Month: March 2016

March Newsletter 2016

The March newsletter is now available, in it the Home gives an insight into the impact of the drought on the Home. There is also wonderful news from the MRCH college on O-level results and the progress of the school choir.

However this quarter the Friends of MRCH issue an URGENT REQUEST for those of you donating already to please Gift Aid your donations. The remitance to the Home has had to go down by US$1000. Gift Aid and Stading Order forms are available to make this easier, please contact our Treasurer for the forms.

If you feel you can go one step further and encourage a friend to begin supporting the Home all the better, or perhaps you want to organise a fund raiser – again there are sponsorship forms available to help you.

This quarter we also say goodbye to our long-standing Secretary John Richer. John has been with this charity from its inception and has been a valuable member. While he will be handing over the Secretarial role he will remain a member of the Committee.

Words from our out-going Secretary

“After 10 years, and having passed my 80th birthday, I have decided to make way as Secretary for a younger person.  It has been a pleasure and privilege to do this job not least because of the excellent work done by the Chair and Treasurer which has made it so much easier.

My Wife and I were founder members of the Friends group in 1996 following a visit to MRCH in 1995 because we wanted to help the good childcare being provided at the Home, by providing Christmas presents for the children.

Over the past 20 years the operating conditions in Zimbabwe have changed enormously with food, power and water shortages plus unrest and currency problems. At the same time the external world has changed with the growth of communications so that a wider knowledge of what makes up our lives is now available to all.  However throughout all these hardships and changes, the Matthew Rusike Children’s Home has provided good childcare and also significantly expanded its influence throughout Zimbabwe.

This tremendous success has been made possible by the energy and vision of the staff at the Home and by the donations sent by concerned outsiders, particularly ten years ago by you the Friends when we provided 80% of its funding. Now, when the Methodist church in Zimbabwe is providing strong support for childcare, we still give half of the external donations to the Home, about 25% of the total.  The need for support is still very great as national conditions do not improve and Zimbabwe has had to appeal for international help, our efforts are still vital.

The Friends Executive committee is very experienced but we are always open to new faces and new ideas for continuing planning for sustained giving. I hope my replacement will enjoy the satisfaction I have had in working with the Friends and seeing the children of Zimbabwe thrive.”

John Richer

Thank you John for all your wonderful work over the years. We are so pleased that you will continue to be part of the committee.