Building Classrooms for Zvamaida Primary School

Dear Friends

I wanted to send to you a short report to let you know that we now have some funding for the supply of new desks etc for the children at Zvamaida School.

With your kind donations, and from Rotary sources as well, we will have enough money to be able to provide for most of the children in the 6 new classrooms with desks. Right now we are working with suppliers in Zimbabwe for a deal to provide what is required to maximise the funds available.

I very much hope that I will soon be able to advise you further on this and thereafter be able to provide some pictures of the desks etc once in the classrooms.

Best wishes for now

Regards

Danny

Dear Friend

Since I wrote to you in July, the children are using the 6 new classrooms and are appreciating not having to learn in the open air, and the teaching staff are enjoying being able to teach the children in suitable accommodation.

We are now awaiting the expected funds in order that we can provide more school desks with seating, so the children have a better experience of learning.

I advised you in the last report of the financial problems we are encountering with the collapse of the exchange rate and the surge of inflation in Zimbabwe. Whilst much of this had been underway over the past year, the War in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation and inflation is running year on year at 260 percent.

To recap where we are now on the project:

• Three classroom blocks (6 classrooms) now completed
• The foundation work on the library has been completed, but not beyond, so completion of this is a priority
• Hopefully, the expected funding we are waiting for will arrive and the school desks etc, can be purchased  
• The solar panels and power for the buildings are to be provided
• An additional number of toilets, wash basins etc
• Some of the training has been done. The most important bit I think - the WASH training (water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming), but more training is still to be done

I attach some photographs that show the new classrooms being used and also the presentation of some books that we purchased for the school.

As always, thank you very much for your support, and if you can please mention to relatives or friends that may be interested in our project to support us, it would be much appreciated.

Very best wishes

Danny

Dear Friend

When I wrote to you last month, I indicated that the 6 classrooms were almost finished. Well, the good news is that they are and the children are now using the classrooms. Just think about this, around 300 children can now have a desk in a classroom and not have to have lessons out in the open. This alone has brought delight to the whole local community. It will certainly make a real difference for the children.

However, all the headwinds  have meant that we have gone well beyond our budget. On top of the problems along the way, from the bricks problem, Covid, and a variety of other things - the collapse of the Zimbabwean currency and the surge of inflation in the country and shortages of materials have meant that the last stage of the classroom buildings has taken a longer time than expected. 

Here is where we are now with the project. Keep in mind the classrooms were always going to be the first thing (and most expensive) part of the project. 

• Three classroom blocks (6 classrooms) now completed.
• The foundation work on the Library has been completed, but not beyond that (my hope was that this could have been completed, but no money left)
• Some of the training has been done. The most important bit I think - the WASH training (water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programming)

Where does that leave us now?

To provide the necessary school desks etc. They have some desks for the one classroom building they had provided recently by UNICEF, but more is needed.

• Completing the Library building. 
• The solar panels and power for the buildings.
• An additional number of toilets, wash basins etc
• Rest of training

 If I could tell you the costs of these outstanding items then I would. The problem is that the economic situation in Zimbabwe currently makes it difficult for our Rotary club there to get prices on building and materials, but they are working on it. I will continue to try to raise funds from Crowd Funding and any other means possible to try to complete the project.

 I attach some recent pictures including children in the new classrooms.

 Yours sincerely

Danny

PS – if you have the means to make a larger donation GlobalGiving have a special deal for next Wednesday 20^th July. I attach details of this, which you will see that you can get up to a 50 percent bonus on top of your donation!

See below:

 Matching Funds

The 2022 July Bonus Day campaign will have a Matching Fund of $400,000 USD.

While funds remain, the following matching structure will apply:

Note the campaign is on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. That is 2 pm London time.

• Donations of $100 - $499 USD will be matched at 30%
• Donations of $500 - $749 USD will be matched at 40%
• Donations of $750 - $1,000 USD will be matched at 50%

Donations will be matched based on the order in which they are received while funds last.

• Donations above $1,000 USD will be matched on the first $1,000 USD while funds last. The match offer is restricted to donations made by unique donors per organization.
• Each organization can receive a maximum of $3,000 USD in total Matching Funds to benefit as many partners as possible.

Dear Friends

I am so pleased to be able to tell you that the 3 classroom blocks with a total of 6 classrooms, has virtually been completed, with just a lick of painting still to do.

This is indeed great news and comes as a relief after many months of delay and frustration. I thank and congratulate everyone who has donated to the project to have got this far. Really importantly, it will mean that 300+ children can benefit by having a classroom to work in and not have to endure learning outside in the cold at this time of year. Although we know the country has such a wonderful landscape and where the sun shines, they also get relatively cold weather at this time of year in their winter.

However, because of many complex issues, including covid, exchange rates and inflation, we have not so far been able to install solar panels to supply the electricity for the buildings. We are currently urgently trying to raise funds to pay for the school desks/chairs, for the children to use (this will cost around $5,500).

My worry also is being able to raise the funding to complete the school library which has had the foundations laid and is currently at ground level (picture attached). I hope to be able soon to inform you how much this will cost. I may have mentioned this before, but the evidence is that having a school library can dramatically raise standards and improve exam results. We are working with another Non-Government Organisation (NGO) called AussieBooksForZim who will supply us with books for the children and some for adults as well it is hoped. Recently, this NGO reported that in 2019 they set up a school library at a primary school in Zimbabwe. Exam results passes since then for this school increased from 6 percent to a remarkable 48 percent. Not only that it benefited the community of all ages.

As I outlined above, our immediate need is to fund the costs of the school furniture. If you can help us on this it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you again for your support

Very best wishes

Danny

Dear Friends

Sometimes it feels like your treading water and things are just are not moving along the way you want it to. I am sure you have had that feeling at times!

In December, the buildings were bricked up to reach the level of completing the 3 classrooms to the top of the door frames ready for the interim Cadre inspection and report. By then we had run out of our first tranche of money and had to wait for reports to get the second tranche of funds that were coming from Rotary Foundation. That has taken some time and caused delay.

Now for the good news. The funding is now with us and the building has restarted, with the roofing soon to be worked on.

So, my friends, the project is on the move again and next time I write to you I hope and trust I can give you a more comprehensive update on the progress towards completing the buildings on the site.

In the meantime, I thank you so much for your help and support.

Very best wishes.

Danny