Friends Of Matthew Rusike Children's Home
Registered charity 1120944
There is a new Gift aid form available. If you are able to gift aid any of your contributions to the Friends of Matthew Rusike please consider doing so. It makes a huge difference to our funds each year and the money goes straight to the Home.
Thank you.
The newsletter for June 2018 has now arrived with news of how recent funds for the clinic are being spent.
There is also exciting news of a new fundraising adventure to be undertaken by David Graaff and Wayne Cooper. With your help they raised a staggering £4,000 with their Mauritania drive previously. This year they are driving a Nissan Micra a quarter of the way around the world to take part in the Mongol Rally and are hoping to raise at least £3,000. Please consider helping them reach this target by visiting Virgin Money Giving.
We can confirm that we have almost completed the required GDPR audit and following this June newsletter we will no longer be posting newsletters to anyone we have not heard back from. We are relieved to be able to say the majority of our members renewed their commitment to the Friends and some made additional donations at this time. Thank you to everyone for spotting our request through the mountain of GDPR enquiries you have probably been receiving over the last few months. Onward.
The newsletter for 2018 March is here and we welcome the new National Director – Reverend Linrielink Mutendzwa.
There is good news for schooling results and a short report from Mark Edmunds a visitor to the Home. He reports a lack of rain has been bad news for the crops, but despite this there has been a harvest of 40,000 onions which will not only be used for meals in the Home but also sold to raise funds for the school.
We are still looking for a new secretary to attend the 3 annual meetings for minute taking. Please contact our current secretary if you are interested in taking over.
Rev Linrielink Mutendzwa in his own words…
“I was born in 1972 in Chivhu in the Mashonaland East District of Zimbabwe. I am married to a supportive wife, Mercy, and we have been blessed with 2 sons and a set of twins a boy and a girl. I have been a Methodist minister since 1994. During my ministry I have served the church in different areas, rural and urban with different cultural settings, schools and at Head Office. I have been a circuit minister, minister in charge, Principal and synod secretary. I also served as the Research and Publications National Coordinator between 2006 and 2012. Before my appointment at MRCH I was a circuit youth minister at Hatfield Circuit where I had been for a year after a near fatal traffic accident that left me with broken limbs. The Lord raised me back to life on plated legs.
Professionally I hold an Executive Masters in Business Administration, BSc Management and Entrepreneurial Development Studies, Diploma in Theology and another Diploma in Religious Studies. I also hold various certificates in the areas of Development, Research Methods and Business and Project Management.
I bring to MRCH a warmed heart, braced up spirit, enduring soul and an open mind. I believe God will use me as a reliable instrument in this special child care ministry.”
The last newsletter of the year has arrived and with it news of the training workshops – their role and effectiveness. Please note these workshops are not funded by the Friends, but they are in need of more financial support. Please consider helping out and contact our treasurer with any donations.
Also, Rev Margaret Mawire, National Director and Superintendent of MRCH, moves on to a new post after Christmas. We wish to thank her sincerely for all her hard work on behalf of MRCH.
Finally our Secretary is stepping down. If you want to take a more active role with the Friends with a role on the committee please contact her directly.
In 2012 Reverend Margaret Mawire became the National Director of Childcare and the Superintendent at MRCH. She was brought up by her grandparents and educated at Harare High school, doing A levels through correspondence. She achieved a Diploma in Theology then a BA hons in Religious Studies at the University of Zimbabwe. In 2011 she attained her Masters degree in Applied Theology at the Queens Foundation in UK. She has been a serving minister in 3 circuits in Zimbabwe and was chaplain at MRCH during 2010.
“ I felt challenged to be heading a big organisation like MRCH where so much has been achieved already by my predecessors and so much lies ahead of us that still needs to be done. However I feel blessed knowing that MRCH has a dedicated team of well qualified staff to assist to drive the vision of MRCH forward. Our first priority is to ensure continuity. Childcare in Zimbabwe is under funded so finances and resources for programming are a problem. In my short time here, one thing I have realised is that childcare is expensive.”
“I would like to thank you all for your support during my term of office at MRCH as National Director. When I came the economic situation was as bad as it is now. You continued to help us. Staff had gone for 5 months without salaries and FoMRCH paid all the arrears, it was a great relief for me. You raised funds to buy a new minibus and it became safe to take the children out. Electricity supply was another monster but you raised money for a generator at just the right time. You had friends who raised funds to refurbish all the 8 houses. The regular monthly remittance has made planning and budgetting so much easier. Please pass my gratitude to all the Friends of MRCH and I pray for the same kind of support for the Incoming Director.”
This newsletter is jam packed with updates with a very evocative report from Rev. Mawire and Zvirinane Matore. To highlight just a few things:
There is also a report from the Saltash Wesley Methodist church following their visit in July.
Please also note that Christmas cards are now on sale. Please place your order early to avoid disappointment, there are only 3 designs of the cards left – £2.99 for 10. Cards will not be sent out automatically this year.
Its that time of year again and our 2017 flyer showing which Christmas cards are available is ready. There are just 5 designs left.
PLEASE NOTE: Cards will no longer be automatically sent out to Members as they have been in the past. So place your order as soon as possible if there are specfic designs you prefer.
The June newsletter is now available.
Interesting insights this month into the running of the home, in terms of holiday cover, new arrivals the all important MRCH fundraising event – the MRCH Big Sunday. Please take a look.
If you would like to make a donation to help with our work at the Home, any help no matter how small will make a difference to the children and staff. Thank you.
