March Newsletter

Our new format Newsletter is working well and means we can include many more photos than before. We hope you like it.

This newsletter includes:

  • An update of the conditions at the Home as a result of Covid restrictions – the Home is struggling, under another lockdown, to access education and basic food and hygene staples.
  • Photos from the Annual fundraising dinner, joined remotely by Zimbabwe Methodist Fellowships from the UK, Canada and Australia.
  • Progress update on the ECD with lots of photos.
  • A report from the Rural COmmunity Outreach programme.

Thank you for all the wonderful donations we have received over the last few months, please keep them coming – we appreciate fundraising is very difficult at this time, but every little helps. Take care.

A thank you to our donors

Following our promotion of Amazon Smile – which enables customers to ask Amazon to add a donation as a percentage of their purchase to a charity of their choice – we have had our first confirmation of donations.

Similarly we have just received a cheque from PayPal Giving Fund for other donations.

Every little helps and we are very grateful to all those who donate to the Friends whatever route that takes. Your funds are invaluable to the Home.

Keep safe.

September Newsletter

The September Newsletter reports on the desperate situation of the Home in recent months as a result of both Covid-19 and the ever declining economic situation of Zimbabwe. Overall, donations are down and the Home has had to make challenging decisions about cost cutting resulting in job losses and a return to outdoor cooking over a fire rather than paying for electricity.

The good news is that so far children have not missed any meals and everyone at the home is virus free.

A sincere thank you for all the donations we have received over the last 6 months, it is invaluable at this very uncertain and challenging time. The newsletter has details of other ways you can support the Home with one off charge free donations via PayPal and in your every day activities when purchasing on-line with Amazon Smile.

You can now donate via PayPal if thats easier…

At a time when it is so difficult to fundraise, we are suggesting people make donations direct instead if they feel able. We now have another mechanism for you to donate to the Friends – PayPal – it’s quick and easy if you already have an account set up.

Simply follow this link

  • PayPal will complete the relevant details.
  • Select the amount you want to donate – or specify your own amount.
  • You will be prompted about Gift Aid – following which you will receive an email to say that your donation has been received.

Thank you.

June Newsletter

Our June Newsletter is now available.

Like many places, the Children’s Home is locked down and the schools are closed. At present there are no cases of Coronavirus at the Home and the health and safety of everyone at the Home is being well managed – no visitors are allowed to the Home and staff are only allowed out for essential items such as food and medicine. More widely in Zimbabwe, the new normal is wearing a mask wherever you are or face arrest.

With fundraising being a challenge at the moment any donations you can make through other routes is very much appreciated. See the newsletter for a list of ways you can donate. Thank you.

A drop in donations…can you help?

Since the Coronavius pandemic began we have seen donations for the Home drop off significantly as the ability to fundraise etc. has been interrupted.

The Home is now in lockdown but the needs of the children still continue. The latest update from the Home is here.

If you are able, please consider using alternative means of donating to help the Home…

If you shop on-line

We have set up FoMRCH as a charity on Amazon. This means if you purchase anything from Amazon you can choose to do so via their Smile link and nominate FoMRCH as a recipient. We then receive a 0.5% donation from Amazon. This is free to us and free to you – you just shop as normal.

Donate via your mobile phone

We have set up the ability for you to make donations via your mobile phone using Donr.

You can make either one off or monthly payments. Donr take a small portion of the donation. You simply say how much you want to donate to support the Home. For example:

Text RUSIKE 3 to 70085 – this will donate £3 to FoMRCH and will cost you £3 plus the charge of a standard rate message.

Text RUSIKE 10 to 70085 – this will donate £10 to FoMRCH and will cost you £10 plus the charge of a standard rate text.

Thank you so much for your continued support of the Home at this very trying time. Stay safe, stay at home.

Coronavirus – status update.

The Home is working very hard to keep children and staff safe. Staff who live off site are no longer able to work at the Home and no one is allowed to visit.

3 staff members (the Director, Matron and Nurse) are in charge and all the House Mothers and ancilliary staff remain isolated at the Home with the children.

The children are busy working in the garden, playing games and doing their chores. They are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.

All staff and children are well at the moment.

2020 Newsletter no. 1

Your March Newsletter is here.

Once again there is a mixture of news. 20 children from the Home and Community Outreach Programme started new schools, all with the equipment and uniforms they needed and school fees paid. However, the difficult economic situation is making for very difficult times in the Home in general, made worse by the extreme summer weather.

As always, thank you for your support.

December newsletter

In this Newsletter we report on the terrible drought conditions threatening the Home and the knock on effects the power cuts and the economic crisis are having on life, both at the Home and for the staff both at home and work.

To counter balance all the bad news we send our congratulations to Lucky Magombedze-who recently graduated with a degree in Mining Engineering from Midland State University and our thanks to Judith and Jim McMullen whose generous donation in Jim’s memory is funding upgrade work to the Early Childhood Development centre at the Home. Thank you.