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of The Zienzele Foundation Field Team Early April The field team consisting of Prisca, Langton, and I (Jim stays home during the spring field effort) gathered at Prisca's house. The process begins by getting fueled up (which means a full tank of diesel fuel and four full gerry cans stored in the vehicle), packed up (which means food, clothing, and school supplies for the orphans, emergency supplies for the team and the Foundation vehicle, a satellite phone for communications, and cameras), and psyched up (which means reaffirming that we will do what we can to help as many as we can!).
Journal Entry for Thursday, April 21 (Our 16th Field Day)
Headed out at 7 AM for our day at Chikofa. Today we had no diesel worries because we got lucky last night and found fuel, even though we waited in line for two hours. At the Chikofa turn off Langton dropped Prisca and I off and he headed west to pick up our new coordinators Musiiwa and Jenifer. Prisca and I walked to the Berejena dam and saw two caregiver's gardens nearby. There is still quite a bit of stagnant water there that the cows, goats, donkeys, and people use as well as where the tiny little fish Mr. Bodzo gave us for dinner last night came from! I now think that Jim's treadle pumps can work here if we get plastic containers or build concrete storing basins. I think we have to try this option and have the villagers prepare a trench for a pipe and build the basins, maybe in the fall...
From here we went to the village councilor to introduce the new coordinators. He is a short, talkative, powerful guy but with good instincts and a good heart. He spoke of "the big shoes" the new coordinators will have to fill, referring to Miriam. (Miriam was one of our translator/coordinators for the last six years but sadly Miriam died this winter of unknown causes.) These new coordinators will have important responsibilities and are really the key people in the work we are doing.
We all then went to Chikofa and found most of the caregivers at the school. Another small but cohesive group. Their garden project focuses on vegetables not corn, and they still have water from the Shezerume dam. They were very happy to receive the seeds we gave them—carrots, cabbage, beets, spinach, tomatoes, and their special project, cauliflower.
The baskets this group made were great and we bought almost all of them. We used our new accounting form which simplified the tally process immensely. The group got $1.8 million and again we heard about no food and how this money would get them mealie meal. They have a small amount of money in the bank, which is wonderful, and promised to add more. We reinforced the group concept of the project, which appeared to be understood.
The headmaster at the school made it clear again that the situations are desperate. There is no food program at the school anymore and the borehole is drying up. They don't have a pre-school program because they have nothing to offer the "under fives." They can't have any sports because no one has the energy. Lutheran World is very quiet now and CARE International has been unable to provide porridge. Kids will be leaving school due to being hungry. We need to get in touch with these organizations, but Prisca is concerned that they may not be active anymore... this we will find out! The meal at school is critical as for many kids it is the best meal of the day.
On to Arch Munaka where the headmaster announced that they had been ok'd to do "A" level grades, but he has no books and very few teachers. They have photocopied one book for each classroom. Amazingly, the cost per student is $500000. per semester and a book costs $2million. They had received a shipment of books from our friend Connie Driver in Idaho. I said we would find out how they ship them and try to do more.
We then met with six Zienzele kids and got their names for pen pals again. Leonard (Form 2) is tall and awkward but is doing well. Yukai is doing A level, but not getting the courses she wanted because there are not enough teachers, Nofumba (Linets bother) had not started yet. I am sure he did not get Prisca's message that he could attend. We reinforced that he could go to school and said we would get him a uniform and shoes. The education system seems to be on the same path with everything else!
We had lunch under a tree and called Jim and then went to meet the "chief," who was a neat old guy who was very pleased to meet us and be introduced to the new coordinators. We paid him his "visitation fee" and then headed out.
We went into diesel search mode yet again. Prisca and I got dropped off to hunt for sandwich bags while Langton found a queue for fuel. We waited for three hours, emotionally battling queue jumpers, huge semi trailers, and trucks with large drums for fuel. When we were three people from the pump, the station closed! The trailer truck that cut in front of us didn't get any fuel either. It was now 6:30 and getting dark, so we had no choice but end the day with a tense, difficult drive back to the Inn (because animals (cows and wild animals) cross indiscriminately) and people line the roads heading home themselves. The people are so discouraged that no objections are raised to this kind of treatment. (What would have happened in this situation in the US?)
Quiet night. We had cheese and tomato sandwiches for dinner and then all off to bed. We'll be up by 5am tomorrow to get back in line. Journal Entry for Friday, April 22 (Our 17th Field Day)
Up at 5 AM for a speedy breakfast and off by 6 AM in search of diesel. We wound up in about the same spot as last night. Increased tension levels were clearly present due to people jockeying for position, until Langton got out and organized everyone. Two large trucks in front of us however looked like they would take all the fuel—one even with a huge auxiliary tank in the back. They actually limited his amount to 100L, which then allowed us to fill our tank by 7:30 and we were off! What a crazy mess. They were supposedly going to raise the price so people were hoarding. The government couldn't pay for shipments of fuel so South Africa was holding up shipments at the border. People are in lines for fuel, money, bread, sugar... but our tank is now full and we can press on.
Langton dropped us off at the Mawadze turnoff and we walked toward Musvovi while he again went to get Jenifer. It's sunny hot and oh so dry. People have started harvesting peanuts before the crops die and the fields of corn are now both dry and a sickly yellow with small inadequate ears.
Anyway... we had a long walk and then arrived at Musvoui school. We met with the headmaster, who seemed more subdued this time, paid school fees ($20000.) and then went and met with the caaregivers. Much talk of hunger "zhara" and problems with the child headed households (CHH). "Nollen" now living alone. Fifteen years old, in Form 2, but he has not been going to school because of hunger. We will help but first need to decide priorities.
The sewing group here reported good progress and $150,000. in the bank! I gave them Anne's contributions and then negotiated them paying us $50000. to get another sewing machine. The machine costs $800,000. so the Foundation will cover the difference. They were thrilled and paid us immediately. They actually "bought" their own machine. Next time we will place an order for secondary school uniforms that we can then give to the CHH kids.
The garden projct here is getting started, but they can't get seeds and the water is drying up. We gave them their seeds and the caregivers then sang and danced fir us as thanks! Lots of smiling faces at least for a few minutes.
We bought $1.8 million in baskets here, again of excellent quality but perhaps lower volume. They were all excited to by buying mealie meal with the proceeds.
Nolen came to meet us to walk to his home which was a bit down the road. We gave him clothes, soap, salt, and mealie meal. One day at a time! We walked quite a way and then were questioned by a man who identified himself as "chief." We went into his home to meet and talk. He announced early on that he had been drinking beer. He seemed to be Nollen's best friend, living next door, but had apparently done nothing to help. He wanted our help for himself as "he's and orphan too." He then went through all the things he had done for Nollen and after much pomp and circumstance, "praised God" for our help, etc., etc. The chief said that Nollen's name had not yet been added to the "welfare" list that the chief identifies as the neediest to receive money and corn. We decided to present a list of the CHH we have to the "concerned leaders" to assist in identifying those we see as in need... we will see! We then went on to Nollen's house, which is a kitchen hut and a very small square cement block home. There was virtually nothing in the kitchen. His mother died first and his father earlier this year, leaving him with three cows and a donkey. His uncles tried to take it all away from him but his older sisters had stayed with him to keep the uncles away. The sisters have now disappeared leaving him alone. He said he does want to return to school and he agreed to meet us there on Tuesday. Our plan is to enroll Nollen, pay the fees and hope! Stay tuned.
We then brought Mawadze's seeds to our coordinator Kumbira for her to distribute, hoping her group can get their gardens going next year. In Zimbabwe, a year is forever but at this point there were no other options. From here we walked back to Berejena (about five miles), much to the amazement of everyone we met!
Langton returned, having dropped off the coordinators, and we then went back to the Great Zimbabwe Inn for dinner and another early bedtime. Another day on the roller-coaster but we clearly did some good things today. |