Boots

Since 2005 when he joined the Zvandiri programme Patrick has always dreamt of being a soccer player. He definately has the height, energy, talent and now he has the BOOTS, thanks to Maruva.

Patrick is 16 years old. Both his parents passed away when he was a little boy and he has grown up in an orphanage. Its his dream to play football at a national level and has wanted it to be his career for a life time. Watching him play today made us realize that detemination and effort paired together with talent can take you far up your chosen ladder. Training has been part of his daily activities. He has no family to support him with the things most children have. Even though he had to go through the humiliation when borrowing a pair of boots for practise he still remained focused.

Today Patrick owns his own pair of BOOTS and this has put him at yet another level in life. Many thanks to Ryan and his Iron Man event last year for the generosity of giving hope to ths boy. Who knew that a pair of boots would bring change to someones life/career/ future?

By Eliza

Fund raiser coming up in Weston Favell, Northampton!

Rosie Rushton and friends are putting on a Lent Lunch in aid of Africaid this Saturday - 20th February - in Weston Favell, UK. Many thanks, Rosie, and may the weather be kind! (currently snowing... Ed)
There is a fantastic 1st prize in the raffle of a free week's holiday in a self catering cottage this summer so someone is going to be happy!

The shipment of over 300 books for the library at Zvandiri House must be half way to Harare now. It is due there in 4 weeks time. Again - thank you Wellingborough School, and thank you Allan Leroy for having the idea of setting up the library over four years ago. It is much used - a great success.

As the article on the front page explains, specially trained Zvandiri kids are so good at counselling their peers with HIV that they have been asked to set up a service in one of Harare's biggest hospitals! That is good all round: good for the children at the hospital; good for recruitment to the Zvandiri programme; good for the counsellors' self-esteem (and remember that is part of our whole objective); and good for Africaid's expanding reputation.

There is a lot happening here. Every day our combi bus (thanks, UNICEF!) goes out to collect children from one or other of our 20 communities. Once they are safely delivered to Zvandiri House for a range of activities the combi sets off for one of the other communities with our Outreach team on board! So we work with at least  two communities every day, apart from everything else we get up to.

And now we are cranking up our two blogs: this one for the administration joins the children's own one. Between them we hope the blogs will be a convenient way to keep you informed about Africaid and its Zvandiri Programme. Why not sign up to be a follower of them both?

Up and running at last!

After careful thought we have decided to split our blog posts into two. From now on the children and youth will have their own blog, and the project itself will have this one. It will be useful to keep them separate, mainly because the Children's Blog really will be their own, and everything within it will come exclusively from them.
We hope the new blog format will prove helpful and interesting, so keep coming back to see what is happening in Harare!