Living Foundation Newsletter August, 2014

Hello Everyone,
its been quite a wonderful time for Living Foundation, and this will just be an overview of the happenings.
The most important news is that we sent a team last month to visit, encourage and provide tuition to our three
sewing groups, better known as Sisonke We Are Together. The team was made up of Louise and her husband
Brett, and two other hardworking volunteers, Eileen and Coral. They achieved a lot in Zimbabwe with their
individual talents.
Louise had more of an administrative and planning role in conjunction with Tatenda, our local Coordinator. She also
did much of the driving, although Coral was pleased to be able to contribute in that way as well. The roads are
challenging, and as Eileen put it in an update, more like a river bed in places! Anyway, no challenge seemed too
large for this intrepid team, and they brought joy and hope when they visited the different groups.
Eileen provided tuition to a wonderful young man called Tich, who is confined to a wheelchair, though not really
confined, as he is as independent as possible under his circumstances. He is a talented worker with beading, and
Eileen spent a lot of time with him, showing him techniques he quickly learned, and teaching him how to budget for
his supplies from the money gained from selling his products in other words, good sound business skills.
Coral fell in love with a baby called Ivan, one of the things that happen to a lot of us when we see these beautiful
children in need. It is impossible not to be affected in the situations in which we see people there. However,
amongst the hardship there is always time for a song! It is all so heartening.
Brett spent a lot of time with Tatenda in consultation with the Chief at Fort Rixon, with whom they were negotiating
the cultural and appropriate ways of achieving the next step of our plans for this area.
A highlight of the trip was hiring a bus and driver, and transporting the students from our high school, Enkanyisweni
-Place Where the Light Shines into the city of Bulawayo! For most if not all of these students, it was the first time
to the city, where they experienced a visit to a wildlife rehabilitation centre and a wonderful museum. They had
lunch and fruit and even lollies, and a great time was had by all! This trip was made possible by the fundraising
efforts of a young schoolgirl, Marley, whose donation made it possible. Thank you Marley!
A microscope was donated to our school by the Cornerstone Ladies Craft Group in Busselton and the youngsters
have now had a macro and a micro look at the world, by bus and through the microscope. Their teacher, Mr Tlou,
extends his thanks for both gifts.
The team also visited Ebenezer Agricultural Farm, where we sponsor two students. This organisation has now
received official recognition from the Zimbabwean Government and the students will be officially recognised for
their achievements. We hope to be successful in obtaining places in the future for more apprentices.
Donated gifts were also delivered to Mpilo public hospital in Bulawayo, where they were received with great
happiness and excitement. We are very happy to be able to help them, and even such small gifts are very much
appreciated. We also sent spectacles and other items for the Richard Morris Eye Institute, some yet to be delivered
by our Coordinator. Many thanks go to Vonne, who contributed a great deal to this trip. We appreciate your
generosity and loving efforts on behalf of Living Foundation. So many people helped make this trip what it was, and
we thank you so much, not least our team members, who were all self-funded as usual.

Recently we received endorsement from the Tax Office to be able to offer a tax deduction for any donation of $2.00
or more. This was great news, and most welcome. This way we can reward our supporters when they help us
financially in carrying out our work.
We are now reinvigorated in our passion to keep serving these rural folk, in order to equip them with skills and to
help educate the youngsters.
We have quite a few fundraising events planned, and will let you know as they come up. If any of you are going to
Nannup for the Garden Festival, please come to our movie and hot beef roll night, and/or to our Gourmet Sausage
Sizzle at Word of Mouth, Country Living on Saturday or Sunday! Please phone Kay on 0429 159 926 for more
information!
Here are some photos for you to enjoy! We thank you so much, all of you, for giving of yourselves and your
finances, to help us. We actually cant thank you all enough!
God bless! Suzanne

Eileen making tea at Fort Rixon

Coral and ladies with their creations

L - R: Eileen with new friends at Ft Rixon, Brett entertaining the children, Tatenda & Louise with the chief at Ft Rixon

Students at the Chipengali Wildlife Centre,

Bulawayo,with a hibernating hedgehog

Students being introduced to their new microscope