News
Reflections from the field – Zimbabwe
Chief of Engagement, Ruthann Richardson, shares one of the life-changing stories she had the privilege of learning on a recent visit with our program partners in Zimbabwe.
“I met Jane. And I will never forget her.”
By Ruthann Richardson
There are some stories that stay with you long after you’ve left a place.
Jane’s story is one of them.
I recently returned from Zimbabwe, where I had the privilege of meeting communities supported through Act for Peace’s local partners. There were many stories I could share—but I keep coming back to Jane’s.
We shared Jane’s story a few years ago through the Act for Peace Christmas Bowl. But meeting her in person, years later, her story impacted me more than I expected. Jane’s life was changed in a single night.
In 2019, Cyclone Idai tore through her community in Chimanimani. Homes were swept away. Livelihoods destroyed. Families torn apart. Jane lost everything—her home, her health, and heartbreakingly, her children.
After the cyclone, she spent two years living in an emergency tent before being relocated. What awaited her there was not relief, but another set of challenges—no access to clean water, limited infrastructure, and daily risks just to survive.
For Jane, even collecting water was dangerous. Still recovering from her injuries, including a fractured skull, she had little choice but to carry heavy buckets of water on her head each day, simply to provide for her family.
When we first encountered Jane’s story, she was not rebuilding, she was simply surviving. However, with the support of people like you, local partners were able to work alongside communities like Jane’s. Together, they began addressing practical needs, starting with something as fundamental as access to clean water.
It sounds simple. But when water becomes accessible, everything begins to shift.
Health improves. Safety improves. Time is restored. And slowly, people begin to rebuild.
“Water is very important in human life. So now people can grow crops in small gardens and support their families.”
~ Jane
When I met Jane this year, I didn’t just see recovery—I saw transformation.
She now has clean water at her home. She has a thriving garden. She is raising a young daughter as well as other children in her care. She has life, hope, and dignity in her home again.
But perhaps most powerful of all—Jane is now the chairperson of her community’s water committee.
She is the one others turn to. The one who fixes problems. The one leading.
“When something breaks, people come to me. I know how to fix it.”
~ Jane
Confidence. Purpose. Restoration. This is what real change looks like: communities strengthened to lead their own future.
Across the region, we saw this again and again—schools opening, communities reconnecting, local leaders stepping forward and people equipped not just to survive, but to rebuild.
Jane’s story didn’t change because of one gift. It changed because people chose to keep showing up, year after year, standing alongside communities with consistency, compassion and commitment.
“The support you are giving is what is giving us encouragement and making us keep moving forward with life,” she said.
When you support Act for Peace, you are not just giving to a cause. You are part of a story like Jane’s. A story of loss, but also of resilience, leadership and hope. And the truth is, there are so many more stories like hers still waiting to be written.
Act for Peace gratefully acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
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