MIDLANDS CHILDREN’S HOME

“Rosedale”

June 2017 REPORT

This year has marked a very good year when we had the visitors from Kleindottingen which did not only cement the relationship between the two but to a greater change to the home and to the children, staff and committee members.

A lot of repairs like the swings, the purchase and repairing of the mattresses’ were also experienced after this visit as their advises were very positive to the well being of the home and the children at large. Other repairs are still in progress by this time of the year like the ceilings, cupboards and replacement of taps etc.

At the beginning of this year we witness a lot of movement of children when the three Mauseni sisters and the two Shoko children were reintegrated with their families. At the same time Tadiwa and Blessing were also discharged because their relatives were located.

This also led to the admission of the two new children, Jessica Shumba and Farai Moyo. Jessica was dumped and was adopted by a certain family during her early stages and had since returned her to the Department of Social Services for admission here. While Farai’s parents were arrested for gold panning and the Department of Social Services are trying to locate the relatives’ where about while he is on place of safety here.

The above scenario leaves us with 59 children who comprises of 26 boys and 33 girls, among these, 8 are young adults of which 3 are in training, while 5 have finished school and have to join training courses. 19 are in secondary education, 27 are going for primary education, and 5 are toddlers and among the toddlers two are babies.

1 Educational Breakdown

Under fives Boys 2 Girls 3 5 Grade 1-7 Boys 11 Girls 16 27 Form 1 – 6 Boys 9 Girls 10 19 Pending Tertiary Boys 3 Girls 2 5 Training Centre/Colleges Boys 1 Girls 2 TOTAL 3 59 Apart from going to school the children also participate in different activities like going to church. While they go to such areas they have chances to join support groups and different Associations especially in the church and school arena. The children are also seen in the leading positions in these Associations, for example Moses Nehanda Vice Chair person in the Holy Childwood Association, Sam Siziba is the Treasurer on the Simon Peter Association while Chiedza Mago is the Chairperson of St. Agnes Association. At the same time we have two prefects at secondary school level Tapiwa and Tsitsi.

PAMUSHA

Currently there are 8 young adults at Pamusha, 4 girls and 4 boys. We are happy to announce that after Cathrine 2 successfully completed her training, Mathew have finished his building training at Masvingo Polytechnical and he is working as an assistance builder. These two successfully completed their trainings and we thank you for the support now they are independent like any other ex children.

Now we have Moses Mpofu who is doing building training at St. Joseph’s Catholic Training Centre, Shingi Zuva who is doing Accounting at Kwekwe Polytechnical and Prisca who has just moved to Gweru to finish off her Home Craft training from Driefontein Mission. Fortunate, Dennis, Nokhutula, Gracious and Sam are going for a training most probably next year. For the mean time they are being taught self survival skills especially in agriculture like market gardening and animal husbandry at a low purse that they have idea in these areas for their future.

The garden is doing very well that we are able to feed the children at Rosedale and even to sale surplus though we have high competition as most of the citizen are opting for this area for them to earn a living as there are no formal jobs in the country.

Though we are currently experiencing national economic hardships we are opting to start up a piggery project at a very low purse since we had already had the pig sties. We hope that this will be less expensive as we will keep a small number of the pigs, which can only be able us to have fresh pork for the children and as for the market we will be just monitoring the situation, when it is conducive to increase the product we will do so depending on the market. This will also benefit the young adults as they will have vast experience on the piggery and at the same time boost our food security. By the time our economy improves we would be already in the system and this can also increase our sales in future and the situation can be better if the project can break even.

Generally, the animal projects are at an average state that we can feed the children with the fresh meat though we cannot sell much as there is hardly any market.

As I mentioned in my last year’s report that Zimbabwe with not more than 10% of the population in formal employment left the majority to be the vendors which means all our potential customers are also our competitors as they are also into selling vegetables and other commodities in the streets. So the economic meltdown we are currently experiencing is heavily affecting us as this is the biggest stabling block we are facing now and it is causing a negative result and against our initial plans when Pamusha was constructed, that young adults should work in the field and learn to earn a living from the fields and at the same time learning self survival skills.

This scenario is even worse this year where there is no hope for improvement and the situation is even deteriorating as more young adults are graduating from different trainings and university hoping to get jobs but unfortunately nothing is coming by and they are left without any choice rather than joining the street vending for their survival. 3 We are kindly pursing the drilling of a new borehole with further depth at Pamusha as the current one can dry up any time, though currently, because of the heavy rains we experienced last season it still have some water, but with the current climate change effects, we might experience drought next year then, it can be difficult so we think it is better to have a new borehole which is deeper than what we have now.

SALARIES STAFF MEMBERS

The home currently employs 10 staff members which comprises of an administrator, matron, five house mothers and three gardeners. Among the house mothers three are permanent staff members while Gogo, Theresa who has retired last year and reengaged due to understaffed and Plaxedes the wife of the other Gardener are on contract basis. This helps us to have a conducive environment for the children especially the young ones not to engage different people always, as they are used to these as their mothers it also positively contribute to their healing process.

Like always that the Matron and the chief gardener stays at Pamusha with their families. Then every morning the Matron come to work at Rosedale whilst the chief gardener would start working at Pamusha with one of the gardeners who stays at Rosedale with his family. The five house mothers stays at Rosedale, and the other gardeners as well.

The staff members are very co-operative as usual, and there is a team work among the staff and even the children, it is like they are all from one family, we thank God for this oneness and co- operative. The house mothers also go to church with the children that they also feel they belong when they meet other children and also this helps them to adjust positively and accept their situation and at the same time appreciate that there are people who are out there for them.

In the quest to have better lives for these children and also to equip the staff members with latest information concerning the up keep of the children and also for capacity building for both children and staff members the home always work very closely together with all the forums which deals with the children like the Child Protection and the Department of Social Services. Also Police Victim Friendly Unit and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop’s Conference is working with the Ministry of Social Welfare for the alignment of the Children’s Act which is most to protect children to any form of abuses like child marriages and child labour. Even the local authorities are also seen in the quest to protect the 4 children. For example, the City of Gweru Fire Department, came and run a fire lecture with both the children and the staff members, to give adequate information on how to react in case of emergencies. Above all, the home is manned by an exceptionally competent, hardworking and committed staff whose sterling and wonderful job stands at the very heart of this home’s mission, to improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the children in need.

GIFTED STUDENTS

Blessing Nhiyo who was doing Teachers’s Training has finished her training and Rebecca Madyembwa who was studying at the local university has also finished unfortunately they are not yet employed both of them. Jefius Masukume got an internship whereby he is trained and at the same time getting allowance and he can be employed by the same company. This leaves us with 4 children under this programme.

It is very difficult for these children to get employment as we initial anticipated that once they get education they can get jobs and be able to support their grandmothers and siblings, as currently the country has about over 90% of unemployment population. This situation is currently pathetic as all the companies are closed and no hope for their revival. The mining sector which was the only hope is also showing some negative as the prices of, for instance chrome is dropping. To make things worse the cash crisis which started last year is worsening to the extent that bank cannot even give any cash to their clients, a situation which is very difficult to handle especially with the majority not formally employed which can lead people to use plastic money.

SECONDARY

Loreto School

1. Jermina Sibanda, finished her form four. She is opting to go for a training next year. Her both parents passed away and she is staying with a relative from mother’s side.

2. Jendrick Jim, doing form six, he is doing very well and appreciate the support. His both parents passed away and the brother run away from their home and the school is taking

5 care of him even during the holidays, as he does not have any relatives in Zimbabwe, the family is believed to be an alien, who originates from Mozambique.

UNIVERSITIES

3. Darlington Nkomazana is blind young adult, and this year is second year student at the University of Zimbabwe studying Law. His father died and his mother is a peasant farmer and cannot afford the school fees for him.

4. Patience Mutswiwi’s parents died when they were very young and she is doing Media and Society Studies, she is in her forth year at the local university.

CONCLUSION

Generally we consider this home to be the lucky one as we are associated with the kind people who always work very hard for the up keep of these children. The children here have almost all the basic needs, and they can go to school and all other activities like any other children in the society, this also enable the committee and staff members to perform their duties and create a bond with the children which positively contribute to their healing process, the committee and staff members appreciate all the positive support we are getting from our friends and donors.

L. Ndete-Kamwendo 12 July 2017 ADMINISTRATOR

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