Annual School Benefit

Sundborn Children’s House, the Montessori school in Albany, Oregon, is holding their annual benefit and silent auction on April 14th from 6 to 10 p.m. More details about this event including information about the great food and beverage layout for the evening, where and how to pre-purchase tickets, and this year’s focus can be found at www.spring.sundborn.org.

We are inviting you because of our partnership with Sundborn, with whom we built the Nhimbe preschool in Mhondoro, Zimbabwe, where we have been nurturing more than 80 young minds each year since 2002. They have made significant contributions to support this school annually since we began this collaboration, and continue to send donations and special materials for the teachers and children.

We invite you to this event and hope you can make it. If you are unable but would like to support the efforts you can make a secure donation online on their website instead. Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated.

Ancient Ways will be there with our table of hand-crafted items from the villages, as well as providing entertainment to start the evening. Muti Marimba, a 6-piece ensemble, will be playing the uplifting music from Zimbabwe. We look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you for passing this information on to your friends, family and co-workers!

Mbiras for Sale

We have members of our Ancient Ways’ community who are moving and must sell everything. This includes a very nice pair of mbiras, made by Tendai Tapfumanei, an up-and-coming mbira maker being tutored by Cosmas’ standards. These mbiras are Nyamaropas in Magaya standard tuning, have a sweet sound, and would make a great pair for someone getting started. They are two sizes: one is smaller as 8.5” long, the other 9”. They are selling for $200 a piece. Depending where you live, there may be shipping costs.

Please contact Jaiaen at windgatherer@ancient-ways.org or 541-259-4673.

Special Needs Sponsorships for 2012!

We are finding students who are very deserving of a chance at higher education within our Nhimbe for Progress and Jangano projects. It is unusual in Zimbabwe to find children from poor families who have been able to overcome the odds and make it academically. Please read on – you may have a way to assist them! Or check out www.ancient-ways.org/?page_id=338

Special Case Sponsorship – $990 – Tinashe Felix Chirisa
Tinashe’s grades in Form 4 were outstanding – receiving 7 A’s in a country where passing only 5 subjects gets you to the next grade. He recently lost his mother and so is considered an orphan by Zimbabwe standards. His father is a peasant farmer and his sister Benita, has been our Executive Assistant since 2007 (having graduated the University with Honors). He is described as a very hard working, responsible, well-mannered and trustworthy boy. Benita say “He is so brilliant not to continue”. He will not be able to attend the local Advanced level school because it does not offer science or have a laboratory for practical’s, so he will attend a boarding school (Form 5 and 6) to be able to continue studying in the area of his special gifts. A boarding school is a common solution for children who grow up in the rural area but show great promise and need that extra attention of a better school. We are interested in seeing him have a chance at contributing to the world in a significant way. He could begin immediately or the beginning of the next term as of May 2012. Can you help Tinashe realize his dream?

Special Case Sponsorship – $968 – Nyaradzai Shava
Nyaradzai Shava has an opportunity to start a 6 month accounting course (beginning now until the 1st of April 2012). She will be a chartered accountant after graduation. Nyaradzai is Febby Shava’s, our lead preschool teacher’s daughter, and is age 21. Her previous grades highly qualify her for this course. Can you help Nyaradzai with this special training?

Special Case Sponsorship – $410 – Kuda Simeya
Kuda is the one Nhimbe student who graduated from the Matanha Secondary school, doing so with flying colors. He has found an Advanced level school in Harare where he could live with relatives. He is requesting assistance to be allowed to continue his education. Kuda is an unusual child to have made it through the rural system, as Matanha is not known for many graduates. He could begin immediately or the beginning of the next term as of May 2012. Are you able to send Kuda to a better school to continue his education?

Special Case Sponsorship – $130 Tinotenda Victoria Mujuru
Tinotenda has been sponsored through the Jangano project for several years and continues to excel. She attends Mary Magdalene Secondary boarding school and will graduate Form 4 this year thanks to a generous sponsor. At the end of March 2012, her Form 4 exam fees are due. To sit for the exams and graduate you must pay the fees. These exams are the climax of all of her studies to date. Tinotenda is Fradreck Mujuru’s daughter (he is the Jangano Project co-director for which he receives no remuneration). Are you able to help Tinotenda pay these examination fees?

Do you have it within your power to assist any of these students? We will be able to facilitate some letter and picture exchange between you and the student. Thank you for your taking the time to consider these unique young people!

Zimbabwe School Fees Now Due

The new year is upon us and children are now in school in Zimbabwe. We are paying their school fees at the end of January. That is one week away! If you haven’t let us know that you would like to sponsor one or more children for our Youth Well Being Program (includes health education, medical care, school fees, extracurricular activities), please do so right away! Just yesterday I had to send an email to our teams in Zimbabwe with the worst possible news – that, based on current available funds, they will have to remove over 280 children from enrollment in school. If you have forgotten to notify us, please do so right away. These kids count on our help to go to school. Remember, any amount will help (see https://ancient-ways.org/?page_id=38 for background or https://ancient-ways.org/?page_id=1789 for online payments). Even if you can’t quite sponsor one child, if you can help at all, you will make a difference. Thank you!

Dance and Music Fundraiser in Eugene Dec 30th 7 p.m.

Please join us for the 10th Annual Dance for Africa Benefit at Cozmic Pizza tonight December 30! A great entertainment lineup includes Iche’le and the Circle of Light, Kamatama from Kenya, and Kudana Marimba. This benefits non-profits working in Africa including Ancient Ways,Tariro, and Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife. There will be African Arts and Crafts for sale. Come, dance and enjoy great food and drink!