Livestock for 300 Orphan Families in Zimbabwe

Although we still have had no rain and plants and trees are looking stressed, the Jacarandas still show their beauty around the city and bring smiles to stressed faces. 

We have 5 new babies!  Not all have names yet but that will change shortly, either when we get sponsors or when we find fitting names for them, as it is very confusing having babies running around with no names!

The drought and lack of good browsing is having an effect on some of our pregnant does, especially our ‘first-timers’.  A few of our older goats and the feeding mamas are struggling to maintain good condition. We have lost several babies who were born premature and even aborting half-way through their pregnancy.  Reports have been made to us that this has also been happening within the community. On a trip to town this week I called in to consult our vet about this problem and he recommended some mineral and vitamin supplements but assured me that we were not the only one experiencing this at the moment.  He also puts it down to the extreme heat and dryness of vegetation.  We have purchased a lot more supplement to help them get through to the rains and new growth

One of our latest beneficiaries is Elaine, let me introduce you.  Elaine is a widow whose husband died of AIDS, leaving her with 4 children to bring up and educate.  Her father is a local village head.  She is fortunate in the fact that they all live in their own homesteads, and the homesteads are very close, making it safer for Elaine, a single parent, to have her own home while enjoying the security of family close by.  They are a very poor family and work their small gardens for food and to sell if they have extra.  I met Elaine some 11 years ago when she and a group of other ladies who had AIDS visited me and asked for help with food.  I was not in a position to give hand outs but suggested we look at what skills they had or would like to learn.  And so birthed the little Craft Group that meets at Morning Star regularly.  The club is made up of 8 ladies who have various skills.  One or two knit and crochet well while the others are better with sewing projects.  We have been able to make a steady but small additional income that has helped the ladies pay school fees for their children and buy groceries.

Elaine is a very strong character and a GREAT dancer!  Life is especially hard for woman alone in Africa. Although she lives close to family, quite a few of the family are AIDS sufferers as well and not strong.  She has been busy constructing a new home almost entirely on her own, with a little help from her father and brother.  It’s a start but there is lots still to do. When we delivered her goats, they were all close to giving birth.  After a week we received a panicked message to say they had run away.  The word was put out in the neighborhood that there were lost goats and to our delight after a few days they were reported to be about 5 miles from their new home.  Diamond and Thando went out and collected them and redelivered to Elaine, who was so very happy!  Although she was happy to get them home, over the next couple of weeks they all either lost their babies or aborted.  Desperately looking for reasons why this should have happened, we put it down to the stress of being lost and travelling so far before being found.  We have no idea what experiences they may have gone through.  We will collect them all as soon as the rains start and have our bucks cover them again.

Everyone here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS, and our partners in Africa. thank you for your continued support of this important project.  If you would like to learn even more about this project and others, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org. 

The sun has set on an incredible few weeks of hosting teams from around America.  Are we sad to see them leave us here in our home in the hills of Matopos, Zimbabwe?  Yes!  Without a doubt!  So much was achieved in so many areas in the time each team was with us.  So much good, good stuff was achieved and shared with us and our community!    

Tanya and Eric led the first team of energetic and enthusiastic folk.  The goal was to erect a goat shed in order to renovate our current shed that had really reached it’s sell by date.  They had four days to do it in and the determination to complete so the second team could start on the renovation of the old shed was tangible on day one.  Working with third world tools, no power and crooked poles the men tackled the job with gusto.  A few quiet words of frustration were heard, but the words were overcome by the hard toil to complete the job.  And so they did on the last day and the goats are very happy with their new home.

The ladies helped the men dig holes and hammer in nails.  They visited and worked in the pre-school in the community every day, assisting the young teachers with the curriculum. Ruth ran an embroidery workshop. Thirteen ladies aging between 15 and 70 attended.  Ruth taught them the beginning stages of embroidery over three mornings.  The enthusiasm was noticeable, as each day they became more proficient and relaxed until they were singing as they worked.  Ruth spent the eve of the last day preparing a wall hanging to leave with them.  The group completed it with their own work.  It now proudly hangs in the church.  Hopefully this workshop will be the start of a ladies club that may generate a little extra income for each member.

We also delivered three goats to Chipo!  Here she is pictured with Tanya explaining to her how the water filter works.  Then we visited Victor to see how his goat herd was growing and visit his three recently born kids.

No sooner had the first team left the camp than the second AFCA team arrived!  It was a smaller team but with as much energy and enthusiasm as the first!  What they lost in numbers they made up with muscle!  The renovation of the original goat shed was completed before we could say ‘Bruce the Buck’ and then small but necessary jobs were completed around the property, including re-building a wooden bunk bed for an imminent guest.  Jodi ran a sewing workshop where she taught our sewing club to make a purse.  The ladies were delighted and we hope to be selling them in our little shop soon!      

Jodi also ran a goat workshop focusing especially on the importance of nutrition and correct breeding practices.  There was a good question and answer time and it was felt that good information was shared.  

This is just a little review of what these two teams did while with us.  So many untold stories, so much laughter and sharing of information and lives.  So many good memories to keep us smiling.  Thank you AFCA for once again visiting us and your project to help not only us but our community.  Until next time ...

Everyone here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS, and our partners in Africa. thank you for your continued support of this important project.  If you would like to learn even more about this project and others, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org.