You Can Help

Every dollar of your support for the Zienzele Foundation will be put to good use. Our boards in the U.S. and Zimbabwe are all volunteers — including Nancy Clark, President. So are all the members of the board in Zimbabwe and the Zienzele representatives in each village. Only small stipends are paid to help support Prisca Nemapare and three Zienzele Field Co-ordinators working in Zimbabwe.

Donated funds are used primarily to pay school fees, to buy supplies for child-headed households, to provide materials and small start-up grants or cost-sharing for Zienzele projects in Zimbabwe, and to pay for transportation and administrative costs like telephone, and postage.

School fees now make up a very large proportion of our expenses. Only a few years ago, these fees were largely covered by income from basket sales. In the last year or two school fees have shot up faster than any other expenses. Nevertheless, Zimbabwean caregivers believe — and we do too — that education is the only chance these orphans have for a better life.

There are three ways to help us deal with this vital problem:

• Buy one or more Zienzele Baskets;
  
  
• Become a volunteer and sell baskets in your community;
  
  
• Donate directly for school fees or high-school scholarship.

Note that there is no separate item for the scores of projects — basketmaking, sewing, market gardens and more — that the Foundation has helped launch. Sometimes small start-up costs are paid out of Field Expenses — a few sewing machines, some fabric, seeds for a garden — but these are Zienzele projects, and "Zienzele" means "Do it yourself, be self-reliant." The projects are not an ongoing expense; they generate income for the caregivers and orphans.

"Promotions" refers not just to brochures, mailings and the like, but to fees that are paid to craft fairs and other venues where we sell the Zienzele baskets to raise school fees.

This chart does not show the amount of money involved in Zienzele's operations. In 2008, it was about $100,000. Think of it! 1,000 orphans attended school because their fees were paid. There were more than 50 projects generating income for orphans and their caregivers. Scores of child-headed homes — orphans having to care for themselves, and sometimes for dying parents as well — were supported by U.S. families so they could stay in school and receive regular supplies of food staples and clothing. It's a lot to accomplish with $100,000, and with your help the Zienzele Foundation aims to do more.