RENEWED HOPE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, INC.
Working Together For Zimbabwe's Future
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RENEWED HOPE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, INC. Working Together For Zimbabwe's Future |
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| August 8, 2004 Dear Readers, You won’t hear us speak of the cold weather again. The days are becoming warmer, usually reaching the high 80’s and today the low nineties. However, the nights are still rather cool; usually it drops down to between 55 & 60 degrees. I continue to marvel at the huge solid granite mountains (very high hills) we pass by on our way from Harare back to the school. Most are totally bare of any vegetation and appear rounded as if they were giant bubbles of molten material thousands of years ago. They remind us of the mighty force of nature that it took to form them. Ralph and I continue to be frustrated by the amount of time required to accomplish the simplest task. If I could get by, I would never go to Harare. We return to school exhausted and with little to show for the time taken to make the trip. We are beginning to wonder if we are not meant to start any new projects this year. The windows are all in the new preschool building and the painting is progressing rapidly. We feel certain that the preschool rooms can be used when school resumes in September. The counseling rooms are painted and ready for furniture. An office desk and chairs are needed in both rooms. A joint meeting of both the Advisory Board (formerly known as the Board of Trustees) and the Executive Committee (formerly known as the Management Committee) was held at the Orphan Care Center on Saturday. A review of the past year was presented along with a complete review of finances since July 2002. All appears to be in good order. An important decision was made to begin feeding all preschool children a hot meal as well as a nutrition drink each morning, not just the orphaned preschoolers. This decision was based on the need for good nutrition at this young age. A tour was made of the preschool facility nearing completion, dispensary and counseling rooms. Notes were taken of things still needed to complete that project. The dispensary is in need of two desks and chairs, a file cabinet and a child’s table and chair set with blocks or something to occupy a child while waiting to see the nurse. The dispensary is not open for business yet but we are working toward that end. The first step is to register with the Ministry of Health. Two members of the Advisory Board are working on the issue. The Ministry will require installing a ceiling in the dispensary and drug room as well as the feeding center. Ralph ordered material on Monday and it has already been delivered. A person (a nurse) who we hope to employ in the future will give preschool inoculations; provide first aid care to all school children in the Orphan Care catchment area. Additionally, the growth pattern of the children in the Feeding Program could be tracked. The dispensary will not be open to the community in general. Our goal is to hire a person who would also provide home-based care and hospice care in the community. Such a person would also be able to do training for home-based care. In addition this person will be qualified to do AIDS testing and administer HIV medication. A more immediate goal is to establish Day Camp during school break for Primary School Children. This would be a Christian Camp where games would be directed, stories read and songs sung along with some crafts and drama. We are looking for someone qualified to donate his or her time to direct this for three weeks during school break three times a year. We would like to introduce the plan as soon as the school-break in December. When I was in Harare last, I was unable to purchase gauze roller bandage material. I find it keeps wounds cleaner than using a gauze bandage and tape. So last night Ralph and I sat tearing sheets into strips and rolling them into bandages. I can remember doing the same thing with my mother during World War II. It is good that we did this last night as I have had three occasions to use them today. Trisha, a 12-year-old girl who weighs only 21 KG, came early this morning for me to redress the burns on her legs. When I saw her for the first time a week and a half ago she had mostly 3rd degree burns on the fronts and insides of both legs including the knees downward. The first time I saw her, she had been brought to me in a wheelbarrow. She had been taken to two different clinics and neither did anything for her. She was unable to walk and in much pain. We cleaned the wounds then Ralph lifted her into the truck and I took her to the hospital in Murewa. I hated to do it after Mrs. Bondeponde’s experience but felt we had no choice. She ended up being in the hospital for a week. When they released her, she was instructed to come here to have her burns redressed. So I have been seeing her daily. I am really amazed at how quickly they have begun to heal in spite of her frail state. I saw another burn patient this morning. It is a young boy who has scald burns on the top of one foot. He comes for attention if Ralph or I are here. If we leave, he won’t come and let Mrs. Bondeponde dress his foot. Yesterday and today I have seen a woman who had one hand injured seriously by an ox cart. Because of the language barrier, I don’t know exactly what happened. With the aid of Hydrogen Peroxide and Neosporin, we seem to be considered miracle workers. I gave her some Ibuprofen to relieve some of the pain. Today, she seemed a bit better at least she was not in so much pain. Between Ralph and me we wear many hats during the day. Recently, at the end of a day, I counted up and I had been Religious Counselor, Family Counselor, a nurse, ambulance driver and an accountant. Ralph has served as a consultant, computer technician, purchasing agent and employer. We certainly could use some help. Wish that someone could help with the preschool when classes resume in September. I am hoping to have time to get into the classroom as soon as school begins again but could certainly use some help. We face so many challenges. Please pray that God will guide our work. Pray that we will be given the strength to do the work. Our years are beginning to limit our energy. Pray for the children here, so many are left to face this world alone. 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 2004 Journal 03 |