The Chishawasha orphans project that Thembisa supports held a Christmas party for the children in December, providing rare occasion for the children to each receive a gift. The presents, donated by local individuals and businesses, included a mask, a pencil, a pair of shoes and a chocolate bunny! Bunnies were also given out with the last food distribution of the year. You can see posts from this project (called Glen Lorne Orphans and Destitute Program in Zimbabwe) at Glen Lorne Orphans & Destitute Program | Facebook
Carol Cassidy, Julian and Sarah Dottridge and other volunteers regularly go into Sweetwaters to distribute food in this needy township. Like so many others who are doing what they can to help in SA, they do so at risk to themselves of becoming infected. The ladies receiving the aid are mainly grannies looking after orphaned children and they are so appreciative. They are able to carry the heavy parcels home on their heads!
Our November 2020 newsletter is under ‘Newsletter’ on the News and Events page. At the time it was written, we were still sending funds to our projects to provide emergency food for those left destitute by Covid-19, but we had high hopes that the situation was improving. Sadly, recent months have seen a resurgence of Covid-19, including a more highly transmissible strain of the virus. South Africa is now (January 2021) under Level 3 restrictions, which allow some of the economy to remain active, and Zimbabwe is under a 30-day lockdown.
The food parcels provided over the past 10 months or so by our projects in South Africa and Zimbabwe have been a lifeline for many. Thank you to those who donated! We need more donations so that we can send allocate further funds at our next Trustees’ meeting in February.
A Zimbabwean friend writes: ‘In addition to the obvious health worries, the lockdown has a far-reaching effect on feeding programmes, education and spiritual wellbeing – far more than in the UK, due to lack of technology. My heart breaks for parents who have worked so hard for their children to be in school, only for education systems to be forced to close down … they have probably been fighting the odds just to pay for education for this year, and may not be able to pay for another whole year of fees.’
