From The Director’s Desk 31st December 2008

SHUNGU DZEVANA TRUST WAS FOUND IN 1992 SINGLE HANDEDLY BY SISTER MERCY MUTYAMBIZI. IT HAS 496 CHILDREN UNDER ITS CARE AND A BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
These children are provided with’

1. Food
2. Education needs that is school fees, books and uniforms etc up to university
3. Rentals for child headed families
4. Founding foster families to take care of the children and teaching them basics of life.
5. Descent clothing etc.

This was a unique year on its own. I used to say things were hard or things are hard,
This time around it’s more than hard.

Father Freyer SJ resigned from the chairmanship of Shungu Dzevana Trust due to ill health and pressing commitments to his pastoral duties.  I would like to thank him so much for his commitment to the Trust, the service he rendered and his continued support in the form of paying school fees for three children at Chishawasha Mission.  Wishing him good health always and God’s blessing in his pastoral duties.  

The year started very well, all children went to school with full kits of uniforms, that is,
Cardigans, shoes, trousers, skirts, shorts and dresses as schools may require except
the blazers which we had made agreements with most schools that we could not afford.

This was all made possible since our piggery project was doing very well together with
The donations from Fr Clouse and the Jesuit missions, Sister Margaret and community of the RHM sisters,  Tom Hops Boulder County Aids Project, Belgium foster parents, SOS Belgium, The Piano Concert, Natalie and Joachim, Sandra and Alain, Lut and Cis, Veerle and Joost Sai baba, Mr. Chivandire and The Jesuit Relief Services for providing mealie-meal, sugar beans and nutritious porridge.When things got  tough some people made them workable by any means possible.The board members of this organization worked tirelessly to see the organization through the toughest year of all the tough years.Love is the root of all good things and this is what I found in the board members ofShungu Dzevana in the year 2008.

In February the new building took off the ground after our Belgian friends bought the
cement, asbestos sheets, also our bakery project, piggery and eggs helped to buy more
of the building materials which are bricks, river sand, quarry dust roofing timber etc.
also from this cement we moulded some of the bricks here at shungu. The builder and the
building Inspectors from the city council worked hand in hand though there were some
demolishing here and there.
 
FEBRUAY 4th 2008
Our first visitors arrived from Belgium to help us with our heavy load of work and the timing
was very good since it was going to be very difficult for me to check the ladies who take
care of the children and at the same time focusing to the builders demands, office work and
other runnings. The two visitor\volunteers were Marie and Lut, Marie  is a nurse by profession and Lut,a qualified teacher.As time went by, the group of 4 ladies arrived from Belgium this time 3 nurses and a Pharmacist these were Karen, Christine, Greet and Lien respectively all went well. When the last grouparrived they brought money from a Rotary Club called International Lier. This money theyadministered it themselves to construct the blue roof at the children’s verandah to enable the children to get shed and protect the children  when it is raining.These six ladies together contributed  also cash to add on the window panes which they made surethey fixed before their departure to Belgium. They are the ones who painted the front part of the children’s kitchen\bakery.During their stay, father Elias the deputy chairman of Shungu Dzevana board and myself accompanied the ladies to see the Victoria Falls one of the world seven wonders tourist site.

Our friends paid for the air fare, accommodation and all the entertainment for the two of us. They did enjoythe trip though there was a little bit of fear since the plane was not so stable and  they thoughtthey were going to perish in Africa. But, it was not like that and also we had a very good pilot captain Thomas.Yes we had a big problem with the man who was doing the roof thank God Rev. Albert and one ofthe ladies and father Elias and Mr. Nota the board secretary handled him very well and eventually the roof was done.Early May all the six volunteers left for their home to rejoin their families. Once again I say,a big thank you to them.

MHONDORO
The projects in Mhondoro continued to strive with the help of our partner the Bischofliches Hilfswerk Misereor. The organization has supported  us throuout and I want to say with my head up it is Misereor without Misereor the piggery project would have been history by today, but it is still there though not toour  expectations.The Misereor gave us money to fence the fields with barbed wire and gum poles.
The people from that office in Harare Dr. Volker Riehl, Mrs. Locadia and Lucy  have time for
their partners , when you go there even without an appointment  they still have time to talk and discuss issues regarding the project they are financing and  give advice.They are financing the electricity project but things are very hard in this country. We hope and praythat this electricity project will be completed so that the projects of hoticulture, sewing and  blacksmithing for youth and foster parents ,we are thinking of implementing in Mhondoro, will be successful.

LOTTO
The President Fund lotto gave us zim$ 50 billion revalued to purchase food and pay school fees for the children. This was for Zimbabwe school calendar term 2.I thank you very much.
CAPERNAUM TRUST AND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY PARTINARSHIP TRUST
This is Christian based organization which is highly involved in charity and the works of mercy. Capernaum Trust is paying university fees for 3 girls from this organization who are at the universityof Zimbabwe two of them in their final year in the following disciplines, Honors in Applied in Environmental Science and  the other one Social work.The first year is Rudo Hoffman who is studying BA general and her fees is paid by Capernaum Trust. Christian Community Partnership Trust.
This is a sister organization to Capernaum trust which helps the orphaned children under S. D .T with food, stationery and detergents to keep the children’s rooms and toilets clean these monthly andquarterly grants for administration purposes have seen us staggering in a better way though not really easy,but, survival of the fittest.  
   

SICKNESS.
We thank God that we did not have serious illnesses amongst children and staff besides the
Children who are HIV \ Positive. This resulted in the death of Tanyaradzwa Nodada on the 25th August 2008.

DEATH
Tragedy befalls tragedy. As an organization we lost five people in our care. These were an eleven year old girl Tanyaradzwa and a foster Grandfather, two foster mothers and a foster father. May their souls rest in peace.

WHAT WE FAILED TO ACHIEVE TO DATE
1.    The ceiling in the children sleeping rooms
2.    Hot water (geyser)
3.    Ceiling in the new building
4.    Chicken project ceased because of shortage of stock feeds.
5.    Piggery project was also affected during my absence and a big number of pigs were lost through negligence. And this resulted in the manager loosing his job.
6.    Welding and sewing due high charges on the material.
7.    Drugs were too expensive that it was difficult for us to purchase
8.    The crops did not do well due to lack of inputs and too much rain.
9.    We had ghost orphans Praise Worokani and Aaron Marongedza, though they came through Child          Line and Social Welfare we failed to realize that they disguised themselves as orphans. Later during their stay after a year and a half they found out that it was difficult to continue in their disguise. Then they ran away.
ACHIEVEMENTS
1.    All children were able to return to school with all top up fees  paid up to date
2.    Children managed to get basics of life especially food stuffs through the
        generous friends of Shungudzevana
3.    6 Volunteers came from Belgium  and one from Japan studying in Italy
4.    New buildings were constructed though not 100% complete but in use now. It comprises kitchen, bakery, storeroom, 2 toilets and 2 changing rooms for kitchen staff, class room for study and crèche, pantry and laundry.
5.    The Australian Embassy  brought some basics to the center.
6.    Royal Netherlands installed a 5000 liters  capacity water tank.
7.    3 students enrolled at University of Zimbabwe and many are waiting for their “O”  “A” level and grade 7 results.
8.    The director received some health treatment in Belgium through well wishers and friends, also attended several activities held for Shungu in a small way and the effort is highly appreciated it was really an honour.
9.    The 2 containers of clothes for children and foster parents received from Mrs. Blank of Germany.
10.    Also clothes, sports wear, toys and bicycles were received from Belgium.
11.    The fields were fenced in Mhondoro through the support from Misereor.
12.    Encouragements from friends and those with the heart for the children lifted our souls and helped us to keep our heads up.
13.    Later after thorough investigations of case number 8 in our failures we found out that the two children Praise Worokani and Aaron Marongedza had returned to their families in Murehwa and are living well.

  To those who have supported us in which ever way we say thank you and god bless you all with His special graces, good health and all your needs.

TO THE FOSTER PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS (MOTHERS) AT THE CENTRE
       I salute you , it was not ease but, you strive  for the best to see the children well-
        catered for.  

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN OF GREAT HELP TO US FINANCIALLY AND IN KIND IN 2008

1.    Archbishop  R.C Ndlovu (Archdiocese of Harare)
2.    ZimbaKids
3.    Fr Klouse SJ Jesuit Missions
4.    Tom Hopson Boulder County AIDS Project
5.    Sr Margaret RSHM Sisters Zimbabwe
6.    Fr Elias Chinzara Chipwere Acting Chairman
7.    Fr Oscar Wermter SJ Zimbabwe
8.    Fr Norbert and a Carmelite community Zimbabwe
9.    Rev. Albert Kangoya Archdiocese of Harare
10.    Standard Chartered Zimbabwe
11.    Mr. Collin Grant and Friends in Australia
12.    Liam Hobson and Friends Ireland
13.    The Collier Family Ireland
14.    Jesuit Relief Services Zimbabwe
15.    Capernum Trust Zimbabwe
16.    Christian Community Trust Zimbabwe
17.    Anne Sylvie and the Youngsters
18.    SOS Belgium
19.    Sai Baba
20.    Enugu State Association In Zimbabwe
21.    Mr. Chivandire
22.    Mr. Elliot Motsi
23.    Mr. Takawira Rio Tinto  Mhondoro High School
24.    Mrs. Rosa Blank
25.    Mrs. Jane Gwatidzo
26.    Sandra and Alain
27.    Lut and Cis
28.    Natalie and Joachim
29.    Veerle and Joost
30.    ZRP Mubaira Mhondoro
31.    ZRP Hatfield Harare
32.    The Matron and Staff Hatfield Clinic
33.    Sr. Gaudiosa OP our nurse
34.    Price Waterhouse
35.    The Rotary Club of Harare

TO MY FELLOW BOARD OF TRUSTEES

May I humbly say,  let nothing separate us from our quench to serve and work tirelessly to achieve the goals and objectives of shungu dzevana trust by seeing the success of the children and that they are not  vulnerable under our care. Let us remind ourselves that we did not choose  ourselves to this task but GOD Almighty did  choose us.Lets allow GOD to use us as His instruments in this service for the work of the children which He soentrusted us to do amongst the marginalized. So let’s also remember that these children are our bosses according to the AIMS\OBJECTVES of Shungu Dzevana Trust. Also let us not be seen changing laws to suit our agendas. God has given us a task and I highly believe
He wants us to serve,  not to be served. To give ourselves wholly without looking for a reward but to work for the real reward from heaven.Let's remain focused and defend the goals, AIMS\OBJECTIVES of SungudzeVana.This is the source of our confidence-the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.