RENEWED HOPE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, INC.

Working Together For Zimbabwe's Future

March 13, 2003

The last couple of weeks have been so busy that I have had little or no time for journaling.  I apologize.  Hopefully, I can remember enough to bring you up to date.

A good piece of news is that Vincent’s hand is healing nicely.  In fact it is healing much quicker than I could have hoped for.  At first I thought it would take weeks of doctoring to get it healed.  He comes to see me every chance he gets and he is all smiles.

Work here is frustratingly slow.  Cement is just not available.  Without cement there can be no projects started.  Ralph is even exploring the possibility of importing cement from South Africa.  He has learned that he can get a duty free certificate because of all of the proposed projects in the area.  All of the projects would require two large semi-truck loads.  The pre-school/counseling facility and the garage are both in progress.  However, we will need more cement to complete the jobs.

Thursday, March 6 we met with Inyagui Primary School Headmaster, School Development Committee and Staff.  We had been invited to this meeting to give them an opportunity to say Thank You for all of the things that they had received from the shipment.  Building projects were discussed and one was selected as top priority.   It was explained that we would proceed with building if and when cement became available.  The community’s contribution to any building was also discussed, so that they will be prepared to assist in the project.

Sunshine at last!  There has been rain for two weeks.  It has rained every night and sometimes continued during the day.  Last Saturday, during the early morning hours, it rained so hard for such a long time that we were up checking to make sure water wasn’t running in under the door.  We learned later in the day that the bus was stranded in Dandara for about three hours.  Water was running over the bridge on the road.  The builder was late coming to work Saturday morning.  He reported that water was over the bridge behind the school.  Once it stopped raining, the water level dropped quickly.

Ralph’s time has been spent supervising the builder who is constructing the garage.  It is the first garage he has ever built and Ralph wants to make certain that the floor is strong enough to support the weight of the truck.  It may be necessary to store some of the maize in the garage as well, once the shipment arrives.  Garage doors have been ordered to make the building secure.  The doors are to be picked up from the manufacturer tomorrow, Monday March 17.

A week ago distribution of clothing to school age children was begun.  We started with the preschoolers and worked up by grade.  It was fun to watch the children’s faces as we dressed them in new clothes.  They tried to keep a sober face but it was more than they could do.  When you looked them in the eyes, they nearly burst into laughter.  One little third grade boy, when I asked if the clothes I had given him were ok, looked at me and said they are too beautiful.  He was grinning all over.  My job has been the best job that any one has had.  I only wish some of you could share these moments.  Words can’t begin to describe the joy of these children.  There will be no clothes to pass on to the other schools.  We have given them all out. 

We need more children’s clothing and especially sweat shirts and sweaters.  Underwear that is still in good shape is also needed.  We gave out shorts to the girls to wear under the dresses or skirts they were given.  The skirts are so short that they were uncomfortable wearing them.

Some of the secondary school girls came for the slacks, at least the ones that would fit.  These girls are very slender. 

When it was possible for Ralph to leave the building site, he joined me in helping to fit shoes.  Wow! Do these children have big feet!  Some of the 7^th grade boys and girls did not get shoes because there were none left or there were no shoes large enough.

Hopefully, this week will see the end to the clothing distribution.  The only thing left is infant clothing.  Wednesday, distribution of this clothing will begin.  It will be handed out to one village at a time, as was the adult clothing.   Gradually the Feeding Center is returning to normal.  I am certain the cooks will be overjoyed to be able to return to their routine.

While it has been a joy beyond words to be able to dress these children in new clothes, there has been a down side as well.  Seeing these children undressed and witnessing the distended bellies and deformed bodies is almost overwhelming.   Some children have humped backs or crooked legs.  Bony legs are standard.  There is no fat anywhere.  On most of the children, I could count the ribs. I did not see one normal child out of probably 400 for whom I helped select clothes.  Some children had sores on their body.  I have no idea the cause and I haven’t enough band-aids to doctor all of them.  My guess is that some of it at least is due to malnutrition.  Some could be infected mosquito bites.  We need a team of doctors and nurses to come work here for whatever length of time they can give.  Every little bit helps.  They would need a ton of medicine.  Some of these children are infected with HIV I am certain.  This complicates the healing.

Another down side was the lack of cleanliness.  It is a major problem partly because laundry soap is prohibitively expensive and many have to carry water from long distances.  Clothing is not improved much when laundered in the rivers, especially right now.  Child-headed households are provided laundry soap each month.  However, if there is no one to teach them to do laundry, it doesn’t do much good.  This is something for the Orphan Care-Givers to concentrate on.  Some of the children’s clothes were absolutely stiff they were so filthy.  It was a temptation to get a bucket of water and a scrub brush.  Ralph says the windmill couldn’t pump enough water.

We found many children’s clothes hidden in various places after the children had left in their new clothes.  It is probably impossible to match the old clothes with the right child.  They obviously wanted nothing further to do with the old clothes.

Please pray for the children we are attempting to care for.  Also pray that we make wise decisions concerning the future of the Orphan Care Center.

In His Service,

Ralph and Roberta

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Renewed Hope Charitable Foundation, Inc. | a 501(c)(3) charity | P.O. Box 1476 | Castle Rock, Colorado | 80104-1476