Happy Easter!
We hope you have had a relaxing Easter with family and/or friends. Easter is truly the epitome of celebration and remembrance for each and every Christian. Although many cultures have turned it into a time of Easter bunnies, eggs, candy and other such events, it ultimately is the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Although we are missionaries, we are so incredibly blessed to be ministering in a country that still allows freedom of religion, especially Christianity. Easter is a large event in Zimbabwe, with most churches holding 3-day long Easter events, i.e. all day, every day for 3 days straight. Fasting before Easter is quite common, as well as regular prayer gathering before Easter weekend and then the mourning for Good Friday, the prayer for Saturday in the tomb and the exhilarating celebration of worship on Easter Sunday. In Zimbabwe, we also have Easter Monday as a public holiday. I (Yolanda) remember being surprised when I first moved to the US to find out that Good Friday was not a public holiday. This year Zimbabwe's Independence Day was celebrated on Tuesday, after Easter weekend, which allowed for a 5 day vacation, country-wide. Of course it is also when our wifi decided to stop working, which meant no internet for 5 days straight since no one was working - a small price to pay for some rest.
Palm Sunday is also a great celebration and during our trip into church, we recorded a group of people from a Christian Church/Church of Christ walking through town waving palm branches as they sang. Note, that all denominations and church groups have their set "uniforms" - there's pride in belonging, and hence you'll see most people wearing the red and white outfits in the video below. It's the same reason that the ladies in our Wednesday, core group have been desiring T-shirts, for their "club." Again, the pride in belonging to something bigger than yourself - more about that later.
We hope you have had a relaxing Easter with family and/or friends. Easter is truly the epitome of celebration and remembrance for each and every Christian. Although many cultures have turned it into a time of Easter bunnies, eggs, candy and other such events, it ultimately is the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Although we are missionaries, we are so incredibly blessed to be ministering in a country that still allows freedom of religion, especially Christianity. Easter is a large event in Zimbabwe, with most churches holding 3-day long Easter events, i.e. all day, every day for 3 days straight. Fasting before Easter is quite common, as well as regular prayer gathering before Easter weekend and then the mourning for Good Friday, the prayer for Saturday in the tomb and the exhilarating celebration of worship on Easter Sunday. In Zimbabwe, we also have Easter Monday as a public holiday. I (Yolanda) remember being surprised when I first moved to the US to find out that Good Friday was not a public holiday. This year Zimbabwe's Independence Day was celebrated on Tuesday, after Easter weekend, which allowed for a 5 day vacation, country-wide. Of course it is also when our wifi decided to stop working, which meant no internet for 5 days straight since no one was working - a small price to pay for some rest.
Palm Sunday is also a great celebration and during our trip into church, we recorded a group of people from a Christian Church/Church of Christ walking through town waving palm branches as they sang. Note, that all denominations and church groups have their set "uniforms" - there's pride in belonging, and hence you'll see most people wearing the red and white outfits in the video below. It's the same reason that the ladies in our Wednesday, core group have been desiring T-shirts, for their "club." Again, the pride in belonging to something bigger than yourself - more about that later.
We want to give you a quick snapshot of what is coming over the next few blogs, because this is going to be a 3-part series (Chicken Program Update, Mission Team Arrival and Sewing Seminar, and VBS). We just have far too much information, details, photos and videos to share with you. Please be patient with us as we try to update you with the last few weeks of ministry and JM2Z happenings.
Chicken Program
Over the last 6-7 weeks, we have received lots of new information concerning the start of the chicken program. We were so excited to be fully funded for this project, but alas, this is not the case. We had received some incorrect information concerning building structure sizes and how many chickens we could hold, etc. Needless to say, we did have a sit down meeting with a gentleman who would be teaching the chicken workshop that the ladies would be attending. That meeting was extremely informative. At first, we were rather discouraged at the fact that the chicken program was no longer a feasible option, but rather than throw in the towel on this option, we asked many more questions, did much more research, and determined the best course of action. By re-evaluating our mission, we quickly realized we needed to return to our goal of empowering each individual and helping that individual become self-sustainable, rather than the group as a whole.
Our original plan of one large structure, on one person's land, with X amount of chickens was not the wisest choice long-term. It allows for errors and mistakes to happen and for no one individual to take responsibility. It also relied upon us (Andrew and me) to oversee the project every step of the way and even source customers from a larger market such as hotels and restaurants - again not empowering the women. Even if we were willing to do all of this, the amount of chickens we could hold in the structure on the land size would give a VERY small return per lady, i.e. about $10 per lady, per month - which barely makes a dent in their present basic needs. Again, with the original figures we were given, this would not have been the case, but the owner of the chicken shop we had been working with had given us some false information, which unfortunately led us to believe otherwise.
Now with accurate information, more research done on our part, and research done by EACH individual lady, we have a PLAN. A plan that we believe is feasible, will give a good monthly return, will empower each individual woman and help her become self-sustainable, at least to the point of being able to cover her child/ren's school fees each term.
The Plan
After discussing the logistics with the ladies and allowing them to make their own decisions, we have decided to assist each woman in becoming a business owner in her own right. What this means is that we are going to help each woman build her OWN, structure on her OWN piece of land, then assist her in starting with the first 50 chicks, as well as all she will need for the first cycle of chickens, i.e. feed, etc. We changed from road-runners to broilers, as the chicken option, since they give a faster return and require less space. Although this type of chicken is more delicate than the other, each lady will be responsible for her chicken, her business and her profit, which pretty much ensures the best possible care and rearing. The ladies all did their own research on prices for the structure (each structure will be identical in size) and we discussed the findings as a group. Each lady is required to cover a portion of the building of the structure. At first this seemed daunting to all the women, but after explaining how their jewelry (paper beads) will bring in a much needed income, they all agreed that those profits would go toward their structures. Again, this allows the women to give toward THEIR project and make this project their own.
Chicken Program
Over the last 6-7 weeks, we have received lots of new information concerning the start of the chicken program. We were so excited to be fully funded for this project, but alas, this is not the case. We had received some incorrect information concerning building structure sizes and how many chickens we could hold, etc. Needless to say, we did have a sit down meeting with a gentleman who would be teaching the chicken workshop that the ladies would be attending. That meeting was extremely informative. At first, we were rather discouraged at the fact that the chicken program was no longer a feasible option, but rather than throw in the towel on this option, we asked many more questions, did much more research, and determined the best course of action. By re-evaluating our mission, we quickly realized we needed to return to our goal of empowering each individual and helping that individual become self-sustainable, rather than the group as a whole.
Our original plan of one large structure, on one person's land, with X amount of chickens was not the wisest choice long-term. It allows for errors and mistakes to happen and for no one individual to take responsibility. It also relied upon us (Andrew and me) to oversee the project every step of the way and even source customers from a larger market such as hotels and restaurants - again not empowering the women. Even if we were willing to do all of this, the amount of chickens we could hold in the structure on the land size would give a VERY small return per lady, i.e. about $10 per lady, per month - which barely makes a dent in their present basic needs. Again, with the original figures we were given, this would not have been the case, but the owner of the chicken shop we had been working with had given us some false information, which unfortunately led us to believe otherwise.
Now with accurate information, more research done on our part, and research done by EACH individual lady, we have a PLAN. A plan that we believe is feasible, will give a good monthly return, will empower each individual woman and help her become self-sustainable, at least to the point of being able to cover her child/ren's school fees each term.
The Plan
After discussing the logistics with the ladies and allowing them to make their own decisions, we have decided to assist each woman in becoming a business owner in her own right. What this means is that we are going to help each woman build her OWN, structure on her OWN piece of land, then assist her in starting with the first 50 chicks, as well as all she will need for the first cycle of chickens, i.e. feed, etc. We changed from road-runners to broilers, as the chicken option, since they give a faster return and require less space. Although this type of chicken is more delicate than the other, each lady will be responsible for her chicken, her business and her profit, which pretty much ensures the best possible care and rearing. The ladies all did their own research on prices for the structure (each structure will be identical in size) and we discussed the findings as a group. Each lady is required to cover a portion of the building of the structure. At first this seemed daunting to all the women, but after explaining how their jewelry (paper beads) will bring in a much needed income, they all agreed that those profits would go toward their structures. Again, this allows the women to give toward THEIR project and make this project their own.
Of course all the women attended a day-long workshop on how to start their own chicken business. It addressed what type of chicken, the feed, care, upkeep, cost, profit, structure, etc, etc. At the end of this workshop, each woman received a certificate of completion, which they were incredibly proud of and wanted to show off to us.
Above you can see all the ladies with their certificates. The pride, joy, and sense of accomplishment was extremely obvious. The ladies took notes, received handouts, and discussed non-stop between each other all the options and possibilities.
The structure they are required to build will in fact house 100 chickens, but we will assist them with their first 50. After their first 6-week cycle they will be able to purchase the next 50 chicks themselves, as well as food and other necessary supplies. It's important to start small so as not to set them up for failure. This gives them responsibility in making their own choices and taking full responsibility for their own successes.
Each lady was also required to bring a written letter from her husband (if he is still living/married) that stated she could build on the land and that this would be her project. This helps protect her and shows her husband's support for this project.
There is one lady who does not own her own piece of land and we are working with her to start a fish selling business. She has done all the research herself and we have overseen this project. She will receive the necessary funds for a start up and will receive the same level of profit.
All the women will also have direct access with their workshop trainer from Harare. As a group the ladies will have a Whatsapp account (a free cell phone app, that allows them to communicate), the trainer will also be connected on that group and be able to assist whenever there is an issue. If chickens are dying or something is not right, he will even drive down free of charge and assist the group moving forward - this is great assurance for a new business owner.
The structure they are required to build will in fact house 100 chickens, but we will assist them with their first 50. After their first 6-week cycle they will be able to purchase the next 50 chicks themselves, as well as food and other necessary supplies. It's important to start small so as not to set them up for failure. This gives them responsibility in making their own choices and taking full responsibility for their own successes.
Each lady was also required to bring a written letter from her husband (if he is still living/married) that stated she could build on the land and that this would be her project. This helps protect her and shows her husband's support for this project.
There is one lady who does not own her own piece of land and we are working with her to start a fish selling business. She has done all the research herself and we have overseen this project. She will receive the necessary funds for a start up and will receive the same level of profit.
All the women will also have direct access with their workshop trainer from Harare. As a group the ladies will have a Whatsapp account (a free cell phone app, that allows them to communicate), the trainer will also be connected on that group and be able to assist whenever there is an issue. If chickens are dying or something is not right, he will even drive down free of charge and assist the group moving forward - this is great assurance for a new business owner.
Mission Team
Our mission team arrived from Oregon, the evening of March 31st. They had some issues at customs bringing through some donations they were bringing us. Our small airport that usually takes less that 30 minutes to come through, resulted in over a 2 hour wait. We are soooo incredibly grateful for their willingness to bring 6 bags of donations and only pack their personal items in backpacks for their 2 week stay. Before they even arrived, their willingness to come and serve us was evident in choices they made along the way.
We also want to give a huge shout out to Santa Clara Church, among others who gave so generously toward our mission needs, especially the start of the jewelry business. The generosity of so many was evident as we unpacked bags the following day.
Our mission team arrived from Oregon, the evening of March 31st. They had some issues at customs bringing through some donations they were bringing us. Our small airport that usually takes less that 30 minutes to come through, resulted in over a 2 hour wait. We are soooo incredibly grateful for their willingness to bring 6 bags of donations and only pack their personal items in backpacks for their 2 week stay. Before they even arrived, their willingness to come and serve us was evident in choices they made along the way.
We also want to give a huge shout out to Santa Clara Church, among others who gave so generously toward our mission needs, especially the start of the jewelry business. The generosity of so many was evident as we unpacked bags the following day.
| A small portion of the donations can be seen to the right. These are only beads and other jewelry supplies, but many more items were sent as well. So, from our heart to YOURS, we would like to say a very BIG and heartfelt THANK YOU for your generosity! |  |
If you have any more questions concerning the chicken program we would love to answer them, so please do not hesitate to ask. With final figures, we realize that an additional $300 is needed per lady (there are 13 women) in order to help each of them build their structure, purchase their first 50 chicks, feed and start-up supplies. Would YOU prayerfully consider how YOU can partner with us, so we can come alongside them? School fees for the next term is fast approaching in the next couple weeks and we are desperate to help these women cover those fees as soon as possible.
The Wednesday women's group has been discussing for a long time that they desire t-shirts with a logo of their name, Women of Value, so that others will know their "club" and who they are. Again, the importance of belonging and the role of a uniform. I mentioned this to the team and they kindly covered the cost for a t-shirt for each lady. In the picture below, the ladies had just received their shirts (and of course had to put them on right away) and are standing with the women from our mission team.
The Wednesday women's group has been discussing for a long time that they desire t-shirts with a logo of their name, Women of Value, so that others will know their "club" and who they are. Again, the importance of belonging and the role of a uniform. I mentioned this to the team and they kindly covered the cost for a t-shirt for each lady. In the picture below, the ladies had just received their shirts (and of course had to put them on right away) and are standing with the women from our mission team.
Above: The ladies are showing us the certificates they received from attending the chicken seminar. They are singing, "Jesu Wakanaka," meaning, "Jesus is good."
Be looking out for Part 2, when we'll be telling you move about our mission team's arrival, the sewing classes, fellowship with the women's group and more.
Be looking out for Part 2, when we'll be telling you move about our mission team's arrival, the sewing classes, fellowship with the women's group and more.
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