Help Feed Hungry Children in Zimbabwe

Our Lovely Supporters, Alumni, Donors & Fundraisers,

After the lean months we told you about last time, genuinely we have goosebumps when we look at how much all our amazing supporters have stuck by our side since the start of this project.

It's a bright winter morning here in Marula and the village is doing what it always does, quiet, a few chickens crossing the road, our one little shop opening up for the day. But behind that quiet there is so much happening for our 400 day scholars right now, and it's all because you kept showing up for them when things were tight. Since our last update, your donations helped us restock properly and get through the rest of Term 2 without a single child going without lunch. That safety net you built for us over the holidays carried us right through, and honestly Bookey (that's me talking about myself, ha!) still gets emotional thinking about how close we came to running dry and how you pulled us back. 

Term 3 begins in September and we are already planning our biggest bulk shop of the year. As soon as recent donations land we're heading into Bulawayo to stock the shelves as full as we possibly can, then every donation that comes in over the following weeks goes straight into fresh fruit, vegetables, milk and chicken to keep those meals nutritious all term long. There is nothing quite like watching a trolley full of food knowing exactly which 400 faces it's going to feed. A new lease of life for our school We also want to introduce you to some exciting change.

Mrs Thomas has retired after years of wonderful service, and we have a brilliant new head teacher stepping in with so much energy and so many ideas! One of the first things on her list is building out our veggie garden and starting a small chicken farm right here at the school. If we can get this up and running properly, we're hoping to cut our food bill by as much as 50%, which would take a huge amount of pressure off international fundraising and off you, our amazing community.

We're also exploring small local income opportunities so we can start covering the cost of our cooks and staff ourselves. We want this project to stand on its own two feet one day, and thanks to you, that dream feels closer than ever. Why this matters Over 280 children rely on this project for their only proper meal of the day, and with the wider school now at 400 scholars, that need keeps growing.

Every time I watch them queue up with their plates, laughing, chatting, full of energy, I remember exactly why we do this. A hungry child can't concentrate on their lessons. A fed child can dream about what they want to become. We are so close to that $250,000 milestone. If you have been thinking about giving again, or becoming a monthly donor for the first time, there has never been a better moment. Help us cross that line and walk into Term 3 with our shelves full and our new veggie garden and chicken farm underway. Thank you for absolutely everything you do for our children. You are the reason Marula's kids get to smile with a full belly every single day.

With heartfelt thanks, Bookey x