Dear friend,
My name is Primrose. I live in the neighbourhood of Bikita. I am a wife here and I have two children. I live with my mom and Angela. I do different things, I grow vegetables, I breed chickens.
But what I do most is look after Angela who lives with a disability. I look after her in different ways so that she can get used to being around others, to be accepted and get along with other people in the community. We were trained by Christian Care so that Angela can be her own person.
We were taught a lot of things about how to take care of Angela. We were taught about food and how to feed her, we were taught how to get along with others and how to help her be part of everyday life. The people at Christian Care helped us with different things. They gave Angela goats; they taught her how to take care of them and how to rear them so that they multiply in number. When there are lots of goats, it helps Angela because we can sell them and buy the things she needs.
Angela is learning how to clean the goats’ pen. When they leave, she sweeps the pen. She loves her goats as they are hers to look after. She is proud of them. I mentioned that I look after chickens. When I am not here, I taught her how to look after the chickens. She gives them food. She can make their beds — she sets out the nests. She can change the water, she tells me, ‘Sister, I changed the water’’. She is happy that she can help now and is trusted with caring for animals. She is happy and she is now among people. From the day we received the goats through Christian Care, Angela has become a person that works. We were given a lot of livestock that will continue reproduce, so just keep on selling the goats as the mothers give birth. She feels important.
When she is happy, it makes me happy We thank Christian Care for helping us with Angela. She now has opportunities that she never had before. Even at school when she was younger her teachers were not able to handle her due to her delays but now, she is learning different things. And Angela experiences happiness and today she is so happy. She shows so much happiness.
Ever since I got here to Masiwa, I was fond of Angela. We would go to church together and she liked me a lot. And that is how we became fond of each other, and she trusts me. She did not hesitate to start the lessons we got from Christian Care because I was somebody close to her. When she meets other people, she is quiet, and runs to me and asks me, ‘’Sister, what do I do?’’.
Angela is happy, she is very happy now because there was no person that ever helped her in her life. Christian Care was the first to give Angela things. There were no people who gave her things.
Here in Bikita, many people struggle with disabilities, like Angela. There are many. These people, who live with disabilities, also want to be helped. They need a lot of things like glasses, pampers, wheelchairs, walking aids, pads – Angela is a girl – she needs things like that.
We are happy because Australia is very far away. The fact that somebody from Australia thought [about us] makes me wonder whether God is involved. God’s work amazes me; the fact that somebody from Australia says they have come to help Angela makes me very happy.
Primrose
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Local Partner Profile: Christian Care, Zimbabwe
Act for Peace’s partner Christian Care (CC) are training communities in new approaches to farming to ensure those in the Bikita district are not displaced due to climate change, meaning fewer people are forced to flee their homes. This is particularly important for those that are most vulnerable in the community such as the elderly and those living with a disability.
In one branch of the project, families are given small livestock and they are provided with training on how to rear the chickens or other small livestock. This includes specialised training to ensure that all people are provided with an opportunity despite age, gender and ability. This provides more options for food, as well as another source of income by breeding and selling the livestock and reduces the impact of the environment. Goats are given to selected people living with a disability, providing a source of food and the opportunity for breeding the goats and selling them to increase income.
Through this project Christian Care are working closely with the community to ensure fewer people are forced to flee their homes due to climate induced displacement and that those living with disability have a steady income stream.
Your partnership is making a huge difference!
Last month, Act for Peace Partners like you came together and raised $41,083.42 to support people uprooted by conflict and disaster around the world.
Please pray:
- For all those affected by increasing climate disasters around the world. For those who are forced to leave their homes in search of safer places to live.
- For the many families affected by disability. May they live with the peace and dignity they deserve.
- For the incredible support staff working to ensure that no one is left behind, while working tirelessly to support people with sustainable solutions so that every person has a safe place to belong.
