Joy of Progress, Pain of Suffering

If you've known us for any length of time, you know that part of our heart and vision has always been to serve and provide for the orphaned kids of Africa. It's with great joy and pain that we share the following news with you..

JOY because we are so happy to report that the well that we have been helping to drill in Harare, Zimbabwe has hit water!!!! This will provide children throughout the area with an abundance of clean, disease free water. Previously, if they could find any water to drink, it was contaminated by broken sewer pipes which was causing so many children and adults to become sick and die. This is a great report! We are not yet sure how many people will be served through this well, but we are also close to hitting water in another area, Bulawayo!

JOY because we are now entering the groundwork phase of building an orphan support network for those who have no other resource and are suffering the most--the children. JOY because in July, a RIM team is going to Zimbabwe to gather the last bits of information needed to begin a successful program which will provide food for orphans and their caregivers, and much needed support and mentoring to those who do not have parents. JOY that the final touches are being placed on an educational program which will benefit the children who have not been to school in months because of the collapse of the Zim education system and the plight of the teachers there.

And yet our hearts are in PAIN, heartbroken at the sheer magnitude of children who are living in an imaginable situation that is beyond their control. Because of the skyrocketing market (at more than 2 Million % inflation), 2/3 of the people in Zim now depend on foreign aid for food. However, due to the highly unstable and unspeakably violent political situation, most foreigners have stopped sending aid to Zimbabwe. Now, it's the children that we know who are suffering. They are struggling to find food, traumatized by what they have witnessed in their own homes, left to fend for themselves. So many people are dying that the cemetery has a waiting list to be buried. Click here to see a video about the current national crisis.

Please, please help us make a difference. As stated before, we do have a RIM team going over to Zimbabwe next month to put the final touches on our orphan support program. We want to send them with as much money as possible to purchase food. We would love to take in-kind donations (objects), but due to luggage restrictions, it is unrealistic. One of the only things that we can take that will benefit the children the most is money. Please help us make this a reality.

Just $10 will feed an orphan and their caregiver (usually a widowed grandma) for an entire month. And as always, 100% of your donation goes directly to buy food. Please contact me at julie@hiscreations.com to make a tax deductible donation.

If you can't imagine what it looks like and feels like to deliver 20 tons of food to a needy people, please click on the video below. Although this video was from 2007 when things were going much better, you will still undoubtedly see the joy and thankfulness on the faces of the families. How much more so now? Sadly, you will also see the faces of children who are now dying of starvation. In March of 2008, we were able to feed almost 700 families for a month through your generous donations! We are calling on you again to open your hearts and ask what you can do to make a difference.

Please forward this blog link to anyone that you think might be interested!

And as always, please check Wells Of Life for updates on our orphan support and education programs as they will be in full operation soon!

Most sincerely,
Julie