Rekai Tangwena Childrens Home, Zimbabwe

Northgate Church, being part of Lifelink International through Opportunity2Hope is supporting the re-development of the Children's home in Zimbabwe. This is as part of O2H's Annual Operation Hope Appeal..

 

 

The initial focus of this partnership is the expansion of an existing outreach, established by Holy Cross Church, Nyanga, Zimbabwe. This outreach, in the form of: ‘Rekai Tangwena Children’s Home’, originated from the increasing need to care for orphans and vulnerable children, resulting primarily from the high incidence of HIV AIDs in Zimbabwe.

 

The home is currently run by members of the Church congregation, under the direction of Livingstone Nerwande, the founder of the home and Holy Cross. There are currently 20 children between the ages of 5 and 18 being cared for at the home. Through previous partnership with churches in the UK it has been possible to make some improvements, however this site is poorly suited to the needs of a children’s home.

 

 

The vision is to create an Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) centre on a new site. The church in Nyanga has already acquired the land for this site. With support from churches in the UK, a perimeter fence has now been erected and plans to develop the site are being discussed with our partners in Zimbabwe. A design based on creating a ‘mini-village’ is being considered. It will accommodate up to 30 OVC’s in individual houses, with 6 children and a house parent in each. The centre will also include: accommodation for staff members and visitors; office space and leisure facilities, including sports ground and television room; a grain mill, chicken run and kitchen gardens for education and income generation.

 

The new plot is currently uncultivated ‘scrub’ land with no water supply, sanitation system or electricity. It is planned initially to create a hand-dug well to provide a water supply to facilitate development of the site. In the longer term it is hoped that a connection to the local ‘mains’ supply will provide clean drinking water and that the well will then provide water primarily for irrigation of the kitchen garden. For the construction of the centre, the plan is to use local merchants, tradesmen and labour and as such, to contribute to the local (troubled) economy.      

 

Helping to provide support for ‘less-vulnerable’ children, already housed by families within the local community, is also being considered and is seen as an opportunity for the church to develop its links with other social welfare workers in the area. On relocating the children to the new centre, it is hoped that the site of the existing home will be re-developed to provide a community resource in the form of a skills training centre.  

 

Situated in the North East of Zimbabwe, close to the Mozambique border, Nyanga is one of the most attractive regions of the country. Bordered by mountains, including the highest point in Zimbabwe, Mount Inyangani, and including the Nyanga National Park. The area once attracted many tourists, both national and international. The main centre is Nyanga Township, with, Nyanga Rural District Council and other local administrative headquarters, hospital, school and a few shops. Unemployment in the region is high and the local economy now depends heavily on subsistence farming and cross-border trade.

 

In the West we have so much that we can give in terms of resources and support to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe. Together we can make a huge impact that will change lives and help transform communities in Zimbabwe. Together we can bring hope and touch the lives of the most vulnerable children and orphans.

 

There are several ways that you can get involved in contributing towards this really worthwhile project.

 

Julie Sturgess, a member of Northgate Church has come up with a great idea for raising funds and awareness. She has made a number of Dolls which come in assorted colours and styles. She will even make dolls to your specification. They come neatly packaged with a certificate and information about Rekai Tangwena. The dolls are not being sold at a fixed price but a suggested donation for each doll is £5 or £10. They will make a great gift to give to others and will also help to promote awareness of the Orphanage Project. For more info contact the church office by clicking here.

 

What are 'seed' gifts? A seed gift does not mean you are purchasing literal seed to be planted in a project field. Seed gifts are 'units of hope' that you purchase towards a project that needs your support. The more seed you purchase the greater the impact your gift has on the project. Seed Gifts of Hope is currently supporting the Zimbabwe Children's orphanage. This project needs 30,000 seed gifts to be purchased to help establish the new centre in Nyanga.

£5 = 1 Seed, £25= 5 Seeds
How does a 'seed' gift work? Once you have completed the request form and made your donation we will process your order and send you the corresponding gift card to send onto your friend. This card will tell them how many units of seeds you have sown for them. Seeds of hope are life changing gifts that mean so much more to the receiver. To purchase your gift today, follow the three simple steps. Click here.

Another way in which you can help support Opportunity2Hope is to take part in the 185Ft Abseil Challenge or sponsor people in your Church who are doing this! 

 

If you would like to make a donation online to this project, please state 'Zimbabwe' as this purpose of your donation and click here to be directed to a secure online fundraising page. Thanks for your support.