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this is a test for V3

Our planned field trip to Zimbabwe took on a new dimension when an email came through from Ezelle Schimper, our hostess and the overseer of the AFADU projects we are creating, asking us to organize a quantity of red, golfing shirts in large sizes with embroidered pockets.  With the help of South African supporter Moira, who visited with the AFADU team in 2005, we procured the shirts and the next email followed.

“””””It is really wonderful.
We are going to let the cat out of the bag as we cannot keep the secret any longer. We have arranged for the official opening of Lirhanzo while you are here so that you can share the special day with us. It is big, with high officials and all. Lots of people! The shirts are needed for the top officials as that is normally the custom at such a function here.

There, I said it!

Ezelle “””””””

After eleven long years filled with blood, sweat and many tears, Ezelle’s dream of opening a purpose built, culturally appropriate children’s home for at least a few of the thousands of children who have lost their parents to HIV/Aids is finally becoming a reality!!

Hi All

The miracle of miracles has happened!! Margaret and I was called to Harare on Wednesday last week to see the Social Welfare office where they handed us the registration certificate of Lirhanzo Children’s Village!!! I had to pinch myself, after eleven years from the first letter we wrote to apply to Social Welfare for a children’s home, after all the negative politics, financial struggles, red tape, blood and sweat, God finally made it happen. When I prayed to God for patience, I never knew exactly how much He would put my patience and commitment to the test. Halleluja!! We have made it! Attached is the piece of paper we have waited and fought so long for.

With this registration now comes a whole lot of new responsibilities that brings with it also financial obligations like paying staff government set salaries, etc. Please help us in meeting these obligations in order to help the children for whom we did all of this. Also pray for us to have the wisdom in running it the way that will follow God’s will and plan.

Thank you all for your contribution in reaching this goal. Everyone played a vital part in making it happen, no matter how small you think it was. Without that last dustbin in the room or that one doorlock, we would not have been able to pass the final inspection.

We are now registered for 21 children according to the size of the facility, but were told that as we increase our capacity to house more children, it is now easy to increase the number on our registration. There is a great need for homes in the country and area and ours are already full. So we would like to increase our capacity to 120 children with everybody’s help. With God nothing is impossible, we must only believe and trust in Him.

Love you all!

Ezelle and team

Container News – ITS THERE!!!!

Container No 11 has just arrived at the Chikombedzi Hospital and has been unpacked. This container held the mosquito nets from Australian Defence, the medical equipment from Hamilton Is Medical Centre and Proserpine Hospital, the Operating Theatre equipment and supplies from Epworth Hospital, all the materials given by Bernie at Caesartex, the Back Packs organised by Angie in Darwin, Wrapped with Love blankets  and much much more.

Ezelle wrote very briefly with the good news of its arrival and a few pics:-

We want to thank you and the whole team that made it all possible very much for all your hard work to get it all here. I am sure the doctor cannot wait to get the new hospital equipment installed and tested. The sewing girls are excited about their materials and have received some orders already while offloading after some people saw the fabric.

GREAT JOB!! With love from all of us.

The next container has been donated by Royal Wolf and is “almost” on site in Kuringai in Sydney. Already we know that 3 Industrial Sewing Machines and 3 Overlockers have been donated to the sewing group by the TAFE college in Moree and the wonderful Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Is. have extended there offer of 2 pallets of superseded linen for the Chikombedzi hospital to 4 pallets. Amazing!!!

If anyone knows of any medical supplies such as wound management products or laboratory equipment that may be out of date or no longer required, teaching aids for the school of nursing, basic cleaning products for the hospital or anything else that a community that has basically nothing would want for a half decent life, please let me know.

Publicity – Wrap with Love and Green Living

The first lovely piece of publicity was included in the Sep/Oct copy of Green Living a delightful and new magazine editored by Kirsty McKenzie. It comes under the heading of Taking a Leaf and is a great write up on the orphans who are being given regular OLEA, Olive Leaf Extract which is supplied to AFADU on an ongoing basis by Delphine Archer and Comvita. The photos of the kids are gorgeous and this article is going to be followed up by a profile on one of our sponsored orphans each month. The whole magazine is worth a read so get it if you can!

The second was included in the Annual Wrap Up report  from Wrap with Love which reported:-

“AID FOR AFRICA DOWN UNDER (AFADU), ZIMBABWE, CHIKOMBEDZI COMMUNITY, MWENZI
DISTRICT

Aid for Africa Down Under, an Australian non-profit, non-government charitable organization, was founded in 2004 by Julie and Ian Routledge. When travelling in Zimbabwe they had seen the extremely harsh conditions suffered by orphaned and vulnerable children in Chikombedzi in the Mwenzi District. Julie was inspired by a white farmer, Ezelle Schimper, to work with the local community to help create a better environment for the children.

Since its inception AFADU has delivered 10 containers from Australia with over 100 tonnes of goods for distribution in Africa. Currently container No.11 is being packed with medical supplies, blankets, mosquito nets, Wraps and fabrics which will be shipped to Zimbabwe to provide additional resources.
Volunteers pack these containers themselves and also raise funds to transport them. They then personally distribute the wide variety of goods including our Wraps so that we can be sure they will reach their intended destination.

In January this year, Ian emailed Wrap with Love that despite all the bad news we read about Zimbabwe, AFADU has made huge differences in the Chikombedzi community. There is now a viable sewing school, a sponsored doctor, and a facility to teach nursing is being built.

Wrap with Love continues to support AFADU in their work, and in 2008 donated 1,317 Wraps.”

In total, Wrap with Love contributed 27,372 Wraps (blankets) to various countries and charities throughout 2008.

(Addendum —- Number 11 container as you have just read has just arrived and we are actually sponsoring 2 doctors)

Batsiranai Sewing Group and Trixie’s Global Giving Fund Raiser.

Trixie has passed on that because of 2 very generous donors, 2 embroidery machines are now in use at the BSG facility in Chikombedzi and the group are now producing school uniforms with school logos with ease. The group is certainly evolving and in the latest report it was great to see that they are now setting themselves income producing targets. They wrote:-

“”"Personal

Members are now able to work on their own without supervision from the tutor. Neatness have finally been achieved by all members and all members are now working /sewing to become the best among others. There is big competition within the group members as all of us want to become the best. “”"”

This report to AFADU so poignantly shows how important the BSG has become to the members. Thanks to those who have donated!

The link to global giving is http://www.globalgiving.com/projects/empower-100-woman-in-zimbabwe-with-sewing-skills and its worth opening it up to check out the pics alone!

Sponsorship

Emily still has a few kids that need sponsors and I would be happy to pass on details if anyone is interested. It is only $400 year or $35 month to provide food, clothing and education for a school age child and we get updates and photos on their well being when Ezelle can fit it in or when we go over which is usually every 12 months.

Next Field Trip

It looks like our next field trip will be planned for June or July next year. Delphine Archer our OLEA organiser who has constantly supported AFADU www.afadu.com in so many ways is going to come and Peter Ross from Melbourne, who organised all the Epworth Hospital goodies has also ticked it in his diary. Husband Bill has also expressed serious interest but I’m not quite sure whether he is serious or if its just something to do with the World Cup being held in South Africa??

Anyone else who would like the trip of a lifetime and feels that they have something to offer please let me know. We do go at our own expense BUT you seem to get back one hundredfold what you put in and WHAT A CAUSE!

Hope you like the pics of the container being off loaded. As more arrive I will send them on.

Cheers to all and THANKS for your support

Pam Harrison

“AID FOR AFRICA DOWN UNDER (AFADU), ZIMBABWE, CHIKOMBEDZI COMMUNITY, MWENZI DISTRICT

Aid for Africa Down Under, an Australian non-profit, non-government charitable organization, was founded in 2004 by Julie and Ian Routledge. When travelling in Zimbabwe they had seen the extremely harsh conditions suffered by orphaned and vulnerable children in Chikombedzi in the Mwenzi District. Julie was inspired by a white farmer, Ezelle Schimper, to work with the local community to help create a better environment for the children.

Since its inception AFADU has delivered 10 containers from Australia with over 100 tonnes of goods for distribution in Africa. Currently container No. 11 is being packed with medical supplies, blankets, mosquito nets, Wraps and fabrics which will be shipped to Zimbabwe to provide additional resources. Volunteers pack these containers themselves and also raise funds to transport them. They then personally distribute the wide variety of goods including our Wraps so that we can be sure they will reach their intended destination.

In January this year, Ian emailed Wrap with Love that despite all the bad news we read about Zimbabwe,, AFADU has made huge differences in the Chikombedzi community. There is now a viable sewing school, a sponsored doctor, and a facility to teach nursing is being built.

Wrap with Love continues to support AFADU in their work, and in 2008 donated 1,317 Wraps.”

http://www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/Wrap.htm

http://twitpic.com/b3pxw – Lovely meeting this morning with @childsi and @AFADU. Exchanging ideas and stories on #charitytuesday

In the month of April, AFADU and BSG had a challenge!
Rasie £1000 from 50 donors and we win a permanent place on a major US/UK fundrasing site called Global Giving. www.globalgiving.com

http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/pr/2600/proj2594a.html

One more donor to go and we have made it!!!!!

A friend of mine, Lucy Buck, is doing some fantastic work in Uganda. Her organization Childs i Foundation is there on a planning trip. Our aim is to design and build a specialist transitional care centre in Kampala, Uganda to provide life saving care to abandoned babies.
See Day one of their trip here:
http://blog.childsifoundation.org/2009/04/15/uganda-planning-trip-day-1/
GOOD LUCK LUCY AND TEAM!!!!

Follow AFADU on Twitter!!!!!

http://twitter.com/AFADU