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The Michael Project Newsletter
January 2005
Contents
Chikurubi Daycare Centre Opens
After
many delays, the Chikurubi Daycare Centre finally opened its doors to the
children on 13 October 2004. We have already seen that we are fulfilling a
huge need in just the health and hygiene of the children. Those that the teachers
are ministering to are in desperate need of care and love - one child cried
incessantly when her mother brought her on her first day. We later found out
that the mother is in prison for killing her first baby and is not coping
with her second. Praise God that we are able to take this child away for the
best part of each day.
Through our relationship with Prison Fellowship Zimbabwe, a group of doctors have volunteered to regularly visit the daycare centre to monitor the children's health. Many of the children are very sick and diseased so this has been a real belssing.
Setback
at Wingate
Whilst
we are still in the aftermath of the storm that hit the Wingate Play Centre
and destroyed a large part of the building (by way of a falling tree), ae
are feeling confident that good will come out of this quite extraordinary
situation. We immediately had a positive response from the community in terms
of them helping the teachers to continue in the last week of term. The teachers
themselves have an excellent attitude, and after gathering at the office,
along with our other staff, to sort through the equipment and salvage what
could be salvaged, they were back in Wingate the following day working with
the children. They were also determined to have the planned "graduation"
ceremony that week to send off the thirteen children who have completed their
time at the pre-school. All thirteen did graduate in a nearby shelter, with
much cheering and rejoicing from parents and guardians. We have also had a
meeting with the community, to hear their views and discuss with them how
we can go forward. They have entusiastically offered to provide labour to
re-build the pre-school, and have elected a committee to oversee their obligations.
This "disaster" has therefore brought much needed unity and change
in people from the community's attitudes (something that we have been praying
for), and is proof that God uses all things for His purposes.
TOP
Binga work stops, then starts
Our
programme to work with children at risk in the Binga District has had many
stops and starts over the last six months. Our last direct work with the children
in Binga, was at the end of August when we held a week long fun club with
them, and distributed one ton of maize meal. Joyce Mbiba, our Binga project
co-ordinator, has made numerous trips to Binga to meet with the local authorities.
She has been seeking permission to proceed, submitting our work plans for
2005 and even doing an unplanned presentation to a meeting of leaders and
councillors from the district. Her persistence has paid off, and we were given
written permission by the Binga Rural District Council three days before
Christmas to proceed. In the first week of January, we held a meeting with
the pastors from the area, and have planned two seminars at the end of the
month to begin training volunteers from these local churches, to work with
the children at risk in their communities.
Sadly Jenny Rich left The Michael Project at the end of October and we miss her help in the office greatly. We are in the process of looking for an administrator to take on Jenny's role and are hoping that this person will also do some of the travelling and co-ordinating between the office and Joyce in Binga, which is 700km's away.
Nhlanganiso Dube, after studying at night, has successfully completed the first semester of his BA in Community Development with the University of South Africa (UNISA). Nhlanganiso has also been very instrumental in our work at Wingate and Chikurubi.
The new year saw us moving our offices to Greystone Park Christian Fellowship, something that we have been looking forward to for some time.
2004 was a tough year for us here in Zimbabwe
and certainly there have been times when the frustrations have almost defeated
us, but we have seen God at work in the people and places that we have had
the privilege to work with and in. Praise God for the children that He sends
to The Michael Project, and we thank God for the people behind the scenes
who pray for, give to and support us, for without you we couldn't go on. Thank
You!
Please Pray for
The children and people in the Wingate Community. Pray
that they would not be despondent, but ratherbe able to praise God in all
circumstances.
The re-building programme, that we would be able to re-open the pre-school
early in 2005.
The children at the Chikurubi Daycare Centre. Pray that they would know the
joy of the Lord, and that their lives would be impacted by the Gospel.
Our progamme for children at risk in the Binga District. Pray that we would
continue to gain favour with the local authorities, and be able to touch the
lives of these needy children. Pray that God would supply all of the resources
that we require for this work.
