I know it has been a while and whilst I hoped we would be able to do more regular emails to keep you all posted on the babies and the home progress, there has been no hope in that. And well there is no explanation to how hectic things can get from one day to the next in Zimbabwe. Unless you are living in this somewhat partially organised chaos you would never be able to understand how crazy it can get, you'd probably just laugh at the stories we could tell you... Sourcing basic commodities is a great challenge and then once you have found something, the next challenge is then to be able to find the "physical" money to pay for it. People do not accept cheques or very reluctantly and when they do the value they expect you to pay is ludicrous, such that money in the bank is hopeless. This kinda explains why the cash shortage in the country is at the stage it is. You can draw Z$1000 per day from the bank which actually only just gets transport to the bank and back home again, never mind a loaf of bread costing Z$1200 yesterday. Butchers will only accept cash and a kg of low grade meat costs Z$3500 - so that's a whole week tripping to the bank every day just to buy meat which will feed 6 people (an average size local family) for a single meal. Yesterday we called a local business to purchase the fat (tallow) used by our HIV empowerment group to make soap, they quoted Z$800/kg cash price and if you wanted to pay by cheque it was Z$10,440 per kg. There still isn't much food to be seen on the shelves never mind the basic cleaning materials or even basic toiletries yet you can just walk out on the street and buy just about anything if you have the cash to do so. With the uncertainty in the country at the moment it seems everyone is trying to make as much money as they can in the shortest possible time, and so we are struggling to stretch the resources we have to cover as many needs as we possibly can. God has been very gracious in the people He has provided to assist us in such difficulties and we are truly grateful to those who help us financially, each one of you is muchly appreciated, more than you could even imagine. Well that's the doom and gloom over and done with and now onto the good progress reports {this email has to be done in 2 parts as it will be too long as one} of the babies & the home...
Since the sending of our June/July update we haven't received any requests for placing within our home of any abandoned babies, instead we have received numerous requests to assist with the care of orphaned children, most of which have no traceable or extended family. We have also had a number of cases where extended family have no resource to look after an additional child and these poor children have no alternative - I guess you could too then class them "abandoned".
From a local Police Station we were asked to take temporary care of a young boy aged about 8 whose mother had recently passed away and they were trying to trace the family. Takudzwa settled very well into the Home and became a big brother to all the children. He was an extremely loving child who got along well with everyone. It wasn't long before the Police Officer contacted us to say he had located extended family. It was quite sad because Takuz' mom had passed away without any of her family even knowing it, after her burial Takuz' mother-in-law & his aunt came to the home expressing willingness to take Takuz back home with them immediately. Unfortunately we had o wait a few days for the paperwork to be sorted out and he was then reunited with his extended family. It was sad to say good-bye to him but we were happy that he was now with a family who clearly were willing to accept their family-responsbilities. Encouraging in difficult times.
Takudzwa & Junior+Aug%2708.JPG)
Moses - KudakwasheThen there is Moses (also known as Kudakwashe) - aged 2 and a bit, he was placed into our custody early August. His mother apparantely went off to Botswana for some shopping and to visit Moses' father, never to return. She had left the child in the care of the house-owner from whom she was renting a room, the house owner after some weeks reported the matter to the local Police Station as she was no longer able to support and care for the child. Moses is a little-live-wire around the home, he is very active and loves to play outside content at entertaining himself. In his early settlement stages he proved to be a real-tough guy, not taking any nonsence from any of the other children, he has learned to share and now gets on well with all his other "siblings". We trust he will be re-united with his family some day.
Often we receive requests from the Hospital Authorities to assist in the feeding of malnourished and/or orphaned babies. I have two particular stories I'd like to share with you and as I share these if anyone feels Led by the Spirit to help in any way, please feel free to get back to us, even if you just have letters of encouragment, please do share these and we can pass them on accordingly.
One of our recent requests was quite a heart-wrenching story - Amai Dalubuhle suffers from epilepsy, whilst living in the rural areas she had a fit and fell into the fire where she was cooking. She was brought back to town and admitted to Mpilo with severe burns to both arms which later resulted in both limbs being amputated, one above the elbow and one slightly below. Dalubuhle is now 8 months old, he had been in the hospital for some time and was then being treated for malnutrition as the extended family were no longer able to afford the cost of travelling to visit and feeding Dalu and his mom. Transport is very expensive and as they lived in the rural areas and not within town this task become increasingly more difficult and visits became less frequent. Amai Dalu is still in treatment at Mpilo and it was her desire when released from Hospital that she return with her baby back to her rural home, at this point we are not sure if the extended family will be able to take care of her and her baby so we wait and see. The amazing part of Dalu's story for me is his mothers desire and will to live, I don't know that I would be so strong having lost both my arms, still having the will to live and the desire not to be separated from her child. With her permission we brought Dalu back to the home, thin and very weak, with a bloated stomach and arms as thin as a piece of sausage but he had a special twinkle in his eye and I will never forget the smile i saw from within his heart. The staff were amazing and welcomed him in with open arms and from that moment we knew Dalu was a survivor. We continue to take Dalu to visit his mom at the hospital and to assist with feeding for her. This recovery process is going to be a very long one but by God's grace we know she and her baby will be the winners!
Amai Dalubuhle
Dalu
Dalu & His MomThe other little baby we have been assisting is baby Kwanele, born weighing just over a kilogram and a half. Sadly his mother, a single parent, passed away shortly after his birth and the only extended family are an uncle and an aunt who are both in their early twenties, and neither are gainfully employed. The Hospital are struggling desperately with a lack of food for patients and the babies are no exception - there is no milk formula available and so the staff are forced to try and feed the babies on water and sometimes the luxury of fresh milk which is watered down as a substitute for formula. Both of these we all know will never sustain a newborn baby giving them any form of a substantial start in life. The encouraging part of this story is that we managed to send a message to the uncle, next expecting a response at all, just to let him know that we were able to assist him and his nephew with formula and that God loves them both, he replied thanking us for our caring enough to help and said he would continue to visit the baby in hospital. In just a few days of giving Kwanele Lactogen he gained 100grams which doesn't sound like a lot but for his tiny size it is a huge gain !
So that's just a few encouraging stories to start with. I'll try that the next part of this email will not take another two months to write and send.
A special thanks to each and every one of you reading this email right now, you are an important part of this Ministry and so we take this opportunity to thank you once again for your support. If anyone is interested in receiving the quarterly financial newsletter/updates which is compiled by our Project Director, Martin Barrow, please feel free to email him on martinbarrow@hotmail.com and he will add you to his mailing list. Alternatively email me and I shall pass the info onto Martin.
Thank you again and will be in touch soon.
Luv 'n' friendship in the Lord always
Sis'Bee
