I was so excited about going and yet there was a part of me that seriously wondered what I would find when I arrived, how would the Church have fared? Did God provide for them or are they struggling for survival despite God’s promises?

I need not have been concerned, God more than provided and looked after His Church. She did not merely survive but has grown in strength and size. I met many people who testified how they did not go to bed hungry.

Muchakata TreeOne lady explained “I give thanks to God that during the bad times last year I never went to bed hungry. God provided fruit from the muchakata tree (this is a prolific indigenous tree); every day we went out to collect the fruit and made it into porridge, buns and even a drink. We became very good at inventing new ways of eating this fruit. The fruit never stopped falling for the whole of that period of time”.

I learned that usually this tree only fruits once a year but during the time of starvation it produced fruit continually and there were enough trees for every family to claim one for their own. I heard many people testifying how this fruit had sustained them during the worst times.

The farm that Help International helped provide finances for has been a real life saver for the people. It has not only provided for Charles and his family but over a hundred families have benefited. During the period of famine Charles was able to give away between 2-3 tons of maize, because of irrigation he was able harvest two additional crops.

Everyone is saying that this coming harvest is going to a bumper one, despite having no fertilizer.

Many of you may recall we started a micro-finance project a couple of years ago. Although it started well and people had some great business ideas and opportunities the majority were overtaken by the huge inflation rates. Many bought wholesale and then sold the items either separately or in smaller amounts but when they went back to replenish stocks the price had increased by a 1000% or more. With the introduction of the South African Rand (ZAR) and the US$ as the only valid currencies the economy has now stabilised and this would be the ideal time to re-start the project as there is a sense that the country is picking herself up and starting to re-build. Help International has release money to re-start this project.”

Jonathan Lumba

He employs four people who go out on bicycles with a side cart, they go around the local neighbourhoods and buy peoples rubbish! (A rather different story to us here in the U.K.) This is then sorted in to the various materials like plastic, copper, iron etc and passed on to the individual scrap merchants.

Help International was recently, through the generosity of one of our church partners, able to send funding to provide windows, furniture and bunk beds.

This place is already making a big difference to the children who live there. The alternative would be to live on the streets with all its inherent dangers.

Thank you

Children dressed up and getting ready for their performance

People gathering for the opening ceremonyAfterwards there was a presentation by the children from the other three houses; they performed various traditional and modern dances and it was wonderful to see children expressing themselves so freely through dance and acting. Each one did their best, and when I considered that many of these children had come from Children performingdifficult backgrounds, it was very moving.

Now comes the challenging, but rewarding task of selecting the children who will come and live in the new house!

Sally Murcutt

Exciting new building work

This is the fourth house to be built and the difference it is making to children’s lives is extraordinary. Many arrive without even being able to dress themselves, but with loving care and attention, soon they are as quick as any of the other children in the home. There are currently three houses fully functioning, each house has House Parents caring for twelve children.

Many of the children are orphans, but some do have one parent but are unable to look after their child. This can be because of financial hardship, illness or simple neglect.

Many of these children need sponsoring through school and so if you can help please contact us for details of our Child Sponsorship Programme. 

Walls going up!

More money has been given to enable the inside to be finished and fully equipped.

Grateful thanks to all who contributed

Original farm with limited irrigation

After a long wait funds have now been released to enable Charles to purchase the necessary pump and bring his dream of running his own farm closer.

Help Int’l was able to assist in providing some of the funds needed for the all important pump.

UPDATE: Sally Murcutt has just returned from Zimbabwe where she spent time with our partner, Charles, on his farm. “The pump is now up and fully functional”, Sally reported. “This was a real blessing because all municipal water had been turned off a couple of weeks earlier and so unless you had a well or pump there was simply no water. The farm is proving to be a blessing not only to Charles and his family but to those living nearby who come to collect water”.

"It was an amazing sight to see the lush crop of maize with large healthy cobs growing on the stalks, a real contrast to the fields where there was no means of watering. It was devastating to see all the hard work that had gone into the ploughing and sowing only to see it withering and dying through lack of water. The little crop that was harvested will only last for perhaps as long as three months".Really Amazing Crops!

Through being able to irrigate, Charles has already harvested enough maize to last his household for the next twelve months. He is presently harvesting soya beans and has already brought in a crop of butternut squash.

After years of patiently waiting, Charles is now seeing prosperity for his family and friends who share his blessings along with him. 

Nurse Gladys with patients

Help Int’l has again been able to provide drugs for the next 12 months for Sachibondu Clinic in Zambia.

This is a huge encouragement to those who work at the Clinic. Drugs that we take for granted are impossible for much of the world to buy, they are simply too costly.

It has been my greatest joy to see young people’s lives changed forever through this giving. When one of our partners was distributing the money for new children being sponsored in Zimbabwe he reports, “In almost all situations the mother and father of one of them cried. I could see tears running down their cheeks. These were tears of joy saying ‘God at last you have remembered our plight and need’.

Aileen Cairns

STOP PRESS, STOP PRESS, STOP PRESS

We are always in need of sponsors. At the moment we have a number of children from the Philippines needing sponsorship. Can you help?