click here to see Zienzele's first Reading List.
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