It’s been a full schedule for several months now between Zimbabwe and here, with little downtime anywhere to be found. I’m just glad to be able to share with you a little before the holiday season is upon us, as that is just around the corner.
Here, we celebrate Thanksgiving, and in good fortune, we share in family warmth and/or comradery. Thank you, friends of Zimbabwe, for being an extension of my familiar circle. You, sharing music, and of course, your interest in our work there, bring much grace and joy to my life. Being on planet earth seems quite complex from astronomical events to world politics and our own nation’s struggles. Everything might fall into disarray, but this love creates buoyancy…thank you all for your part in that!
This latest blog post from Cathy Buckle, a writer in Zimbabwe, talks about hope for her country, and I truly appreciate the sentiment. I have really enjoyed (Is that the right word since sometimes it’s harsh?) her courageous writing and blunt, bold insights over the years. She speaks of the radical changes there, becoming serious beginning in 2000, which was the year of my initial journey to Zimbabwe to start Nhimbe for Progress.
The main thing I recall about that trip was that I was to be hosted by my vision partner, Cosmas Magaya, and his wife, Joyce. Upon my arrival, she was unexpectedly ill and passed away, as I, solo and wide-eyed, welcomed my 3rd morning in a new land. The next full week was an immersion in Shona cultural experiencee with a broken-hearted family. Both my parents and dear godmother had passed away years before, but I hadn’t scratched the surface of sharing that sorrow until being absorbed by the African tradition on behalf of Joyce. Through those experiences I let go of about 100 kilos of grief I didn’t even realize I was carrying. The way that the family intimately embraced me and invited my participation went far beyond any preconception I could have had. I returned to the US unusually light.
That same week the parallel currency market was 42 instead of the legal exchange of 38 Zim dollars to 1 USD, and we thought that $4 was a big deal. Little did I know, that was just the beginning of spiraling inflation and getting a solemn, street-wise education in poverty and the loss of too many dear Zimbabwean friends and family. There has been something so amiss separating humans and their prosperity for quite some time across the planet. This up-close-and-personal glimpse during an impressionable time has stayed in my memory, pushing me to ask questions with nary an adequate answer.
Sometimes I wonder about hope in the face of hardship, and where does this hope come from? After all these years, much to my dismay, I’ve concluded that thousands of years of traditions that have created some of the tragedies and traumas of life in Zimbabwe today are not meant to be solved by someone like me. I am not the solution maker. Perhaps I am just able to infuse some essence of hope in daily life because of your help. You enable me to bring resources, which then open the windows to alternative ways to view life for the average villager and ordinary child.
The heart of Nhimbe has always been the creche (Nhimbe preschool) with its special place among the residents. There are many things we do for the community there, but the preschool reigns supreme. Over the years, international NGOs have been our partners, as have churches, non-profits, and individuals, bringing opportunities to this otherwise underserved area.
All rural areas are particularly affected by massive unemployment, challenging weather patterns impacting agrarian livelihoods, and harsh lifestyles, turning kumusha (a word meaning to go to the rural area and back to one’s roots) on its ear. Our region is no different. What is distinctive is that we, Cosmas and I, asked 6 villages that normally do not work together, to take on the modus operandi of the USA’s melting pot…we asked that they work together for the sake of the whole to help put together a community approach. Its not totally unprecedented, as the words nhimbe and jangano (a project we developed with Fradreck Mujuru’s rural home) were both old fashioned words, meaning “working together to help one another.” The Nhimbe infrastructure and organization put an exceptional new spin on that old idea.
The children’s faces say it all. These recent photos reflect happy children. The food variety that they receive each day at school is improving their nutritional outlook supporting the development of new neural pathways, and that has to be exciting for a child whose family often has little. They are also learning with some of the best tools and teachers available.
This little girl shares a poem and her dance for us, being enjoyed by everyone present. These children exude gratitude, and we also are so very grateful for how you have supported this mission over the years. We know that, financially, many of you have taken some tough hits with our US economy being assaulted in a variety of ways, and we deeply appreciate that you keep us in your prayers as well as on your list of gifting organizations. Many thanks your way for both types of encouragement and sharing our story with friends, family and co-workers. Plus, utilizing your employer’s matching fund program is extremely empowering for your dollar!
Bye for now from the preschool! Thank you for whatever you can do (and if you can, consider a recurring donation here or a bank draft. You make the difference to help us make a difference!)
