Zimbabwe: Continuing the Story

After meeting with the Foundations for Farming people, we drove to Epworth, one of the poorest communities in the nation. As we drove there, we saw hundreds of “balancing rocks”. These have a significant tourist potential (they really are quite remarkable), but this has not been developed. Epworth, on the outskirts of Harare, has a population of over 200,000. Many of these are those who were displaced a few years ago when the government, without warning, bulldozed thousands of homes of those suspected of not being loyal to the ruling party. So now they live in an area with no land suitable for farming. Predictably, it is a high crime, high disease and very high unemployment area.

As we walked around, looking at some of the bio-sand water filters that were installed during the major cholera epidemic of a year ago, we encountered Sidney and Josephine. They operate a sort of pre-school and regular day school for the poorest children in Epworth. Thirty are orphans, another 22 are too poor to pay public school fees or those who have been told to leave because of failing grades. Every morning at 8 am, Sidney and Josephine begin to instruct these children who range in age from about 3 to 13. As they sit on the floor of the hut Sidney teaches them without supplies, books or a blackboard. The children are with them until nearly sundown, five days a week.. Only 16 of them can afford the $5 a month school fees. From their own pocket, Josephine and Sidney feeds those who cannot come to school with a lunch. In order to do this (as well as feed themselves and their four children), Sidney goes to Harare early every Saturday morning to buy items that he then brings back to Epworth to sell at the market. This couple have been doing this since 2001. Apart from the empowering and compassion that comes from the Lord, I cannot imagine how this heroic couple keeps going. And when I spoke to them, their passion came through. Sidney told us that among these incredibly poor children, they are raising up the future leaders of the nation. I felt very humbled being with them and the children.

Sidney then took us around his small neighborhood to meet those who have received water filters this year. Each one expressed gratitude and described how their children are now so much healthier. One man we met was particularly interesting: he was 87 years old, blind, had 12 children (some were his, some were his grandchildren), and until last year, he had been the village witch doctor. Last year, he gave his life to Christ. In the few minutes we had together, all he talked about was how good Jesus had been to him. In the midst of his extreme poverty, all he felt was thankfulness and joy.

The reason for going to Epworth was to determine if Impact Nations could help bring about some degree of transformation. Following our tour, I met with Langton Gatsi (the remarkable leader I wrote about in the last article). Unlike Nkwazi, Epworth has no good land for growing crops. What they do have, because of the distance from Harare (too far to walk into the city), is a ready market for goods. Over the next couple of hours we sketched out an initial plan for providing small loans for these folks to start very small businesses. With just a bit of start up capital, people can immediately begin to support themselves and their families. We will be working out the details of this program over the next several weeks. For three years, ever since reading “Banker to the Poor”, I have been convince that micro-credit is one of the best ways to bring about economic transformation among the extremely poor.

The day finished with a meeting regarding the Bio-Sand Water FIlter program. Last year, in partnership with New Life City, a church in Albuquerque, and Seeds of Hope, we provided water filters and steel moulds. This was in response to a crisis call from Langton that the cholera epidemic was killing thousands each week. He emailed me with these words: Steve, do something. The time is now.” God worked a series of amazing miracles and the first filters went in only 5 days later into a nation in utter chaos, a nation that only one week earlier had refused entry to President Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela’s wife. Yet God moved on our behalf and the way opened up. I was delighted to see how this program has grown over the past year. They have manufactured and installed over 1,000 filters, providing safe drinking water to about 15,000 people. There are 8 full-time employees.

We were invited to meet with the national Minister of Health, to talk about expanding the water filter program. It was a very fruitful meeting. As we explained how the filters eliminate the bacteria that cause cholera, diarrhea, amebic dysentery and other water-borne diseases--and how this would mean a vast savings to the nation in hospital care--the Minister suddenly caught it. He has decided that he wants to initiate a nation-wide water filter program. In the next few weeks, Langton will be making a presentation to key government and NGO leaders. It was a remarkable meeting. The Minister said that he wants this to start right away. He is a very strong Christian with a real desire to see the plight of Zimbabwe’s citizens improve.

As we drove the eight hour journey back to Lusaka to catch the plane to Nairobi, then Burundi, we were amazed at all that had happened in just about 40 hours. We are here in Africa with a strong sense of being on assignment from the Lord. And with His assignment, always comes favor. For 12 days now, we have been walking in incredible favor. And I am sure it will continue.