Traveling to rural villages opened new vistas for us. The enthusiastic greetings of the people never wavered, even when we were two hours late. They sang and danced as they joyfully thanked us for the “gift of our presence” – a humbling experience for sure. The head man, called the Mutapi, welcomed us. Each Village Health Worker (VHW) gave a report with statistics that she had carefully logged in a journal. In one village the VHW told us that there are 30 widows, 36 orphans, 27 children with one parent, and 19 “vulnerable” children. “Vulnerable children” refers to teenagers who are susceptible to negative influences.

Villagers Waiting To Meet Us

The VHW wears many hats. She assesses basic needs, identifies problems, monitors chronic illnesses and supervises hospice care at home. She teaches disease prevention, sanitation, nutrition and oversees well-baby check-ups. She encourages pre-natal visits, immunizations for 1-5 year olds and refers patients to Chikore Hospital as needed.

At our request, the people listed their needs. Clean water is critical; in most areas bore holes have either dried up, aged equipment has broken down, or the village is too rural to have ever had a bore hole. Water is obtained from contaminated rivers and mud holes shared with animals, and also used for laundry and bathing purposes. Women and children walk 10 miles carrying buckets of water or 50 lbs of grain on their heads.

Teamwork For Clean Water

Schools struggle to retain teachers due to poor accommodations and rural isolation. Inadequate books and school supplies contribute to the teacher’s challenge to educate. In a typical village, two first grade classes have 54 and 66 children. With many adults out of work, some have volunteered to assist the teachers.

These rural areas have produce to sell, but lack the ability to get the produce to the markets. Youth lack access to vocational tech programs, and have no jobs. ALFZ assists by donating seed money to start self-sustaining projects. Considering the difficulties and challenges in rural Zimbabwe, it is inspiring to see these folks keep their spirits up as they look forward to a better future.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead