School Fees
Receipts for school fees Thank you to those of you who sent words of encouragement after reading our last blog. We were feeling like we needed to be helping with the needs of school fees for the ladies' children and basic food, but our budget was strapped. We were very excited to hear from two supporters who said they wanted to send money for school fees, which turned out to be enough for everyone (in the Wednesday group; ladies who having been coming for more than a year)! So last week, we were blessed to give the ladies the news that school fees would be covered for this term. We explained that this meant any children or grandchildren who live with them, who they care for and financially support, who is in elementary, middle, or high school. All outstanding fees were covered, meaning that if they had already paid a portion, we covered the balance. In many cases, they hadn't been able to cover any. This first term of the year is the most expensive term, due to extra charges for starting a new school (first grade and freshman year of high school). We made it clear to the ladies that we were covering this term only.
Upon hearing the news, you could physically see the burden being lifted off the shoulders of these women. Food is obviously the biggest concern, but school fees are usually the second biggest concern. The appreciation they showed cannot be written in words and it wasn't appropriate to take pictures at that time, but know that they were overcome with emotion. They fell to their knees in thanks. Obviously we were merely the messengers, so we want to thank you. The same day, we paid the school fees, which in total were just over $1,000! Thank you for helping these students get an education!
Even this evening, a week later, as the ladies were leaving our home, one of them (who has twins entering high school) broke down in tears. There were so many tears, she could hardly speak. She was overcome with gratitude, thanking Yolanda and me individually. She had such joy for what this meant for her kids.
Upon hearing the news, you could physically see the burden being lifted off the shoulders of these women. Food is obviously the biggest concern, but school fees are usually the second biggest concern. The appreciation they showed cannot be written in words and it wasn't appropriate to take pictures at that time, but know that they were overcome with emotion. They fell to their knees in thanks. Obviously we were merely the messengers, so we want to thank you. The same day, we paid the school fees, which in total were just over $1,000! Thank you for helping these students get an education!
Even this evening, a week later, as the ladies were leaving our home, one of them (who has twins entering high school) broke down in tears. There were so many tears, she could hardly speak. She was overcome with gratitude, thanking Yolanda and me individually. She had such joy for what this meant for her kids.
"I am so grateful for what you did. Dean will start school and my husband also wants me to thank you dearly. May the Almighty God multiply you forever and ever." - A text message we received from another one of the ladies
Also, in response to our last blog, one supporter sent money to cover some food for the ladies. Another big blessing! We are working out what it would take to have a meal each week when they come here. Currently, we have snacks and drinks for everybody, but regularly providing them with something more substantial would be wonderful. Days between meals must be a terrible feeling, and so we are hoping to be able to provide lunch for them on Wednesdays, starting next week.
Day at the Hospital
The swollen hand/wrist During last week's Wednesday group, Yolanda noticed one of the women having trouble working with her hands. One hand in particular was giving her problems. She asked about it and found out that 2 weeks prior, the lady had accidentally hit her hand with a hoe while working in the fields. Her hand was very swollen and she was really unable to use it at all. She didn't attend the previous week, so this is the first time we were hearing about it. So we told her that we would take her to the hospital the next morning. She told us she couldn't, because she couldn't afford it. But of course, we were meaning that we would cover the expenses.
So we picked her up in the morning, took her to the hospital, and helped her along each step of the way. When all was said and done, she was given a doctor's consultation (there were 20 rooms designated for doctors, of which, only one actually had a doctor in it) and X-rays. It was found that she had a fracture in her hand. The reason for the swelling was that at home, she had been rubbing some type of "treatment" on it, which actually resulted in making it worse. So she got a cast, a sling, and some painkillers. We will take her back in 4 weeks to hopefully get the cast removed. She was extremely grateful! She must have thanked us 6-7 times throughout the day while we were waiting in various lines. She said that she couldn't even afford school fees, so how could she afford to take care of herself? She said if we hadn't taken her to the hospital, she would have just had to continue to live with the pain as she had done the past 2 weeks, all because she couldn't afford it (it ended up being only about $50). When we dropped her off at home, we made sure she knew how the sling worked and when to take her medicine. Then she went down to her knees in gratitude, thanking us profusely.
So we picked her up in the morning, took her to the hospital, and helped her along each step of the way. When all was said and done, she was given a doctor's consultation (there were 20 rooms designated for doctors, of which, only one actually had a doctor in it) and X-rays. It was found that she had a fracture in her hand. The reason for the swelling was that at home, she had been rubbing some type of "treatment" on it, which actually resulted in making it worse. So she got a cast, a sling, and some painkillers. We will take her back in 4 weeks to hopefully get the cast removed. She was extremely grateful! She must have thanked us 6-7 times throughout the day while we were waiting in various lines. She said that she couldn't even afford school fees, so how could she afford to take care of herself? She said if we hadn't taken her to the hospital, she would have just had to continue to live with the pain as she had done the past 2 weeks, all because she couldn't afford it (it ended up being only about $50). When we dropped her off at home, we made sure she knew how the sling worked and when to take her medicine. Then she went down to her knees in gratitude, thanking us profusely.
 Waiting by the office of the only doctor |  The handcuffed prisoner and guards who sat down next to us in the waiting area |
Casting the arm
Support Network
During the week, two of the women from the Wednesday group (group that has been together for more than a year) had a death in their families, both in the Harare area. Shona funerals are several-day events, but the actual service for one took place on Saturday and one on Sunday. Several of the ladies from the group attended both. They traveled to Harare on Saturday for the first one, returning to Chinhoyi at 1:00am. We told them that we were going to Harare on Sunday and that we could give them a ride. So we took 4 of them there and ended up bringing 6 of them back. Yolanda and I discussed that just over a year ago, these ladies didn't know each other and now they are supporting one another way beyond just the weekly groups. They are truly friends and a support network for one another. It is encouraging for us to see this happening and a reminder of how significant the group is for each of them.
Tuesday Group
We are thankful that the Tuesday group (new group of ladies, started in January) is coming along nicely. None of these ladies knew each other previously and they are already working well together. They are helping one another along as Yolanda is teaching the basics of sewing. We pray that as time goes on, they continue to develop in their relationships, spiritual growth, and vocational skills. Below, are pictures of some of these women.
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