The Zienzele Foundation's efforts focus primarily in the provinces of Gwanda and Masvingo. In these tiny, rural villages, the AIDS epidemic is at its worst, leaving many orphans and widows without any viable means of income. Through education, training, and a financial jumpstart, these communities will be able to flourish in this beautiful region of South Africa. Gwanda Province Gwanda was founded in 1900, and its name derives from that of a nearby hill known as Jahunda. It is located on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road and the railway that runs south to West Nicholson. The town is the chief center for southwestern Zimbabwe's cattle district and also trades in agricultural produce. Masvingo Province Masvingo is a dry, dusty, mining and farming town for most of the year, but September sees the purple jacarandas and scarlet poinsettias set the streets alight. Fort Victoria, the first white settlement in the country, was named after the English Queen, but post-independence Masvingo acknowledges more relevant royalty. Its current name refers to the famous 'walled enclosures' nearby. Its significance for the traveller today, is as a jumping off point for a visit to Great Zimbabwe, 28 kilometres out of town. These are the best-known of some 150 walled ruins which are scattered throughout the country, and is a World Heritage Site. At a low altitude only one step removed from the lowveld, summer in the Masvingo region is hot and dusty. Nearby Lake Mutirikwe National Park provides some cool relief and in this game reserve, the large lumbering white rhino are best viewed from horseback. If you prefer to commune with nature and soak up some atmosphere in splendid isolation, Mushandike Sanctuary offers back to nature camping opportunities far from the madding crowd.

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