Help 100 Underprivileged Kids in Zimbabwe

Thank you so much for your continued support of our Education project. This project is our strategy for bridging the Educational divide that exists between urban and rural areas. The goal of this project is to improve the quality of education in rural schools. The project also aims to provide access to education to underprivileged rural kids. Empowering a kid to acquire an education not only unlocks the doors of opportunity to lift that kid out of poverty, but it also helps the family and the entire community.

1. Education Program Progress

Through your donations you make it possible for the Tekeshe Foundation to provide school uniforms, school fees and school supplies to disadvantaged rural kids. This year we are providing school fees in the amount of $1,500 (US dollars) to 51 students( 36 primary school students, 14 high school students and 1 college level student).  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic schools in Zimbabwe closed in March 2020, one week before the end of the first term. Schools reopened again in September in time for grade 7, form 2 and form 4 students to write the Cambridge exams. A phased reopening of the classes for all the students was completed in November. As a precautionary measure, the students are required to wear masks and practice social distancing. The Tekeshe Foundation has partnered with Rimbi clinic to deliver Covid-19 preventative education to the students while providing them masks. The Tekeshe Foundation has hired 3 local tailors who make the masks and our team distributes the masks to the schools. To date we have given 1008 masks to students at Rimbi and Mbeure schools.

2. Pre-School Program Progress

Through your donations you also make it possible for the Tekeshe Foundation to provide a pre-school program which promotes early childhood development and learning through play. I am pleased to announce that in May 2020 we partnered with missionaries from New England to send a 40-foot container of much needed items to Zimbabwe. As part of our shipment we included clothing, shoes, pre-school chairs, a wagon, school supplies and children's books. The shipment arrived in Zimbabwe in September. In these pictures you can see the kids at our pre-school sitting on the chairs and riding the wagon.

As you can see we have accomplished a lot together. These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support! Thanks for the major role you are playing in providing access to quality education to rural youth.

May your hearts be filled with so much joy and laughter this holiday season as you reflect on the difference you are making in the lives of these young people.

Have a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2021!

Best wishes,

Thelma

Thank you so much for your continued support of our Education project. This project is our strategy for bridging the Educational gap that exists between urban and rural areas. Rural areas are underserved as development is disproportionately concentrated in urban areas. Consequently, rural schools in Zimbabwe are operating on shoe string budgets and are struggling to provide quality education to the students. The goal of this project is to improve the quality of education in rural schools. The project also aims to provide access to education to underprivileged rural kids. Empowering a kid to acquire an education not only unlocks the doors of opportunity to lift that kid out of poverty, but it also helps the family and the entire community.  

 Education Project Progress

 Here is what we have accomplished together in 2020:

1. We gave toys to over 600 kids for Christmas

2. We donated children’s books to Rimbi Primary

3. We provided school fees, school uniforms, note books and school supplies to over 50 students.

4. This year we are providing school fees to 35 students from Rimbi and Mbeure Primary schools, 11 students from Rimbi High school and 1 college student.

 In Her Own Words By A Teacher At Rimbi Primary School

"Thank you so much for donating the children's books and school supplies to our students. Several years ago I brought to the Tekeshe Foundation team's attention our dire need for children's books and educational materials. On December 24, 2019 I was pleasantly surprised to receive several boxes of children's books from the Tekeshe Foundation. As you can see from the children's faces, they are excited to have the children's books. I thank you again for blessing our school with these children's books.These books will help us a lot! May God bless you. If funds permit, we kindly ask you to help us with kids' laptops. Our kids are lagging behind urban kids regarding computer skills. The majority of the kids in these rural areas have never even seen a computer. "

As you can see from the faces of the kids you are helping, your donations you are playing a major role in transforming the lives of rural kids. We have accomplished a lot together! These accomplishments would not have been possible without your support. Thanks again!

Best wishes,

Thelma

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for supporting our pre-school program. We firmly believe that children who receive the best start in life are more likely to succeed in school and to end up as productive members of society. Sadly due to poverty and lack of resources the majority of children in the rural areas of Chipinge in Zimbabwe are still being denied the right to reach their full potential. Unlike the urban areas where children have access to high quality early childhood development and learning programs such programs are either non-existent or not as effective in the rural areas due to lack of resources. 

Your donations make it possible for the Tekeshe Foundation to continue to provide high quality early childhood education to rural kids. We are committed to providing the best start in life to children in these rural areas. A typical day at the pre-school includes structured playtime, story time, games, singing and playing with all kinds of toys including educational toys. The children's favorite time is when they get to play with toys and ride bikes. The toys and bikes were donated by New England Pentecostal Ministries and friends of the foundation in the US. The kids also get to play on swings and slides.

In Her Own Words By One Of The Parents

"Thank you for providing us this pre-school. Our kids are learning a lot! The teacher is very good and she is very kind. The kids are very fond of her.  I am very happy that my kid is enrolled at the pre-school. There are so many kids in the village who want to attend this pre-school but they is limit to the number of kids they can enroll. ”

We are pleased to announce that we now have two teachers at the pre-school. We are also pleased to announce that we introduced a new uniform at the pre-school. As you can see in the attached pictures the kids look very nice in the new uniforms!

2020 Goals

• Introduce basic computer skills training 
• Construction of the youth center that will house our pre-school will commence in early April

Thanks again for the major role you are playing in shaping the minds of the little ones in these rural areas. Without your support this would not have been possible.

Best wishes,

Thelma

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for supporting our pre-School program. Your donations make it possible for the Tekeshe Foundation to continue to provide a free playtime program which promotes early childhood development and learning through play.

According to research children who complete pre-school programs are more advanced in literacy, creativity, initiative, and social skills and they are more likely to succeed in school and to end up as productive members of society. Sadly unlike the urban areas where children have access to early childhood development and learning programs such programs are nonexistent in the rural areas. Through this program we are committed to providing the best start in life to children in these rural areas.

I am pleased to inform you that the Pre-School program is doing very well. This year we have 53 children enrolled in our school. A typical day at the pre-school includes structured playtime, story time, games, singing and playing with all kinds of toys including educational toys.The children's favorite time is when they get to play with the toys and ride bikes. The toys and bikes were donated by New England Pentecostal ministries and friends of the Foundation in the US. Every year we partner with churches in New England to send a 40 foot container of medicines, food and clothing, school supplies and toys to Zimbabwe.

Here is what one of the mothers had to say about the pre-school:

In Her Own Words By One Of The Parents
"Thank you so much for providing us this pre-school. The kids are learning a lot. My daughter knows how to say her name in English! She can also say her ABCs. The teacher is very good with the the kids. They all like her very much. The kids also enjoy coming to the school to play with the toys and play on the swings. I am very happy that my daughter is enrolled at the pre-school.”

Though the program is a big success we still have many needs. Our school needs to be in compliance with the Ministry of Education requirements.The following are our goals for 2020:

• We need to hire an additional teacher.
• We need more toilets
• We need more space. We will start the construction of our new pre-school in January 2020

May your hearts be filled with so much joy this holiday season as you look at these pictures and see the major role you are playing in providing early childhood education to rural kids.

Thanks again for all your support!

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Best wishes,
Thelma

Thank you so much for all the support you have given to disadvantaged rural kids in Zimbabwe over the years. We are proud of what we have accomplished together so far to empower rural kids to reach their full potential. We have accomplished a lot along the way—thanks for all your help! Here are some highlights:

1. Education Program
Through your donations to this project you make it possible for the Tekeshe Foundation to provide school uniforms, school fees and school supplies to disadvantaged rural kids. Without access to education the majority of the kids in these rural areas would never rise out of poverty. I am pleased to announce that this year because of your support we are able to provide school fees to 20 primary school students and 11 high school students. The total amount is $2,100.00 for 3 terms. Here is what two of the students who are beneficiaries of this program had to say:

In His Own Words By Kozile
"I am a student at Rimbi High school and I am in form six. I come from a single parent home. Due to the harsh economic conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe my mother is not able to pay for my school fees. I am sponsored by the Tekeshe Foundation. I am currently taking pure mathematics, economics and business studies. I hope to pass with flying colors as I am very hard working. Once I complete my studies at Rimbi High I wish to proceed to the university level where I hope to obtain a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Banking and Finance. My wish once I have completed my education is to help underprivileged kids in these rural areas get an education. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for assisting me with schools fees. Without your help I wouldn’t be in school."

In Her Own Words By Betty
"Thank you very much for paying my school fess. I am a student at Rimbi High school. My parents are currently unemployed as a result they are not able to pay my school fees. Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to continue with my studies. I will not disappoint you."

2. Youth Cares Program
The Youth Cares Program is an after-school program that focuses on empowering young people to grow up to be successful, well-balanced and self-sufficient citizens. Studies conducted on after-school programs have shown that after-school programs do much more than keep children occupied when they are not in school. Kids who participate in after-school programs perform much better academically than their peers and they exhibit notable improvements in work habits and behavior as well. One of the ways that after school activities can help the kids is by providing them opportunities to explore diverse interests. Through this program we afford kids the opportunity to discover what they are passionate about. To give you an example, we have kids in this program who aspire to be leaders. We provide these kids the funds to attend scout leaders' workshops. Here is what some of the kids who attended the workshops had to say:

In Her Own Words By Corletta
"I attended the Scout leaders' workshop held at Mutambara on March 15th. The weather was really bad as there was a cyclone. Despite the bad weather we still enjoyed the workshop. We were taught how to lead others. I enjoyed the workshop so much that I hope I will be able to attend the next one that will be held in Kariba. I want to thank the Tekeshe Foundation for sponsoring us and for providing us the scout uniforms."

In Her Own Words By Rosemary
"I really enjoyed the workshop help at Mutambara. This was my first time to attend a workshop. I met scouts from other villages. I learned a lot! We were taught how to be leaders and we were also taught how to tie knots. I thank the Tekeshe Foundation for sponsoring us to attend this workshop."

The Youth Cares program also focuses on providing opportunities for the youth to get involved in community service in the village. We are pleased to announce that in August the youth in our youth program delivered firewood at an elderly woman's house. As you can see in the pictures the elderly lady was really touched by the youths' kindness! This program is having a positive impact shaping the lives of the kids to care about the elderly.

3. Youth Empowerment Center Project Update
Through this project we aim to construct a building that will serve as a Training Centre where young people will receive computer, building, welding, sewing, knitting and baking training. One of the major challenges that face rural youth growing up in Chipinge is lack of skill training. After high school more than 75% of rural students are not able to pursue higher education due to poor grades or due to poverty and yet they are ill prepared to enter the workforce. Unlike their urban counterparts who receive skill training, such services are non-existent in the rural areas. Having a center where rural kids can receive vocational training would put them on a level playing field with their urban counterparts so that they will be in a better position to compete for jobs.

The building will also house our pre-school and our youth center. As I mentioned in a previous report, another challenge that face rural youth is lack of recreation centers where the youth can go to enjoy life in the rural areas. The rural youth spend their time wondering aimlessly in the townships congregating at the local bars so that they can watch television and listen to music. Having a Youth Center would provide them a safe haven.

To date we have acquired the land and as you can see from the attached picture the building plan is complete. Our team has received bids from several builders and they are in the final process of evaluating the bids. We are planning to start construction in mid-October.

May your hearts be filled with joy as you take a look at these pictures and see the major role you are playing in shaping the lives of these young people who are the leaders of tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Thelma