Help Feed Hungry Children in Zimbabwe

Dear Supporters,

We’re all fed up with bad news. Zimbabwe used to be a leader in matters of Gloom and Doom - but that was long ago.  Now so much of the rest of the world is in turmoil, we barely rate a mention in the press. And that’s why we’re so grateful that our donors still care about one little school in faraway Matabeleland south.

So here’s the good news – at last we have a kitchen for the ladies who this term are cooking lunch for upwards of 270 day scholars every day of the school year.   This takes them hours – they cook in four huge cast iron three legged pots, stirring massive amounts of sticky maize meal porridge with their special sadza sticks;  the children line up to be served according to age, starting with the youngest, and then finally they clean up and go home.  And for years, the two ladies have been working under seriously unhygienic conditions, holed up in a tiny room with blackened walls, choking on smoke from the open fire.

Until yesterday, when the new kitchen, brick with a corrugated iron roof, open on all sides, complete with a door to keep the goats out, officially went into action.   

That’s not the only good news.  Thanks to our donors, the pantry is full of provisions that should last the children for at least two months – soya chunks, sugar beans, soup, salt and oil.  And once again, Nigel Weller of National Foods, has provided 1.5 tonnes of mealie meal (ground maize) the staple diet of Zimbabweans, free of charge. Right now, this is nothing short of a miracle.  

Zimbabwe is battling its worst drought in 40 years, and is in the midst of an economic collapse. That’s left about 8 million people, or more than half the population, in need of food aid, the majority of them in our province, the driest of them all. Some maize has been imported but right now, the supermarket shelves are empty, due to the Government cutting supplies to local millers by almost half.   

The reason given is “funding restraints” which is rather hard to understand since only a few months ago, the President (while constantly admonishing his people to tighten their belts), flew to the United States to attend the UN General Assembly.  As always, he chartered a luxury jet from Switzerland. His wife, keen to get there first for a spot of shopping and to promote her private charity, arrived a few days earlier with a state sponsored media team.

The cost of hiring the luxury jet was in excess of US$1.5 million, but for some reason it was nearly empty, as the President sent dozens of his aides on commercial flights.  All in all an estimated 75 to 90 hangers-on attended at a cost of around US$7000 each to the taxpayer.

But Government has its own methods of creative accounting.   Last week they published the Financial Adjustment Bill HB19 of 2019 in an attempt to offload US$10,6 billion onto taxpayers to cover borrowings that have been made without Parliamentary consent.

“How does a government blow $8 billion in just two years and preach austerity at the same time?” asked the Leader of the Opposition. It’s a fair question.  

The teachers at Marula school receive a monthly government salary of $900 local currency, the equivalent of US$36 a month, but they are still in their classrooms doing the best they can with no support and few materials. They and the rest of the courageous people of this country are its strongest asset and they deserve all the help they can get.

Thank you for taking care of their children.

With Gratitude,

Zimbabwe Education

Dear Supporters,

In July, the Trust team went on a site visit to Marula School!

Driving up to the school, we could see the new gate in all its glory! If you can recall, the old gate was reversed into by an army truck and had to be removed, allowing all the local goats to come roaming in, and feast on the school’s vegetable garden. Thanks to you, and your generous donations, the new gate had been erected - and boy does it look great!

We were warmly welcomed by Mrs Dube, the principle of Marula, who took us on a tour around the school. We visited each classroom, greeted by the happiest little faces - Despite their circumstances, the kids of Marula are such little rays of light, with the most impeccable manners.

We were then taken to see the new kitchen, at this stage it was just a foundation in the ground, but this allowed us to see first hand just how terrible the current working conditions were - a two meter by two meter room, no windows and one door. The fire is set up on the floor in the middle of the room with two big pots over it - you can only imagine the heat and smoke that bellowed out. The two cooks were mixing ‘pap’ (a tasty traditional African meal) with a giant wooden spoon, sounds easy right? Wrong.. The strength it takes whip the pap around fast enough before it burns at the bottom of the pot, is unbelievable!

We then visited the vegetable garden that the teachers, and children have been working very hard at growing. When available, the veggies are used for lunchtime meals, which was exciting for everyone! The day scholars walk miles in the early hours of the morning to get to school, and the meals provided at lunch are often the only time these children will get to fill their tummies with a nutritious meal.

To top off a great (but very eye opening) day, we were spoilt by the school choir, who sang a few songs for us. It truly made us incredibly proud to be involved in such a driven school, despite their hardships, pulling together in every way they can to make Marula the school it is.

A lot of this is thanks to your continued support and without you, we would not be able to support such a deserving school.

So with a full heart, Thank you!

Zimbabwe Education