News and Views

By Erik Alsgaard

HANWA, Zimbabwe -  In the rural high veld of southeastern Zimbabwe, near what used to be huge tobacco farms, sits the small village of Hanwa. Several years ago, council and tribal leaders approached The United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe , asking them with assisting in the building of a school. They knew that education could lead to a better future for everyone. 

Today, that little school has grown and now has an enrollment of nearly 800 students: 600 in the primary (elementary) school, and 200 in the secondary (high) school. 

Most of the school buildings here were paid for by the Zimbabwe Volunteers in Mission (ZIM VIM)  team, led by Charlie Moore, and Community UMC in Crofton. Dozens of other churches have contributed over the 27 years of ZIM VIM, each one an important piece of changing people’s lives here. 

A special thanks this year, however, for a grant of $75,000 from the Baltimore-Washington Conference. This money helped to bring together other funding for the erection of a new school block building. When finished, this new building will house two new classrooms, administrative offices, and new bathrooms. 

Hanwa is an amazing place. I know because I’ve been here twice, and will be here until Aug 8. 

Pastor Future Sibanda is the station chair here at the mission. An ordained Elder, he has served here for 10 years. It’s his vision that is driving the growth and development here. 

One of his visions is already bearing fruit - well, veggies - literally. Two new greenhouses are already built and working. These things are massive, something like 2,000 square meters. One greenhouse has 6,333 pepper plants already in the ground; the ZIM VIM team helped plant nearly 4,000 tomatoes just yesterday. 

 When ready for harvest, the vegetables will be taken to market and sold. Proceeds from the sale of these high-quality items will be used for maintenance of the greenhouses, salaries for two workers, fertilizer, and more plants. But the main purpose is to ensure funding for the school in the long term. 

Our ZIM VIM team is helping with the finishing touches on the new classrooms, too. Two years ago, we worked on a 100-meter long “megablock” that is the jewel of the school: six classrooms, a computer lab, and an office  -  and a solid internet connection!

Here at Hanwa, students are charged a tuition of $25 to $30 per semester. Not all of them can afford it. Some of the students walk around 10 kilometers one way to reach school, and they are easy to spot in their solid maroon uniforms.  Teachers earn about $200 a month and often have only a few years of higher education and/or experience under their belt.

Thus, another thing we’re helping with here is teacher training. Led by Pastor Angela Kittrell of Wilson Memorial UMC in Crofton and Bowie UMC in Bowie, she and a small team of ZIM VIMers are working with the teachers to help them teach better, especially reading comprehension. 

I know it’s a catch-phrase in our denomination right now, but coming here again reminds me of how proud I am to be UMC. One look at the faces -- one look into the eyes of the children eager to learn and make a difference -- would make anyone feel the same way.

 I hope you will join me in thanking God for the ministry of ZIM VIM. And if you EVER have the chance to come to Hanwa, take it. You are the one who will be blessed as you bless others.