Journal 8
Greetings from Zimbabwe,
As I mentioned in my last email, I had visited Nyamashato Primary School on Thurs. May 31. I was very impressed with their garden. The green house is constructed of white shade cloth to protect the tomatoes from potential frost. It also reduces insect infestation. There are 25 rows of tomatoes tied up to wire trellises. The plants are loaded with tomatoes. The plants are watered and fertilized through drip irrigation. These tomatoes will be sold to community members when most people cannot grow tomatoes. This will generate badly needed income.
This young boy is age 13 but is the size of a seven year old child. He lost his mother when he was very young. He lives with a stepmother and it has not been a healthy relationship. The father lives in Harare and rarely comes to visit the family. The child and the stepmother are both emotionally depressed. The child has been constantly ill in the past. However, with Stewart getting involved and with Beauty’s expertise they have made a huge difference. The boy is now attending school on a regular basis. Beauty has been helpful in his improved health. How children are able to survive with so many strikes against them is beyond my understanding.
This boy had lost both parents by the age of nine years. He had been living with a relative but was mistreated. He left and wandered aimlessly. He ended up sleeping in an abandoned vehicle at Madamombe Town Center. At one point he risked crossing the Inyagui River to find work on farms in that area so that he could have food to eat. When Stewart found him, he was wild. The boy, through counseling, has since returned to school. His behavior has improved. Stewart is keeping a close eye on him. Recently he asked Stewart for a Bible. Note the big smile when Stewart gave him his own Bible.
The truck loaded with materials for the Moringa Building arrived late evening on Monday. The materials were unloaded at the work site and construction began on Tuesday morning. The workmen are all living on site.
The plumbers are digging the trench for the piping from the building to the septic tank at the moment. The bottom of the septic tank is being poured today.
After the plumbers are finished digging, then they will need to trench to a different tank for recyclable water. It seems a bit backwards but they are doing things to stay out of the way of the electricians and the carpenters at the moment.
The carpenter is putting in the ceiling structure to support the insulation and electrical work for the lights. The grinding room and the packaging room are already complete. He was making good progress on the processing room when I paid a visit early this afternoon.
The electrician has the fuse box set and is putting tubing in for running the electrical wire through. He will have to drill through the cement wall to put the tubing through to the processing room. I am sure the carpenter will be through with the ceiling structure as soon as the electricians are ready to begin their work in the processing room. Work is moving swiftly now that supplies are on site.
The digging of the foundation for the new clinic has progressed very slowly. Finally, on Tuesday, Albert recommended they bring in more help for the digging. The work is progressing much faster in the last couple of days. I feel that by the end of the day on Friday, the digging will be complete. I hope the inspector will come on Monday to give his approval to move forward with putting in the foundation. I am looking forward to seeing the walls go up while I am still here.
As I close this week, I am asking for prayers for all of the construction that is taking place here.
I am especially asking for your prayers for the orphans that have no parents and who have been so mistreated. Life is tough here even under the best of conditions. Pray especially for Beauty and Stewart. They are often the only support system the child has ever known. Without people like them these children would live like animals or probably not even survive. I thank all of the readers for you prayerful support.
In His Service, Roberta