Zimbabwe Project Reviews - October 2009

This is a letter we had to sent to our leaders in South Africa that we thought you might find interesting.

Zimbabwe Project Reviews - October 2009

Garden Projects
The original concept for the gardens was to grow food for families, sell the surplus, pay tithing, and to provide seed, inputs, and sprays for the next year. Many of the garden projects have done very well in the food production phase, but almost all have struggled with inputs and sprays. I cannot speak of the tithing that is, or is not being paid. Those that have a functioning, reliable garden committee are those that have been the most successful. Those that do not have such a committee struggle. Many of the gardens are located on the church grounds; some are on adjacent lots, or school grounds, where they have arranged to plant.

Many of the branches continue to come to Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) looking for seeds, starts, inputs and sprays, including for the up-coming maize planting season. We have not given them any of those things since we have been here. As a result, many of the garden plots, in Highlands, are not being used (no functioning garden committee), while other gardens are flourishing. Some of the other branches, in other cities, are still planting what they can, some are not. Branch Presidents are reluctant to use Fast Offerings to purchase these items, as the same will be expected year after year. The concept of saving for the next year has not taken root in many branches.

There have been a large number of garden projects through the years. The members really need the gardens, but also need to take the responsibility to do what it takes to perpetuate the gardens.

We have had a number of requests to help the members start up large scale gardening projects. We have resisted these requests, as this should be a function of the branch president, stake president, not LDSC.

Wheelchairs
We have not been involved in a wheel chair project; they are on hold. From what we have learned, there is a huge demand for chairs throughout the three countries. Hospitals are in very short supply, there are long waiting lists in every organization that supply chairs to the handicapped, and we receive many requests from individuals, and ministers, for wheelchairs for the needy.

When we arrived in Harare, in March, there were almost 200 requests from individuals, members, bishops, and pastors for wheel chairs. We had about 10 chairs; they have all been distributed, long back.

There has not been a wheelchair project approved in this mission since 2007, when Elder and Sister Hobbs were here. From information the Hobbs and Turners left, the 10 provincial medical directors expect 20 wheelchairs each as a show of co-operation. We do not know if this is a requirement, or just what was done by the couples. There remains a tremendous need for chairs.

Blankets, soap, hygiene kits, school kits, clothes, etc.
As we understand what has happened in the past, LDSC has brought in many containers of goods from the SLC Distribution Center. We have talked to pastors who would come to the mission office on a regular basis, and receive large amounts of goods to take out to their congregational areas. We do not know what happened to the goods once they left the control of LDSC. It does not appear there was any work that was done in return for the goods received; nor do we know who actually received the goods.

We have inherited a container of such goods. Rather than have the pastors take the supplies, we have arranged to go out to their areas and give the clothes, hygiene kits, blankets, etc. directly to the people. This has been very well received. We have not required any work to be done, but we have asked the pastors to limit the recipients to widows, orphans, or seniors who are not able to provide for themselves. We also have the pastor arrange for some of their people to help sort, and distribute the items.

One pastor, we went out with, told us LDS Senior Missionaries told him his family comes first, so, when we got to where he has his preaching area, he had his brothers, his sister, their spouses all there, and they started loading up. We took everything back, gave them one of two things, and told them all the clothes, blankets, etc, were for the people he invited to come. However, as the people leave the location, they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and soon the whole community comes with a sense of entitlement; if they got, we should, too. There are a lot of very poor people, but it is difficult to determine those who actually need, from those who just want.

Water Projects
We visited 5 water projects that were done in 2007. We took Bruce, from Geo Pumps with us, as he had been involved with these projects and could guide us to them.

#1. Danangwe Secondary School: In 2007 the existing worn-out bush pump was removed and completely replaced with new parts (except the pump head). We were disturbed to find only the casing coming out of the ground surrounded by broken up concrete. Apparently they had removed the pump without securing the pipes and a pipe fell down inside the casing. They were not able to retrieve it so they thought that if they broke up the cement they could get the larger casing pipe out and go deeper into the hole, but that was not the case. The pump assembly has been put into the school for safe keeping. Solution: Bruce says he can bring in a machine (fisher) that will retrieve the pipe and it can be repaired and new cement put in at a cost of approximately $550.00.

First well we checked on - not good!!

#2. Danangwe Primary School: In 2007 the existing worn-out pump was removed and completely replaced with new parts (except the pump head). We were pleased to find the pump working and people using it. It does need some simple maintenance (grease) but the school does not have any. They say the community has taken over the use of the pump and expect the school to maintain it. However, the school does use it as well. The school is extremely poor (about the poorest conditions we have seen at a school here) and it is understandable that they have no funds for maintaining the pump. Solution: Check to see if any individuals who were trained in the maintenance of the pump are still in the area and get the committee going again. Bruce says that he left a lot of grease, etc. there for them.

Second well - it's working!! Hurray!!

#3. Kandega Village: In 2007 a 50 meter borehole was drilled and a new Type ll Bush Pump was installed with a concrete pad all around. According to a near-by resident this pump only worked for about a month. He is storing the handle but some other parts were missing. He said they may have been taken to the school but we found a person who said he had given them to the councilman. He got nervous when we suggested that we should talk to the councilman. We think he used the parts in his business of welding/constructing ‘art’ out of junk. According to Bruce, from Geo Pumps, the people were instructed to wait 3 weeks before using the pump so that the cement could set up nicely around the pump casing. They did not wait and caused damage. (The handle should have been stored for the 3 weeks period.) Solution: The pump could easily be repaired for about $450.00 ($300 parts, $150 labor).

3rd Bushpump - missing parts

#4. Ezentabenni Resettlement area: In 2007 a 55 meter borehole was drilled and a new Type ll Bush pump was installed with a concrete pad all around. This pump looked perfectly fine but is not working. It was also used too soon after installation and the casing became loose. They put more cement around the casing but that did not remedy the problem. It is sad because here is a lovely looking bush pump and no one can use it. Instead the people are walking to a spot where a borehole used to be and dipping milky looking water out of small pool. Solution: Pull out the casing and reset it and recast with cement. Cost approximately $400. The man who lives close by and has the handle to the pump would likely be a great candidate to train in the maintenance of the pump and would take responsibility for it.

All of the above pumps no longer have a security fence around them. In most cases the barbed wire has been stolen and fence posts gone. The Danangwe Secondary school pump did have most of the fence still in place. We would like to consider getting these pumps back up and operational. (Total cost: approx. $1500 USD). We feel like it was a problem that no one ever checked back on these projects and that may be because of the unstable political situation of the country in the past.

Fourth bushpump - not working but at least the parts are all there!

This is where the area is getting their water right now

#5. Kadoma Regional Hospital: A back-up water system for the hospital to use when the municipal water system is down was done in 2007. They built a security building and installed a mono pump, 650 meters of pipeline, four, 10,000 litre storage tanks on 6 meter stands and check valves. Also extended electrical power lines 300 meters to the borehole. The system is not being used because the pump is not large enough to pump the distance and height to the water storage tanks (650 meters of gradual uphill plus 8 meters in height). One of the storage tanks has blown off the stand and the hospital has it in storage. It likely blew off because it had no water in it. The hospital says the pump keeps breaking down. It is an old style mono pump. Also the hospital says that they were getting mud through the pipes.Bruce thinks it is about a 2 h.p. motor and he thinks we should have a 5 h.p. submersible pump to do the job properly. He thinks perhaps the pump is too low, thus getting some muddy water. Cost: approx. $2,500.00 USD.

How would you like to go to school here?

Teacher has no table and children no desks or benches

I gave these kids a sweet

I wish I had some eye drops for the little boy

Outside of school

Outdoor classroom

These people want to build a church on this site so they were working at removing this huge rock. They will drill and blast it soon.

These people work so hard here -- this is how they make gravel.

Once in a while we see vehicles, even buses, that look like they are driving down the road kind of side ways since the alignment is so far off. Looks really strange.
This truck is actually going down the road straight - the alignment is way off!

Peacock at Kadoma

Sunday, August 30th

Hello family,

We have had a very eventful month. We finished teaching Masalina Mugadza the discussions, and held her baptism and confirmation. She is a lovely lady, and we have come to love her tremendously. They ask the new converts to share their testimonies follow baptism. She did a
wonderful job.

We continue to work on some clean water projects around Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. The municiple water is mostly shut off. The estimate that 50-60 percent of the water runs down the streets from broken water mains. That means there is not enough pressure to have the water reach the outlying areas. We have not had water for the most part of the last two months. We heat up borehole water on the stove, pour it into the bathroom sink, and clean up with a wash cloth.

Last week we had the opportunity to travel to Bulawayo for a service project. All of the Church units are asked to perform acts of service on the 22nd of August. This stake chose to work at two hospitals, cleaning the inside, and outside, of the buildings and grounds. We brought some new-born baby kits to give to all the new mothers in the maternity wards of the two hospitals. Unfortunately, one mother lost her child. We did not want her to feel left out, we we gave her a
hygiene kit. It did not ese the pain of losing her baby, but I think appreciated Sister Bullock's gesture.

One of our friends in Airdrie sponsors a child in a village about 80 kilometers North and 50 kilometers East of Bulawayo. We spent an extra day down there and drove out to her village. We took blankets, toys for the kids, hygiene kits, and quilts. We started out with the little girls family, and ended up with lots more. That's the way it is. When someone gets something, they all think they need it, too. Luckily we had enough for everyone to get something.

This weekend, we had Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, for the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in Harare. He conducted a special devotional Friday night in Harare. We had about 2,500 people at the devotional. Before that, he spoke to all the full-time missionaries for about an hour.
Following the devotional, the senior couples and been asked to prepare a meal for him, Elder Kollicker (Area President and his wife). We all got to sit down with him, and enjoy the evening. The next morning, we all drove to Mutare, for their district conference. We were there while they instructed the Priesthood, then the adults for two sessions Saturday. We all had dinner with them at the Holiday Inn. While we were waiting for dinner, Elder Holland invited Sister Bullock and I, and a couple of others to sit in his room and just chat. He is a very kind man.

Sunday morning, as we were eating breakfast, he came to our table and chatted for a minute. Following breakfast, we all drove to the chapel where the Sunday General Session was to be held. The building was full, the choir rivaled anything we had seen, and the messages were
wonderful. Elder Holland said that the scripture the first shall be last and the last shall be first had particular meaning for Africa, as they are some of the last to have the gospel preached to them, but they will be among the first in the munbr of baptisms that will be the result of the Gospel coming to them. They are a very receptive people, a god loving people. It is not every day you can sit with and eat eith an Apostle for three days.

We have driven many miles in the last few weeks, and we are happy to be able to be at home, if only for the week. We love the people of Africa! We encourage all who are at that point in their lives where they can go serve to go and do it!

Love to all.
Elder Bullock

Well we made it back from Masvingo about 4:00 yesterday. We needed to get some petrol to make it back and they were out at the station in Masvingo where we can use our coupons. We thought we would try and make it but half way decided we didn't have enough so we stopped and
paid cash at a petrol station and had to pay $1.55/ltr instead of the usual $1.30. O well - we put in enough to get us home.

We loaded up with our donated food on Wed. morning - most of it was from Rob Spencer's SPAR (grocery store owned by a member of the church). He was very generous and tried to give us food to provide a balanced diet - powdered milk, bread, fruit, veggies, protein (dried soya, peanut butter and some little dried fish, and some beans). We also had arranged to pick up at a market near us but they gave us a bit of old greens (chinese cabbage and a bit of regular cabbage) - we were disappointed in what they gave. On the way out of town we stopped on the roadside and bought 20 cabbages for $10 from a young fellow -- he was pretty excited to sell that much at one time!! We also took a few bags of a high-nutrition porridge that Pres. Nield gave us.

We dropped in at the hospital unannounced as we wanted to see if they had the blankets on the beds that we took down last Saturday. They did not. They said they were putting them in their reserve storage and we told them that we had heard that the patients were cold and needed blankets now. ??? Most of the beds that we saw only had 1 blanket on them. They got a little defensive but we told them that we were just hoping that they were making use of the donations for the patients. They said they wanted to label them first (& that is a good idea).

Men's ward keeping warm around fire

More patients keeping warm

We gave them the food and they were thrilled to get it. We then told them that we had $200 that someone had donated (The Taylors) and that we would buy more food and bring it out the next day.

Delivering donated food to the mental health hospital

Vegetables for hospital

Oranges and soup mix

We asked the man in charge of the kitchen what they really needed and he told us they would love to have some dry yeast and some sugar (they had flour but no yeast). So we went shopping but had a hard time finding yeast. The SPAR store wouldn't sell yeast as they use all they can get in their own bakery - and they did have a huge line-up waiting to buy bread. We went to another store and they didn't have a bakery so we bought the 26 x 100gm. packages that they had. We also bought 100 kg. of sugar and spent the balance on 15 x 10 kg. bags of mealie meal (milled corn). We took it out to them and they were happy to show us that the blankets were now on the beds!!!! They were also making the mid-day meal and using vegetables etc. that we had taken them.

Cooking lunch with some of our donations

Directors at hospital and Jim - making a list of contributions

We took a couple of balls to them which they seemed to really like.

They were thrilled with the ball we gave them - they said they just need uniforms now

We also took some books to give to Vernon (I think I called him Vincent before and said he wasn't mentally handicapped but he is rather slow). He can read a little but probably not well enough. We left the books and perhaps someone will read to the patients who cannot read. They were good life-skill type stories.

Elizabeth & Vernon - checking to see if he can read before we give him some books (he can't read very well)

All in all we had a good trip down there and we feel like the directors will use the things appropriately - at least we hope so.

We took Elizabeth with us to the hospital - she joined the church about a year ago and is a really good lady. She is a social worker. She was good to take along and she enjoyed the trip because she had heard about the hospital but had never been there. She visited with the different patients.

We all took a liking to Mona Lisa, a 23 yr. old girl there. We found out that she is 5 months pregnant and that her boyfriend had dropped her off there for the second time. After the first time she went back to her family and then back to the boyfriend and he brought her back to the hospital. The nurses say she is doing better and her family visit her and are supportive. Hopefully she will get well - they had her rather sedated on Wed. when we saw her again. She is a pretty
girl with a really nice smile. We left a new-born kit with the nurse to save for her and left a note for her with it.

Mona Lisa and Elizabeth

Road coming from hospital

Gloomy day on way home from Masvingo

Semi tipped over on side of road - was there on Sunday too (Thursday today!)

We also saw another semi flipped over that had a couple of tanks on it. The edges of the roads have sharp drop-offs here and there so whether they went off (the roads aren't very wide) or whether the driver fell asleep, who knows. I wonder if they will retrieve the vehicles or just leave them there to get stripped. So many of the cars that are in accidents are just left where they are.

I had better get to work - we are trying to get a couple of initiatives written up and sent in still.

Love to all, The Bullocks

Wednesday

Hi,

Some feelings I want to share first -- On Sunday at the stake conference they sang "Come Follow Me" 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th verses. It was the last of the 5th verse (especially the last line that touched
me and made me get all teary).

We must the onward path pursue
As wider fields expand to view
And follow him unceasingly,
Whate'er our lot or sphere may be. (what a sad lot and sphere they received here!)

And then the song goes on:

For thrones, dominions, kingdoms, pow'rs
And glory great and bliss are ours,
If we, throughout eternity,
Obey his words, "Come, follow me."

Wow! These words took on a new meaning for me.

Yesterday we went with Pastor Wonder and delivered a wheelchair to a lady. It will help her to get around better - even though someone has to push her as she is partially paralyzed. She can't talk but did manage a bit of a smile. Her mother, who takes care of her, was really happy.

Wheelchair recipient - can't use her right side

Showing us how she grind maize

Kitchen & Cooking area

Lunch was ready

Today we gave some blankets, soap and hygiene kits out to a farm where they rehabilitate mentally challenged people. We originally visited there last week. Just as a bit of information you might find interesting -- the Canadian Mental Health Assoc. donated the land for this farm. Horray for Canada!! We were impressed with what they are doing there - gardening, cows, rabbits, and chickens. Having the animals helps them to have manure/compost for their garden. It was the healthiest one we have seen - nice big vegetables.

Distributing blankets, soap and hygiene kits at Zimbabwe National Mental Health Centre in Ruwa

We often see this type of wheelchair - plastic lawn chair bolted to the frame

Cattle pen

Cattle

Speaking of composting - Pastor Wonder was asking us for fertilizer when we first went to his place. He thanked us yesterday for suggesting that he should try composting for his garden. (they don't generally do that here). He started doing it and said he had enough extra to donate some vegetables (rape - green leafy one) to the hospital. I'm glad it worked!!! They use a lot of that vegetable here -- they don't need seeds to grow it. They break off a piece and just stick it into the ground and it grows.

Keeper of the rabbits

Cook house (left), rabbit and chicken buildings (behind)

Tomorrow we are driving 120 km. to an orphanage in Guruve to take some blankets, etc. Olivia, one of the ladies there, is coming here at 9:00 a.m. to meet us and will ride back with us and show us the way there. She says it will take a couple of hours to get there as some of the roads are not so good. It will be an all-day trip but should be interesting.

Love to all, Nancy

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Logan’s birthday today! Happy Birthday.

First thing this morning a lady came in. She got pregnant and got HIV (the baby died) but she was shunned by her family and also the father of the baby. She was in tears and wanting some help. It is hard to know if their stories are for real sometimes but sometimes it is better to give them the benefit of the doubt. I gave her a few things and hope it will help her out.

Pastor Wonder came to see us first thing this morning too and wanted some things to take back to his people. We gave him a bundle of clothes, bag of shoes, blankets, soap, and a few hygiene kits. We trust that he will give them to those who need the help. Before he left another man, Pastor Zachariah, came asking for help for two families. He had a list of their ages and gender. He came with a wheel barrow to take it home in – he didn’t live too far away. Then a lady and her child came – asking for money (which we don’t give). We did however notice that her shoes were not very good so we offered her a pair of shoes and some sandals for the child. Gave her sandals, shorts and headband from container

Tabeth then came and was hoping we can help her with some items to assist some of the people that she tries to help. We will see what we can do. We had a couple more phone calls from others who want our help with items. By this time though we were feeling a little overwhelmed with it all. It is great to have the container here but I think our greatest challenge is ahead of us – trying to figure out where it should go and how!!

One lady, Lettie, who is requesting help for her orphanage wants to come in tomorrow. We are not going to give to her as we have found out that they were seen selling food that Rob Spencer gave to the orphanage. He has cut her off after giving a lot of food to her for over 4 years. We already told her that we know about that and are not giving to her either. We had a member of the branch presidency from Enterprise come in with a list of names that we had requested he get together for us. He had previously asked us about helping some orphans and widows who live in their area. We feel good about doing that and arranged to take some things out there next Monday for distribution. He will organize it at the church yard. There will be about 100, so we will see how that goes.

President Neild called and ask if we would drive out to Howard Hospital about 1 ¼ hours away in the rural area. We went there this afternoon and met with Dr. Thistle. He is from Toronto and has lived in Zimbabwe for 15 years doctoring at this hospital. He has some doctors come now and then from the U.S. and Canada and spend a few weeks helping out. There are 3 doctors at the hospital and I think he said 40 nurses. It was old and run down but functional. They can certainly use anything we can give – blankets, hygiene kits, newborn kits, soap, etc. You just can’t even imagine the crowded conditions and the line ups for help – he said the lines were short today! Dr. Thistle is taking next month off and will be visiting Canada. He will be in Calgary and mentioned that he will be visiting at Peter Lougheed Hospital. (small world sometimes)

We saw this on our drive to Howard hospital. 'Tis the season for burning grass - I don't understand why the fires don't get away on them.

Lots of orange groves on the way to Bendura

Yard of hospital - generator used a lot!

Waiting room at Howard Hospital (not a lot today!)

Dr. Thistle (from Toronto) in children's ward at Howard Hospital

Maternity ward - 2500 babies born here each year

Preemie at Howard Hospital

Operating room getting sterilized

Toilet at hospital. YIKES!!!

Men's bathroom at hospital

They need wheelchairs

On our way home from the hospital we came across a group of ladies and some children. They were selling their buckets of sweet potatoes on the side of the dusty road. I said, ‘let’s stop and give them each a hygiene kit’. So Jim stopped and backed up to where they were. We gave each of the 13 ladies a kit and they were so appreciative. That was really the highlight of our whole day!!

Gave ladies each a hygiene kit on side of road

Jim entertaining group - juggling

Love you, Sis. Bullock