Nhimbe Staff Grateful to Receive a Raise!

by AllProject Updates

The general staff budget received a raise of almost 14%.  This is a drop in the proverbial bucket, but is a start. Unfortunately, when the Zim-dollarization occurred in early 2009, and our own US economy began its difficult shift, the costs increased in Zimbabwe and their wages in effect decreased, while our ability to compensate them further also went into a holding pattern.  Taking decisive action regarding tightening the expenses belt has helped and everyone has been waiting for things to change. Typically people don’t want to think about giving people increases in their wages and yet it’s these very people that are providing the services we count on.  Those who received an increase are very grateful as it has made a difference in their lives, both monetarily and in morale.

Underwear for Over There a Huge Success!

by AllHealthProject UpdatesYouth Well Being

Our Senior Nurse reports: “All girls have been afforded underwear in a colorful presentation ceremony by our Director which coincided with the August Girl Guides Camp. This goes a long way in addressing the many sanitary issues of the girl child in our disadvantaged communities. ” Check out the video soon to be online.  In hind sight, its clear that purchasing underwear was a first step towards assisting the young girls with their monthly care challenges, which has recently been brought to our attention. “Their parents have expressed their profound joy for the timely and most appropriate gift of a lifetime.”

 

Nhimbe Library a Happening Place

by AllProject UpdatesYouth Well Being

Our Nhimbe library is open on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturday and we have been having a sizeable number of people coming and utilizing the many books in our library. We are continuously looking for a lasting policy to safeguard our books as well as making it flexible for people to have access to our books and read for themselves. As of now, people come to the library, read books within our premises and return the book the same day.

We are looking into alternative ways to improve the reading population in our community.  Several years ago we lent books just like US libraries do but we met with a quantity of theft and a lack of understanding.  Many books have come to the library via annual trips bearing suitcases.  We have now been sponsored by a non-profit who will cover the postage to allow us to send books in the mail, although the costs are quite high.

Our library is short of some set of books now being used in schools and would like to obtain them to make life more comfortable for our kids who are going to school.  Typically 5 or more children share one school book.  This would require a donation of several hundreds of dollars to furnish the library with these books.

Update on our Girl Guides Program

by All

A total 70 girls are attending Girl Guides Camp and learning important lesions on the growth of a girl.  In one of our discussions with our Senior Nurse, the camp leaders and the older girls, we have realized that these particular girls were having challenges in dealing with their monthly cycle because of difficulty in accessing appropriate materials for sanitary needs.  Some of the girls have gone to use unhealthy scraps of fabric which pose a great risk in developing infection, leading to disease and may also lead to the many forms of low self-esteem. The team in Zimbabwe says “We therefore plead for help for the girls for the provision of sanity wear.  Thank you for the resolute support for the girl child.”  It has been made clear that this is a priority and we are looking at solutions.

Boys Machapro Program

by AllProject UpdatesYouth Well Being

Our Boys Program Leader reports that “We now have 62 boys that participate in the Boy Scout Machapro program. Last school holiday they inaugurated the boys scout camp that saw boys coming together and learn life skills and wisdom from the elderly who graced the occasion. The interaction gave the platform for the boy child to air their concerns and many questions as they grow up.  Wonderful contributions came from the elderly who gave words of advice on the many cultural dynamics and expectations for a boy in his path to become the man that he should be.”

School Enrollment Updates for 2011

by AllProject UpdatesYouth Well Being

Upper Grades – We now have a qualified Law practitioner and two female Bachelor of Arts graduates coming out of the village children who have gone through our sponsorship programs.  We currently have two University graduates returning for further advanced level education.

Secondary Exam Fees – We also managed to pay examination fees for a total of 24 Form 4 students in both projects.  In Zimbabwe the student’s family is required to pay a fee so they can take the exam required for graduation from grade 7 but most critically from Form 4 Secondary School.

Primary and Secondary – School begins in January and ends in December in Zimbabwe. This year we have sponsored close to 80 students within our Jangano project in Dewedzo, Rusape, and a total of near 390 Nhimbe for Progress kids in Mhondoro. We struggled to keep our older Jangano students enrolled as the school districts raised their fees to be outside of our budget – many had to leave our program.

Preschoolers – Additionally we had a total of 83 children enrolled in the Nhimbe Preschool, which includes 44 boys and 39 girls. The preschooler’s attendance has been very satisfactory overall and above the usual even though there was some cold winter weather in June through August.

Donhodzo Health Update

by AllHealthProject Updates

Our Senior Nurse reports that, “The Donhodzo staff would like to give thanks for the continued provision of the most vital medicines that have made a huge impact and quality difference in the wellbeing of our community and beyond.  Together with our health promotional approach, we are witnessing a major decline in health concerns within our communities. The importance of water, sanitation and hygiene is beginning to make a difference in the lives of many, as few are seeking major health services and primarily coming for first aid.

The main challenge has been bilharzias, which has affected a lot of school-going kids up to secondary level. The problem has been compounded by the fact that our Donhodzo center has been the only place with Praziquental tablets that can cure the disease thus putting a strain on our supply.”

Preschool Health Update from Nhimbe

by AllHealthProject UpdatesYouth Well Being

Our Senior Nurse reports “We had an exceptional term in which our preschool kids were generally healthy with no reported disease outbreak, but only a few bouts of flu and cough from the harsh winter cold winds. The supply of food has been timely, constant and balanced. We also would like to commend the community residents for they have been quick to respond to all firewood issues. We have been closely monitoring our preschool kids and we are pleased that we are recording few cases of diarrhea and skin diseases, which in the past have been major issues.

National Aids Council Partnering with Nhimbe

by AllHealthProject Updates

After many years of waiting and negotiations, the National AIDS Council through their sister program, the New Start Center (part of PSI International), committed to partner with Nhimbe for Progress by offering mobile HIV testing and counseling services. As a first, they offered free CD4 count tests for those people living with HIV/AIDS as a tool to assess the progression of the diseases and responsiveness to anti-retro-viral therapy as well as to give advice on ways to improve the livelihood of people living with HIV/AIDS. Our Senior Nurse says, “What a great milestone in our endeavor to reach out to our community!”