A Little Bit of Kindness can go A long Way....
Someone I shared my story with a while ago surprised me today in the most unexpected way. I suppose the reason why I was so surprised and close to tears almost was that someone I didn't expect to remembered me and took it upon themselves to ACT.
As a result I was inspired to write and today I want to introduce to you all the TEKESHE FOUNDATION, but before I enter into the story of the life changing work being done in Chipinge I would like to highlight two things:
1) Never be afraid to use your voice. Share your story.
There is a shona proverb that says, "Mwana asingacheme anofira mumubereko." and that is translated to a baby that does not cry will die strapped to his mothers back. I am not an advocate for begging but I believe that there is a lot of power in a testimony. I will tell my story not in despair and anguish but in hope for a better tomorrow. I will use my words to hopefully encourage someone in saying that although I may not be where I want to be and things are not 100% perfect in my life I am still here. I shared my story with the young man mentioned above in an effort to encourage him and what I got in return was not only encouragement for myself but a possible solution for what I was facing.
2) Do something!
All of the projects and charities listed on the GlobalGivingUK website are shining examples of people who have stood up and done something to shape their communities for the better. They are individuals like yourself and I who saw a need and took it upon themselves to at least try and make a change. Sometimes it may not be much that you can afford to give but in all honesty the very little that you can do can actually be a significant game changer in the life of somebody else. 'They need it More than I do' is a blog post I wrote a few months ago after having one such encounter and I encourage anyone reading this to take a look at it too. What that young man shared with me today was simply a link to a website.
Tekeshe Foundation
The Tekeshe foundation is one of the projects I will be visiting in Zimbabwe. It is the brainchild of Thelma Sithole who carried forth a vision birthed by her father and has since made great strides in empowering the people of rural Chipinge. Guided by the old saying, "If you give a man a fish he will eat for a day. If you give him a fishing rod and teach him how to fish he will eat for a life time." the Tekeshe foundation focuses on empowering and restoring dignity and hope by providing and promoting economic empowerment, advocating literacy and higher education for both boys and girls, while assisting AIDS/HIV patients and their families with social-economic help.
The above are all critical areas of need in a country where the health care system is crippled, HIV/AIDS prevalence is among the highest in the world and harsh economic climates have left Zimbabwe without it's own currency. Such elements have ripple effects leading all the way down to children being unable to attain secondary and even primary school education. As I was going through the Tekeshe Foundation I was struck by the number of testimonies shared by young boys and girls who had it not been for the work of Thelma Sithole and her team may not have had access to a decent education. One such story is that of two orphans Herbet and Lovemore whose parents succumbed to HIV/AIDS several years ago. "In 2007 Lovemore dropped out of school to take care of his brother and his grandmother. Lovemore started his day by going to the market to beg for food. With the help of the Tekeshe foundation Lovemore re-enrolled in school and has now completed his primary education. He is currently attending Rimbi High School."
Some of the initiatives set up by the Tekeshe foundation include:
- Education
Education is one of the keys to opening the doors of opportunity and as such the foundation has a robust programme that works to provide school fees, school uniforms, books and supplies to underprivileged rural youth. They also provide books to the schools through a partnership with Books For Africa (ZIMKIPPS project), they repair classrooms and deliver ICT to rural schools. Their aim with the ICT project is to bridge the "digital divide" between rural and urban communities.
- Health
Providing access to health care, clean water, sanitation and combating malnutrition is at the heart of the Tekeshe foundation. By nature of where it is located health care in rural Chipinge is oftentimes poor or non existent this is as a result of poor roads or inadequate means of transportation and sometimes community clinics simply don't have the resources to cater to the medical needs of the communities they serve. As such in 2007 the Tekeshe Foundation launched the Community Care Program in partnership with village health committees and local churches to deliver medical care to people in the Rimbi Clinic catchment area. They provide care and support to those infected or affected b HIV/AIDS, transportation to bring a medical doctor to Rimbi Clinic to treat patients and supply of medicines and equipment to the clinic. Some of their accomplishments to date include the donation of a vehicle to the clinic that is now being used as an ambulance as well as training 10 home based care givers.
- Economic Empowerment
Statistics show that more than 325 million people in Africa live on less than $1 a day. The main objective of the Economic empowerment program is to develop the entrepreneurship and employability skills or rural youth and women. The foundation provides micro loans to people to start businesses, for young women and rural youth who are not enrolled in school the vocational program aims to train them in knitting, carpentry, dressmaking and baking. Rabbit and chicken rearing projects, gardening projects and mushroom growing projects are currently underway and also in the pipeline is an irrigation project.
- Youth
Young people have the power to change the world if they are given enough support. The Tekeshe foundation vision for the youth is to encourage young people to develop a strong sense of civic and social responsibility. While education is critical the foundation is also committed to the social development of young people. Through their Youth Cares program they teach the youth life skills and offer them opportunities for leadership and development.
- Food and Clothing
Tekeshe foundation accomplishments with this initiative include sending 40-foot containers of much needed items such as food, clothing, medicines, medical supplies and school supplies to Zimbabwe in conjunction with New England Pentecostal ministries, United Church of Christ missionaries m A light For Zimbabwe Organization and friends of the the foundation in the United States. They have distributed clothing to over 100 people in Rimbi and neighboring villages, they provide food for 50 elderly people and 50 HIV/AIDS patients.
While going through the Tekeshe foundation website I was overwhelmed by just how much is being done and how great of a need for it there is. All the above is simply a very condensed summary of all the work the foundation is doing in Chipinge. Their vision outlives what we see in the present and the holistic approach taken is one that will surely transform the lives of many more than it has already. I am so privileged to have the opportunity to go out to Chipinge to see all of this for myself and honestly cannot wait to share my experiences with everyone. I am keeping my fingers crossed to meet Thelma when she travels to Zimbabwe in December as she is based in the USA and will not be around during my visit. The opportunity to sit with such an amazing woman with a heart for the people who also works hard to DO SOMETHING is truly infallible. I cannot wait to hear her story.
In the meantime I would like to encourage you to visit the Tekeshe Foundation website at http://www.tekeshe.org/ and also their GlobalGiving page where you have to opportunity to donate at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-100-underprivileged-kids-in-zimbabwe/ .
Keep a look out for more updates and if you can, DO SOMETHING!
XOXO
Chido Dziva Chikwari
P.S If you would like to contribute to the GlobalGiving Impact Assessment Programme in Zimbabwe please follow this link to my fundraiser http://www.globalgiving.co.uk/fundraisers/zimbabwe-impact-assesment/ .
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