Education of Orphans

“It is time to take the joy of moving even just one life forward, knowing that each one cascades out in a powerful affect that will make a difference.” – Marcia Shaf

Since 2004, we have been providing finance for the education of farm orphans, the victims of farm takeovers by the Zimbabwe Government under President Robert Mugabe who were left to fend for themselves. Some 20 years later, of all those we assisted, eight of them have made it to college and University. We are covering their final year now as they head towards the completion of their education.

An opportunity for the Chairman to meet up with the students altogether during a trip to Zimbabwe

Here is what one of them said recently.

“….Until now we have been rejected by society, but now we can walk proudly and make things as good as and maybe better than others. May God bless you many times for what you have done.”

The eight young students who reached University/College are flourishing 

It is a great pleasure for us as Trustees to know that of these eight young students, four have now completed their studies with Upper Second Class passes. the other four are yet to complete their studies. They want to make a difference, not only in their own lives, but also because they want to give back to society, just as they have been supported by all of us. Rev Mlambo, their mentor, has impressed upon them a sense of  responsibility and they each take this very seriousl

we are also funding a young lady called Chantelle who is 14 years old and still studying at School in Harare. she is extremely bright and has great ambition for herself for the future.

Can you help?

The Pandemic over the last 2 years has greatly hampered our fundraising capabilities and so our reserves are now painfully low. In Zimbabwe, inflation is causing prices to rise considerably and so we are facing challenging times. we seek to raise an additional £8000 in order to complete the education of these students.

To learn more about each of these very courageous and determined young people, what they are trying to achieve and how you can help us to help them, please follow this link to see our latest newsletter with an update on their current progress.

The details below cover a number of youngsters we assisted in the past and of whom we are equally proud.

The 12 orphans who completed their trades at St Peters,  Kubatana

    In 2016, 12 of the pupils we sponsored finished their O levels with very few passes, mainly owing to the extraordinary amount of time, years in fact, that they had missed out in their education. we determined that we should find a way to assist them, and we sent them all to St Peters, Kubatana to gain skills as tradespeople so that they could go out and earn a living for themselves.

They concentrated on welding (windows and doors), woodwork, building, mechanics and hairdressing.

This was a very successful process and all of them  passed out with a certificate, and each was issued with a starter kit so that they could make a go of earning a living out in the world. All were very happy with the extraordinary assistance they had received from ZAWT over the years of their education.

In 2017 I visited some of them, a year after they had left St Peters, and some, though not all, were earning a living. The girls were all generating a good income from working as hairdressers.

Energy Maburutse – a tragic end to a remarkable young life

“I wish to become a leader in disability rights across the globe.”

It is with great sadness that we alert you to the death of Energy Maburutse. We heard only recently that he had died in February last year after four amazing years of studying at Lynn University in the USA and achieving a degree in Political Science and Communications. Energy was focused on removing the deeply ingrained stigma attached to being disabled in Zimbabwe and to reminding us to focus on that which really matters.

He died on a visit home to see his family in the Honde Valley in Zimbabwe, the first in 4 years. Whilst there, he developed a bad cough and was admitted to hospital where he died, his condition compounded by his brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta).

As ZAWT, we assisted him through his first year at University and he stayed in touch with us. One thing we can be sure of: he touched many lives, both in Zimbabwe and particularly in America. “ We will miss Energy’s wit and his fierce commitment to equality. We will miss his huge smile, his laughter, and the way he would light up each room he entered.  His victory in obtaining a degree and making an impact will continue to serve as an inspiration for many disabled students in Zimbabwe to aspire for their dreams.”

In 2015, Energy delivered an excellent speech at the United Nations in New York at the Annual Millennium Conference in which he encourages others not just to give, but to empower young people in Zimbabwe and give them the grounding to move forward with confidence in the future. His speech at the United Nations is it at this link.