On this second week of the Zimbabwe Volunteer in Mission ministry at the Hanwa School which started July 19th, work on housing for teachers began in earnest. A local team of carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other laborers completed most tasks and allowed our team to share in the labor of painting and digging.
This housing is essential in the retention of professional educators who would not otherwise commute an hour across rugged country roads to meet students here. Our church, Nichols-Bethel UMC, and the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference offered generous grants to complete this work.
20 years ago, educators met school children under shade trees in this former tobacco farm. Now 400 children meet in brand new classrooms. There is no air conditioning or heat nor electricity in some of these primitive structures, but they are shelter. However two new secondary school classrooms are exceptional. A computer lab opened for the first time during our time here!
The school has hired an excellent I/T worker to manage the school’s unique offering of a smart board.
Andrew’s story (below) is fascinating!
As team member, Raigan Reynolds, learned on her interview of Andrew, he is a model of the impact this kind of education makes on a child otherwise unlikely to discover their true capacity and calling.
The team is healthy, inspired, and grateful for the support of donors and prayer partners who made this work possible. If you’d like to see more images, check out daily postcards Pastor Doug is sharing with the conference, and plan to join us in worship this Sunday where more pictures will be shared.
