RENEWED HOPE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, INC.

Working Together For Zimbabwe's Future

April 2, 2003

Dear Readers,

Yesterday, Ralph and Mr. Bondeponde made a trip to Motoko to see if they could straighten out some of our problems in getting supplies delivered.  Ralph came home pretty discouraged.  It looks as though we will be lucky to complete the projects that are already started.   We have no intentions of starting any new projects at this late date.  The whole system here is terribly broken.  It could be a long time before things change.

In the afternoon we met at Guzha with the Headmaster, SDC, Village Heads and the Orphan Care Givers that the community selected.  Mr. Bondeponde spent a great deal of time teaching them how to select the most needy children.  He cautioned them to be on alert for those who will try to force registration but do not fit the criteria, by relating some of the experiences he has had in the past year.  

We encouraged the Village Heads to organize so that each village grows a specific vegetable crop for the feeding program.  This will reduce their operating costs.  After the meeting they showed us an outdoor cooking facility that has not been used in some time.  It is a rondavel with a cooking pit in the center.  With a little repair, it can be made very useable until such time a proper structure can be constructed.  The Village Heads said they would do the necessary repairs so that we can begin operation when school resumes May 6.  We feel Blessed by their support.

Today, we have been invited to Cheunje Secondary School for the opening of their School Library.  This is the result of the large number of books that were shipped to that school.  The books are part of those packed by Alice Dennis, the Boy Scouts, and the Kennedy High School Key Club.  Thanks to all of those who took part in that effort.  Cheunje has been an O-level secondary school.  They are in the process of becoming an A-level secondary school with boarding facilities.  The books came at an ideal time along with a couple of electric typewriters.  They are requesting computers; Pentium Twos or faster.  In addition they are requesting some specific text books such as religious education texts, teacher education, African and European history, accounting, economics, business, chemistry, technical drawing equipment and sports equipment.

Our visit to Cheunje was enlightening.  We were surprised to find that they had a building already in place that had been designed to house a library.  However, they had not one book until our shipment arrived.  Cheunje received one-third of the shipment of books.  It is the only books they have in their library.  The school is requesting furniture for their reading room and also completion of the checkout counter in addition to specific books mentioned above.   In addition the librarian needs a desk for the library office.

Like all schools in Zimbabwe, their needs are a never-ending list.  However, to be a boarding school they must have running water and flush toilets.  They have a borehole but only a hand pump.  Electricity is at the school but has never been connected.  An electric pump in the well is needed and new storage tanks or the old ones repaired. They also have a central building with flush toilets and showers that were put in place in early 1980.  At that time the water source was the dam at Dandara.  There was no way to treat the water and so the boarding facility was closed.  They have not been used in 20 years and so probably everything will need to be re-plumbed.  I suspect the septic tanks will need some inspections, cleaning and/or replacing.  What a job and they are to be ready to open in January 2004.

Ralph and I have been concerned about the Orphan Care Truck being open when transporting food.  Rains seem to appear unexpectedly.  Recently Mr. Bondeponde had more than 2,000,000 ZD worth of food in the truck.  Luckily he got back with it without getting wet.  Ralph decided that it was not worth losing a lot of food some time.  So last week the truck went to Harare to have a frame built over the back of the truck and it is covered with a heavy fitted canvass. 

Mr. Chitsike, the treasurer for the Orphan Care Management Team is learning to drive.  It was felt that there should be someone who could go for bulk food besides Mr. Bondeponde.  It is not always convenient for Mr. Bondeponde to get away from school.  Mr. Chitsike is scheduled to take his written test soon.  It is the actual driving test that will come a bit later.  After he passes the written test then he can go for formal drivers training.

George Tanhamira is the boy I have talked about in previous journals.  He is the boy Ralph could not say no to when he requested clothes, even though he is not from this area.  George is the one who found two $5.00 bills in trousers Ralph had given him.  He has completed his O-levels but has been unable to go on to school for financial reasons.  George is trying to care for a bedridden mother and two younger children.  Mr. Bondeponde had been giving him little odd jobs to do and paying him a small amount.  Ralph observed him doing nothing most of the time.  So Ralph began to find jobs for him and discovered that he was an excellent worker even though he is small.  Much of the time he works for the builder mixing cement.  However, he comes early in the morning and has the habit of weeding and watering my small flower garden. .  

George has become Ralph’s shadow.  If he isn’t busy with a job he is looking over Ralph’s shoulder and often anticipates what Ralph needs.  We have had some fun times with him.  Today, George ran back all the way from the other side of the bridge to get me to come with our truck.  Ralph had gotten stuck with a load of lumber on the OC truck that he was taking to Chingwaru.  By the time I got there, Ralph had gotten out of the mud without help.

A large part of my time is spent with the sewing women.  I am trying to improve their system of organization or lack of.  Their quality has deteriorated and I am trying to get them to improve their skills.  The fact is there are some that should not even be in the group.  In addition I am making patterns for the Secondary School Uniforms.  There is no idle time.

Thursday is awards day for the end of this first term of school.  The children will be on break until May 6, when second term begins.  It will a bit quieter around here without all of the children.  Note the clothing that the children are wearing in the pictures taken on awards day.  You may recognize some clothing you donated.

The turnout of parents for awards day was the largest gathering the school has had for such a day.  Mr. Bondeponde encouraged the parents to come and meet the teachers on a day set aside for that purpose during second term.  The school’s pass rate at the end of last year was 85%, the best in the entire district.  The community is very proud of that.  However, their goal is to do even better.

While the children are having a break from school, we are going to be extremely busy.  Our goal is to be prepared to feed orphans at Inyagui and Guzha when school resumes in May.  It will be necessary to purchase cooking utensils and equipment for each of those schools.  As things stand at the moment, we will be feeding 88 children at Inyagui.  Guzha is in the process of finalizing their list.  The Management Team has decided that in order to have children added to the program from this time forward, a death certificate will have to be produced.  This should reduce the pressure put on the Orphan Caregivers to list children that really should not be registered.

The doors for the garage were finally delivered last Thursday.  Those were needed before work could progress.  We are anxious to have the garage complete before the maize shipment arrives.  It is very likely that it will be necessary to store some of the shipment in the garage.  Lumber that Ralph ordered two months ago was also delivered.  This year has really been a test of patience.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us.  We do appreciate each of you.

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