Copy of May 2011 - Lazyfish Technology

May 2011 Kangaroo Valley Voice www.kangaroovalley.nsw.au Page 54
Zimbabwe visit
(Continued from page 9)
something they had not done before. We
actually had to teach the kids how to hold and
use artists paint brushes. We loved working
with them and were delighted every time a
child started to sing, immediately joined by
many voices, so we were treated to these
wonderful impromptu concerts.
The children love to sing, and do so often.
At night in House 4, after dinner it is the
children’s job to wash up, clean the kitchen
and scrub the floor. All of the children do this
together, entertaining themselves as they
worked by singing and drumming.
Their harmonies are amazing and we never
tired of listening to them.
Each day, as the house began to wake, we were
amazed to see the older children helping the
babies to bathe and dress, then sweep floors,
also sweeping all around the outside of their
house, cooking breakfast – all before they got
ready for school, leaving at 7.30 am. And this
was all accomplished with no fuss or fighting!!
The housemothers are exceptional, caring for
between 7 and 15 children. They do this 7 days
a week for 1 month, and then have 10 days off
to go home to their own families. It is hard
work, given that they often cook on open fires
and have limited access to water. We found
them to be caring and kind to the children.
Over many nights, we visited each of the 8
houses in the compound to hand out photos of
the children that were taken 12 months ago,
and gifts sent by sponsors. This was a delight
to see the joy on the children’s faces as they
opened presents, read letters and gazed at
photos of their sponsors and families. It gives
them the biggest boost to know that someone
cares for them from so far away.
Each weekday, children from the surrounding
community come to the Home to have
schooling and be given a midday meal.
This may be the only meal these children have
each day. Matthew Rusike Children’s Home
also runs similar projects in nearby
communities where it is operated out of church
halls.
The staff of MRCH train community people to
run these centres. We were made very welcome
at one of these centres in the village of
Chitungweza, about 30 kms from the Home. We
also went around to the homes of some of the
people in this village to distribute food and
supplies. In two of these homes, which were
about 2.5 m x 2.5 m , grandmothers were caring
for their grandchildren, whose parents had died
of HIV/Aids. Very sad to see.
We planned to have a party for the children one
Saturday afternoon as a special treat for the kids.
Baba Cooch and Wendy went shopping in
downtown Harare for supplies, accompanied by
Matron Rairo and Finance guru Tapiwa. That
was fine. We felt totally safe, although it was
strange being the only 2 white people in sight.
Many western foods are available in the
supermarkets, too many that are highly processed
for our liking. We were able to buy vegetables
and limited fruit. Rairo went to another market in
the afternoon to buy meat, which the children
very rarely have.
The party was a fun event for all involved. It was
held in a large hall in the compound. The
housemothers spent all day cooking chicken and
beef, making coleslaw, potato salad, rice, and
soup (a sauce to be poured over the meat and
rice). Each child also received a banana or apple,
and a soft-drink, which was hilarious to watch as
some of the children had never experienced such
a sweet drink before.
A disco was hired for the evening – it was very
loud! Or it may have been that we are just getting
old! The children danced and danced and danced
in the dark, or by the light of head-torches, as the
council power was again absent, and we had to
use a generator for the disco. The children are
superb dancers, and we had a great time trying to
keep up with them.
Baba Cooch and Wendy were in awe of their
travelling companion Susy, the sponsorship
coordinator for the Home. Whilst there, she
compiles profiles of new children, helps the
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Cooch Allan shares a happy moment
housemothers complete the Annual Child
Development forms, has meetings with the
Head of the Home, Astonishment, and the
Head of Finance, Tapiwa, conducts fun
workshops for the children, photographs every
child for the sponsors, visits all the children
and staff and organises a party for the children
and staff, providing treats that they would
otherwise never receive. Paramount to all of
this, though, is the beautiful, patient and
respectful way that Susy approaches both staff
and children at the Home.
Thank you to all the Valley people who
donated to our “Chook Appeal”. The children
now have a sustainable supply of eggs and
chicken meat to help in improving their diet.
We loved our visit to Matthew Rusike
Children’s Home and will definitely return to
help out again.
If you would like to find out more about the
Home and sponsoring a child, please go to
www.mrchsponsorship.com, or contact Susy
James at susy@mrchsponsorship.com
Footnote: Our house-mother Shamie sadly
passed away, from TB, on 2 nd February 2011.
Reflections at Earth Hour dinner
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Earth Hour photographs by Belinda Webster