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Take a look at more photos of the current state of the crèche. 

The Home's crèche has grown over the last year and now has over 60 children of all age groups, most of whom come in from Epworth. However the facilities are very basic. 

Planning permission has been granted for extending and refurbishing the crèche. The aim is to group the children according to their developmental stages. The planning permission has included four compartments. Three of these are for the three different developmental stage groups for children. The fourth one is a computer room for the children. The same complex will have a kitchen, a dining area and toilets for both children and staff. 

Funding is desperately needed to start on this project. These photographs show how desperately this project needs to begin. Much of the crèche is now a severe safety hazard and most of the equipment is broken.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Take a look at more photos of the housing refurbishments and life inside the family houses.

These houses were sponsored by Action for Children, where small groups of 10-12 children live as a family with a house parent. The first house was furnished by the British High Commission in Zimbabwe. The rest are still being furnished and need kitchen equipment, furniture, curtains, bedding etc. Each family cares for it's own garden and the children learn to grow their food and cook it. The children plant flowers as well as essential vegetables and they fetch water for the gardens daily.

To quote a member of staff: 

"The Home is looking better, each day we wake with a new vision inside or outside the new houses. The landscaping programme is continuous. A lot of flowers are being planted and small stone walls being done to make the site good and attractive."

Work has begun on the girls’ dormitory block. It has been made into smaller units but also accommodates new offices, store rooms and the new clinic. In the past the old offices used to accommodate the Superintendent, Deputy, Book-keeper and Secretary. Now there are the Nurse, the Childcare Co-ordinator, Matron and the Projects Officer as
well.

Staff are committed to the smaller family homes but are finding it difficult because there is no time off. Relief staffing arrangements are needed for the house mothers.

There is now a clinic at the Home. The Zimbabwe Methodist Church pays the salary of a qualified nurse who, as well as running the clinic for the Home and local community, also advises the projects in Bulawayo, Gweru and Mzinyathi on health matters. This clinic desperately needs equipment and medicines. The clinic has now been painted and a little equipment has been purchased.

The children need medical checks but these are expensive. Some children need hearing tests or glasses. A few children in the home have AIDs. The tests for AIDs are expensive. 

Other illnesses needing treatment must wait for money to be available. At this time, these have to be viewed as extra to the daily needs of the home.

Take a look at more photos of the community work, in particular the new residential unit for AIDs orphans. 

MRCH, through the MCZ childcare department, is now influencing the communities in Gweru, Bulawayo and Mzinyathi.

In Zimbabwe, many children have lost parents as a result of AIDs and are being cared for by grandparents or older siblings. MRCH helps to support these families with food, school fees or uniforms and shoes. A Grandmother with 12 grandchildren and no other adults to help her is supported by MRCH. A disabled Grandfather caring for 5 of his orphaned grandchildren is also supported by MRCH.

MRCH is also supporting 50 children in this area by providing school fees and uniforms.

There are over 1000 AIDs orphans in the Mzinyathi area. The people of 6 local villages, with the help of MCZ, MRCH and others are building and will run a small residential unit to provide support for these orphans. An old house in Gweru has been purchased with MRCH reserves. This has since been found to need replacing and work is continuing with this project. Action for Children is committed to paying the salaries of a person to develop services here and in a similar situation in Bulawayo for 3 years. The general plan developed by Mr Astonishment Mapurisa at MRCH will be adapted for their needs. These pictures show the ground being broken and bricks being handmade. 

The Home hosts a sewing school which members of the community pay a small fee to attend. The facilities are also used by children at the Home to develop their sewing skills. 

As mentioned above, the visiting Nurse has now got her own clinic room and storage.