Uniting Church in Australia - Port Lincoln

Fiona Dixon-Thompson, Assisted Volunteer in Mission

Mwandi United Church of Zambia Orphans & Vulnerable Children Project
PO Box 70, Mwandi via Livingstone, Zambia, Africa
Email: redfred1972@yahoo.com

Newsletter No: 33 – July / August 2007

Dear Friends,

I hope that you have had a good month.

The river has dropped approx 5 metres vertically, and now the farmers are swimming their cattle across the river each
morning for fine grazing on the grassy land - thus producing many litres of milk for the community.

Just yesterday Rury and I went to visit a lodge close by to Mwandi (5km) and we saw 6 elephants and some monkeys.
It’s the first time I have ever seen elephants out here at Mwandi - very exciting stuff. They were so wild compared to
the elephants we see in Livingstone. One of the guys at the lodge said they saw about 40 elephants on the Namibian
side of the river. It’s brilliant to see some game out this way. Let’s hope they stick around.

We are now able to get lovely fish for eating and for the feeding program without paying a fortune. Unfortunately
most of the fish that are sold here in Mwandi are caught from small nets (sometimes mozzie nets), so you can imagine
how many undersized / breeding fish are caught. We estimate if this continues, the reduction of good breeding fish
will deplete in the next 5 years, which would be devastating for the community.

Our Child Counselling Centre is so very close to completion. I’m so excited about the centre. We all have great
hopes that the children will be able to talk about their problems and start dealing with issues of death, sickness with
family members, being abused and HIV/AIDS. This week was our first session and the children loved playing with
toys, dollies and cars in our Hippo room (for the young kids). Zebra room is for the teenagers and family counselling
sessions. Our Child Counsellor is back from training in Lusaka, and she is now the only Child Counsellor in our
province. We are expecting to send a male to become a Child Counsellor before the end of the year.

All the children from the feeding program and around the community placed their paint-covered hands on the wall in a
wave style around the building. The kids really enjoyed painting their hands and placing them on the building and they
are truly a big part of the Counselling Centre.

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Fiona / Mwandi Support Team, PMB 58 Port Lincoln, South Australia 5607
Email: robwater@bigpond.com.au
The Bakery is becoming quite busy and it’s very exciting. Since the addition of the bread oven we are now selling
over 2,000 rolls each day and 100 loaves of bread, and 30 sweet buns. We have regular customers, and more people
from villages out from Mwandi are showing interest. I would say that by the end of September we will be selling 150
loaves of bread each day and 3,000 rolls. Our aim is to make 200 loaves each day. We have three varieties of rolls –
hot dog, hamburger and ordinary bread rolls. The hamburger rolls sell out before 8 hours. It’s become a trend to buy
from the OVC Bakery during recess and lunch break at school. (The school is just next door to OVC Project land). It’s
wonderful to see children walking past my office with fresh rolls in their hands. It’s going to help these children
concentrate at school with good food in their stomachs. We sell our rolls at K500 + 15cents and our bread K3000 =
80cents.

Last week when I was doing the monthly shopping for the feeding program I
received a phone call from Heather saying that Lifaliza was walking to OVC.
A visiting physiotherapist bought a pair of crutches enabling him to nearly walk all
the way to the OVC Project from the village. He came every day to the feeding
program while Naomi was in Mwandi, and we have been encouraging his family to
walk with him since. At this stage they are refusing to bring him (long story), but
we will make sure that someone can accompany him so that he can receive all the
wonderful things the other children get each and every day. For those of you have
seen the “7 Days” DVD – he is the little boy just sitting in his own faeces. I have
always felt so much sorrow and love for him and his twin sister. I think that by the end of this year he will be walking to
the OVC Project on his own. Let’s hope and pray that his family are responsible to help him on his way.

The Feeding Program is running so well with the inclusion of our permanent volunteers, and with our new Project
Manager (Pastor Mudenda) overseeing the running of the program. I am so happy with how much attention, love,
spiritual education and fun the children are receiving. The children’s behaviour is improving, and the staff’s spiritual
life is growing due to the Pastor running the devotions each day.

The community here in Mwandi have now come out to be very much involved in the “Drop-in-Centre Projects”.
Volunteers from the community over the past two years number 1,896, this includes committee members, Sesheke
students, parents of pre-school kids, feeding volunteers and volunteers cleaning the surrounds.

Number of International Volunteers was 37.

It is school holidays at the moment and the last term for our grade 12s at Sesheke; and a very important term for
exams for grade 9 here in Mwandi. Let’s hope and pray that all students do well, and put their heads down and work
very hard.

Another amazing progress story for the OVC Project is the installation and connection of Internet at OVC.
Our friends from Mooresville, NC, USA, came to install a satellite dish at OVC, so we have broadband internet
connection. The group also gave us 3 laptops to use for email, and all the equipment to send signal from OVC main
building across to the counselling centre.
It’s so wonderful to be able to speak to family and friends using SKYPE. We are so lucky to be able to receive this
amazing gift of communication, and the ability to research on the internet.
A huge thank you to a very generous Church of good friends.

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Fiona / Mwandi Support Team, PMB 58 Port Lincoln, South Australia 5607
Email: robwater@bigpond.com.au
Our annual Blankets distribution took place last month, 500 blankets were given to the OVC in the community. I
wish to thank all those wonderful people who donated towards this much needed program. This is a very important
program. As our extended families grow bigger, the guardians of the children find it very difficult to support all the
children. The guardians have a sense of relief, knowing the children are warmer during the cold months.

Keith and Ida are out in Scotland, so Ru and I are having turns, babysitting Mubita, their 8 month old foster child.
I can certainly say that I am not ready to have children yet. My work hours are so-o long, and I am now tired due to
the lack of sleep. He is a lovely little boy with a wonderful personality and very well looked after. So healthy and
strong, and very spoilt.

The Vegetable Garden is coming along nicely. We have been picking tomatoes by the
bucketsful over the past few weeks. They are nice and juicy. The frost hit them a bit, especially
the leaves, but the fruit is great. The cauliflowers & cabbages are nearly ready to be picked.
We have so many cabbages, we will be able to sell to the community and use for the feeding
program. Most people in Mwandi would never have eaten cauliflower, and our gardeners think
that the leaf is what it’s known for. After explaining that in Australia we cook the while head and
melt cheese over the top, the staff sort of believed me, that it could be nice. The gardeners
said that they had never eaten cheese either. I’m sure the kids on the feeding program are
going to like the taste.
We have Chinese cabbage, peppers and green beans in the nursery, and last week I
purchased carrot seeds to see how they go. We have not been very successful with carrots in
the past, but since the soil is improving it’s well worth another try.

After a few months of advertising, finally this week we are interviewing a bookkeeper for the project. Heather has
been working the books since she came to Mwandi, and we have an Accountant in Livingstone who oversees the
monthly accounts and audit5s. It’s really hard to get professional staff our here in Mwandi because we do not have
housing for the project.
Our accountant from Livingstone is coming out to help with the interviewing, and we hope and pray that we are able to
find a suitable applicant. Last year we advertised for months and there were no suitable applicants. One of Heather’s
jobs while she is here is to teach and support our bookkeeper with current computer skills, and have all the books in
order and prepare reports.

The Uniting Church of Australia Overseas Aid support to the OVC Project is awesome, and allows us to employ new
staff and build our buildings as we see the vision for our Project.
This month we are starting to build a Sewing Training Centre for the youth of our community. We are at the stage of
our project that we want to teach skills to the children / youth so they are not just sitting in the village doing nothing. It
should take us a few months to build the sewing centre. We have the money for the building, but not for the sewing
machines and other equipment for the program.

Please pray that we can successfully fundraise for the sewing machines (electric and treadle), material, benches etc.
for this program.
Stop Press – 10 Electric Sewing Machines have been donated from, “Patchwork Pear”, Port Lincoln, they also have
donated 3 machines for local Mwandi Sewing ladies, here in Pt. Lincoln, a huge Thank You.

I was speaking to Chief Inaymbo Yeta a few weeks ago and he was so excited to hear that we will be having this
sewing and carpentry centre (to be built beginning of next year) for the children of Mwandi. He is so concerned that
the children here, once left school, sit around and do nothing, as they don’t have the skills. Our vision is to change
that, and help where we can. Knowledge is power, and any new skills these children can learn will be life change.

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Fiona / Mwandi Support Team, PMB 58 Port Lincoln, South Australia 5607
Email: robwater@bigpond.com.au
I have listed our most current urgent needs for the project. Any support you are able to give to the Project does help
us run the project more efficiently.

I have a visitor, Scott Bills from Port Lincoln, here for the next few weeks, and a big group coming at the end of the
month from Queensland. Please pray for their safe travel and their time here in Mwandi.

I hope and pray that you all remain safe and well during this month. Thank you all for your wonderful support that you
give to me and the Project

‘Til next time, keep smiling.

God Bless, Fiona (Fred)

URGENT NEEDS

Water trough $150.00

Shade cloth area for children to sit under
(as hot season approaches) $400.00
Furniture for Counselling Centre $800.00
Ceiling Fans for the Drop In Centre x 10
(as hot season approaches) $900.00

PRAYER POINTS

Pastor Mudenda and his family – grieving the loss of their little 2 month old daughter / sister.

All the children here who are suffering from abuse and HIV/AIDS

Keith and Ida – safe return to Mwandi

That we have a good rain season this year

That the Project continues to be supported so we are able to sustain all our programs

Details of Sponsor Orphans’ Schooling FEE CHANGES for 2008:

Mwandi Basic School (lower) - $85 per year

Mwandi Basic School (Upper) - $125.00 Sesheke Secondary School - $335 per year
Evening Classes - -$140 per year

SPONSOR FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE.

AVAILABLE. PLEASE CONTACT JANE for 2008 SCHOOLING

Mwandi Orphan Sponsorship Program Co-ordinator,

Jane Carey,
Box 2773,
Port Lincoln. South Australia. 5606 phone (08) 8684 2173 email: ajcarey@aapt.net.au

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Fiona / Mwandi Support Team, PMB 58 Port Lincoln, South Australia 5607
Email: robwater@bigpond.com.au