Dear Readers,
We are finally unpacked and settling into a routine. This evening a UNICEF truck arrived with a delivery of malaria medication, HIV testing kits and HIV medication. That is huge benefit. Albert says the cost of medical care has dropped drastically because of the support from UNICEF and the medication that we shipped recently. Hospital visits cost almost nothing.
June 11, we made our first trip to Harare with a long list of things that needed to be accomplished. Because sending emails was such a challenge, we returned back to the mission with a list of errands that didn’t get done. It will be necessary for Ralph and I to go back to Harare on Monday and try again to get more errands accomplished.
Amanda chose to remain here because the school children were going to Dandera for sports competitions. She wanted to go with the children. She got a ride to Dandera but walked home with the kids. In fact, one little girl was so tired that Amanda said she picked her up and put her on her shoulders and carried her back.
Amanda has been practicing volley ball with the students here. Their coach has asked Amanda to help coach the children. He likes some of her techniques.
Joan writes: I visited and observed in a 6th and 7th grade English classes and two first grade classrooms. The teachers were very appreciative of the visit and encouraged all of us to come again. They even asked we visit and even to teach a class.
The classrooms are quite inadequate for effective learning. The worst situation observed was the pre-school classroom with 120 little ones packed into the room. The reason for the overcrowded condition is that the enrollment at Nyamashato Primary has increased so much that one of the previous preschool rooms had to be taken for another 4th grade class. More classrooms are needed! But Ralph says they are needed even more at Inyagui!
I could see many benefits and improvements that have been contributed by folks from the U.S. Many lunchroom tables (from the U.S.) have provided the students with desks in their classrooms. The orphans (500 at Nyamashato are being given one good meal a day.
Me again: Amanda helped the cooks serve lunch recently at the Feeding Center at Nyamashato. She has kept herself quite busy. She has been planning some games that she wants to teach to the pre-school children.
June 19—Ralph and I flew to SA on Thursday to pick up a truck that our friends here purchased for us. It is a truck like the one wrecked by the Manager of the Orphan Care Center. The only difference is that it has a lot fewer miles on it. The title will be transferred into our names on Monday and then we will head back to Zimbabwe.
We spent yesterday shopping for things needed at the center. We bought a large quantity of different garden seeds. Albert plans to start a large vegetable garden at the new site as soon as power and water are available. He is planning on marketing all produce that is not used by the feeding centers. Can you imagine how much area will be needed to plant 2 ½ pounds of carrot seed?
Two wells are scheduled to be drilled the week of June 28. Tanks and stands will be put in place soon. Ralph is working with ZESA to get a transformer installed at the new site. We will keep you informed of the progress.
We plan to start our trip back to Zimbabwe sometime on Monday.
In His Service,
Ralph and Roberta