Category: Friends’ Newsletters/Reports

This quarter and update from the Home, reports Zimbabwe may be facing a major food crisis this year, a combination of poor rainfall and shortages due to the war in Ukraine being particularly felt. Crops grown by the Home are affected. The cost of fuel is also affecting the Home, the generator can only be run for a few hours each day as a result. On the up side there is great news about some of the students sitting national exams and the annual event – Matthew Rusike Week – will be returning to fundraise for the first time since 2019.

There is a detailed breakdown of the costs involved in caring for children at the Home. It is amazing how quickly it adds up. Please take a look and see if you can help.

David and Wayne report back on the fundraising drive in a 91 year old Ford from London to John O’Graots, to Lands End and back to London. Quite an undertaking. There is still time to contribute to their final tally.

There is lots of news from the Home this quarter: exams sat, COVID restrictions re-introduced then lifted. The piggery and rabbit rearing projects performance and photographs of the renovations of the Early Childhood Development Centre play area.

The MRCH Finance Officer confirmed some key details for us this month, which we wanted to share regarding costs for feeding and clothing 1 child, medication and uniform costs. We humbly ask you consider returning to fundraising activities where you can – we are only able to send half the month remittance compared to our pre-COVID performance.

Our latest newsletter is now available, with lots of news from the Home, with information this time from the Centre at Donga too.

This quarter we would also like to bring your attention to the needs of a particular student at University. MRCH try to cover his fees, but are struggling to do so, if you feel you can contribute, please contact out Treasurer.

Please also remember we have now changed our Bank and if you haven’t already, please make sure you have updated your Standing Orders – the old bank account will finally close on December 20th. Thank you.

Your newsletter this time reports on how adults and children coped with their first outbreak of covid 19 at the Home. We also introduce the new social worker Rumbidzai Mashoko.

Please note, we have changed our bank account. Information is contained in the newsletter. We are now with the Cooperative Bank. If you have set up a standing order with us please contact your bank and change the details to our new account, the old account will close on December 20th 2021. 

 Banks do not switch standing orders automatically.

It is important you make the switch because your donations continue to be vital to the support we give to the children at MRCH.

For the moment our HSBC account is still open but will be closed at the end of September.

We are also hoping to offer digital Christmas cards this year – watch this space for information.

It is with great sadness that in this Newsletter we announce the death of one of our founding committee members – John Richer. John was with us at the inaugural meeting of the Friends in 1996 and he served as our Secretary for many years. He will be greatly missed.

We are pleased to be able to relay that all staff have now had their COVID vaccines. Under COVID restrictions the children are able to attend 2-3 days of school a week at present and everyone is well.

MRCH is undergoing a significant staff restructuring partially as a necessary cost cutting exercise but also to ensure compliance with government requirements for a qualified and experienced social worker – this is currently being advertised.

We also extend out congratulations to all the students who have passed O-level and A-level examinations in recent months.

Our donations have been severely effected by the pandemic as fundraising opportunities are so restricted. Please remember there are a number of ways you can make one off donations – they will be greatly appreciated. Stay Safe.

Our new format Newsletter is working well and means we can include many more photos than before. We hope you like it.

This newsletter includes:

• An update of the conditions at the Home as a result of Covid restrictions – the Home is struggling, under another lockdown, to access education and basic food and hygene staples.
• Photos from the Annual fundraising dinner, joined remotely by Zimbabwe Methodist Fellowships from the UK, Canada and Australia.
• Progress update on the ECD with lots of photos.
• A report from the Rural COmmunity Outreach programme.

Thank you for all the wonderful donations we have received over the last few months, please keep them coming – we appreciate fundraising is very difficult at this time, but every little helps. Take care.

Welcome to our new format newsletter,

This time we report on:

• Activity month at the Home with lots of photos
• Managing Covid19 at the Home
• Community outreach projects
• Ella Shemitt’s Home visit
• How the Home came to be – an excerpt

Stay Safe

The September Newsletter reports on the desperate situation of the Home in recent months as a result of both Covid-19 and the ever declining economic situation of Zimbabwe. Overall, donations are down and the Home has had to make challenging decisions about cost cutting resulting in job losses and a return to outdoor cooking over a fire rather than paying for electricity.

The good news is that so far children have not missed any meals and everyone at the home is virus free.

A sincere thank you for all the donations we have received over the last 6 months, it is invaluable at this very uncertain and challenging time. The newsletter has details of other ways you can support the Home with one off charge free donations via PayPal and in your every day activities when purchasing on-line with Amazon Smile.

Our June Newsletter is now available.

Like many places, the Children’s Home is locked down and the schools are closed. At present there are no cases of Coronavirus at the Home and the health and safety of everyone at the Home is being well managed – no visitors are allowed to the Home and staff are only allowed out for essential items such as food and medicine. More widely in Zimbabwe, the new normal is wearing a mask wherever you are or face arrest.

With fundraising being a challenge at the moment any donations you can make through other routes is very much appreciated. See the newsletter for a list of ways you can donate. Thank you.

Your March Newsletter is here.

Once again there is a mixture of news. 20 children from the Home and Community Outreach Programme started new schools, all with the equipment and uniforms they needed and school fees paid. However, the difficult economic situation is making for very difficult times in the Home in general, made worse by the extreme summer weather.

As always, thank you for your support.