Another opportunity to help!

We've seen how the previous donations in last year's container have touched the lives of hundreds in Zimbabwe. Right now, we're in the process of organizing another shipment to Zimbabwe. Because we're sending a smaller shipment this time, we're hoping to concentrate on critical items such as medical supplies, vitamins, etc. If the stories from this blog has touched your heart, and you would like to help in this next container, please send your check to the address listed on the right column menu. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at lilycompton@gmail.com with the Subject Heading "Zimbabwe Container" and I will forward your email to the people in charge of the shipment.

Reality in Zimbabwe...

An update from Wilton and Nora:

Mrs James is the blind woman who lost her husband and has 5 children. She is under LTLA's care. When she came to collect her weekly food ration at LTLA, thieves broke into her home and stole all her clothes, blankets, etc. We then we gave her clothes for her family, blankets, jerseys. All these we got from the container.

Donation of water purifier

LTLA gave a solar powered, UV water purifier to a grandmother with 3-4 children. These purifiers are expensive but this first one was donated by a friend of LTLA as a trial in rural Zimbabwe. But what is the value of the unit if it saves some children from some water born diseases?

Books for Sinoia Primary School

Some of the books donated in the last container were given to the top primary school in Chinhoyi. The student enrollment at this school is approximately 600 students. In the past, LTLA have also helped to pay teachers' salaries. We hope to send more quality books in the October 2009 shipment.


Picture below shows LTLA team delivering the books to the school administrators

Assistance for Chinhoyi Prison

Things are difficult in Zimbabwe. Many people cannot even afford one meal per day. LTLA is helping a lot of people, both young and old. These difficulties have also hit the prisons and inmates are dying in large numbers due to malnutrition and simple infections.

LTLA has made a committment of $200 monthly to help feed the inmates corn meal. Also, LTLA has given $200 for medication. Trynos, LTLA's nurse has placed an order with a wholesaler in Harare. In the future, LTLA would like to provide inmates with multivitamins.

Besides food and medication, the Chinhoyi Prison are also receiving library books. There is a possibility to meet and counsel the inmates.

Below are pictures of the inmates cutting the tree by hand in front of the prison. The prison is located in the city square.

Update on Critical Care Unit

The Critical Care Unit, run by Wilton and Nora, is growing. Five children under 12 months were added to the milk and peanut butter program for infants. There are now a total of 11 under the baby formula program.

Also, seven older children have been added to the Critical Care Unit. There are now 14 children coming for feeding daily. These children are given porridge and peanut butter in the morning and sadza and beans/soyas and vegetables with peanut butter in the afternoon.
These children also receive one vitamin tablet per day.

Immunisation Program

4000 children were immunised during a two week Immunisation program in June to help prevent against paralysis on children. The program was triggered by 4 children who suffered from paralysis. The Ministry of Health then sought help from the World Health Organisation. The World Health Organisation donated the vaccines to vaccinate the children in a bid to prevent this problem from spreading out.

Also, the Municipality of Chinhoyi approached LTLA for assistance with petrol. They also asked other organisations, but only LTLA responded favourably. LTLA assisted the Town Council with 20 litres of petrol.

Computer for the Zimbabwe Republic Police...

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (Victims Friendly Unit) were using an old typewriter and were having problems in typing their court dockets and statistical information in time. Because of this LTLA gave this computer to them. On May 15, 2009, Wilton, Nora, Arthur and Matilda were present to hand the computer to the District Police Officer,(Makonde District) and the District Police Officer for Operations.

LTLA Medical Clinic

Updates from Wilton...

Drs Felix Manyeruke and Nhio Matambo came to Chihoyi yesterday.(9 May) They did spend the whole morning attending to patients referred to them by our clinic and other Council clinics in Chinhoyi. It was wonderful to see people who had lost heart of ever going to consult a doctor because of the prohibitive fees which they charges consulting them. People expressed joy as they were seen by the doctors. The medicines were available and most patients were even shocked to learn that the medicines were available. The clinic has never had medicine for the past three years!!!! In what was a dead place, God has brought life to it once again.

Below is a picture of Felix (Dr. Manyeruke) receiving 31 boxes of medical books that were donated to the medical students and shipped in the container:

From left to right: Nora, Kudzi, and Felix (Dr.Manyeruke):

Going back in time....

We're getting more pictures from our volunteers in Ames, Iowa from the days of collection and packing.

All the wonderful donations stored in Ames.

Our volunteers helping to sort and pack donated items into the Penske truck.

More Stories on the Container...

Updates from Wilton

Critical Care Unit
The Critical Care Unit benefitted so much from the container. The children are eating food from the container everyday. Their health is improving.

Tafadzwa Vhitirinyu 4 years
Tafadzwa is one child who is benefitting from the Centre. He had one set of clothes he used to wear everyday. We gave each child who comes to the Critical Care Unit five sets of clothes, pants and a pair of shoes. These children whom we have at the Critical Care unit come from our worst families. These are the one's who rely completely on us. There was exceeding joy when we gave these children clothes.

Munyaradzi Maguma 1yr 3 months
Baby Munyaradzi is our miracle baby. He too is benefitting from the container. He gets porridge, baby foods and milk from the Centre. He has gained weight and now looks like he is not sick. Note that baby Munyaradzi is HIV Positive and at the moment takes cotrimoxazole everyday. We also gave him clothes with the other children at the centre.

Donnel Nhau 1year 6 months
Donnell is Arthur's child.Donnell was underweight and looked youngerthan his age. This child also benefitted so much on the container. He is no longer breast feeding and is having baby foods, cereal and peanutbutter from the container. He has improved. He also benefitted so much on the baby clothes.

Touching more lives...

Updates from Wilton

LTLA Staff and their Families
We at LTLA (Zim) would like to thank LTLA Board in USA and all those who contributed things for the container. Things are difficult and the hardships did not spare us here at LTLA (ZIM). We and our families got clothes, shoes and food. This includes Jim and Jeannette and one of their grand children. We all could not afford to buy clothes. We thank God for this. Arthur's family and my family (Wilton's) got bed sheets and some blankets in addition. Jamal"s stolen clothes were replaced. Now he has a red blankie.

Pots and Panes, Cutlery etc
We did not get a lot of these in the container.What we got we are at the moment using at the Critical Care Unit. We were short of these at the Critical Care Unit.

Chiswiti Family
The Chiswiti family benefitted so much from the container. Pastor Chiswiti and his family needed clothes. He desperately needed shoes. We gave them clothes and shoes for the whole family. We also gave them food (rice, cooking oil,beans, sugar,tinned foods,peanut butter etc). They are really grateful for the help they are getting from LTLA. They are also getting milk formula and baby foods.

Medication
So far we gave out only 10% of the medication to Jim. He and Jeannette came twice to the Ministry Centre to collect what they needed. We also gave to Jim some shampoos, soaps,suit, shoes and lotions for him and Jeanette. We are giving cough syrups and vitamin tablets as per need to people under LTLA. Vitamins are also being given to those who are HIV Positive. On Friday 04.04.09 we are going to give Presby Clinic medications.



This is the head nurse from the Lomagundi Clinic receiving some of the antibiotics and other misc items.


Clothing Distribution
So far we gave out 50% of the clothes to orphans and their guardians and all who are helped by LTLA under the old age and Chiswiti Clan programmes. Each child got two to three sets of clothes. We are yet to give out jerseys, shoes, socks, towels, etc.

We have families who stay in Mzari extension in Chinhoyi, (Machamire).These are very poor families that we have also helped with clothes. We gave a two sets of clothes per person

Wheelchair & Press Coverage

Updates from Wilton

Tendayi Marowa is a man aged 25. In his family, most of them end up crippled as they grow. Tendayi has a Bachelor of Science degree in Town Planning. For him to be able to draw housing and industrial plans, he desperately needed a wheel chair. He has to go on site for him to be able to draw the site plans.

The Member of Parliament for Chinhoyi Constituency and the Mayor for Municipality of Chinhoyi approached our office if we could assist Tendayi with a wheel chair. On Sundayi 22.03.09 Wilton and Arthur went to Cold Stream township to handover the wheel chair to Tendayi.
When we got there, we were surprised to see crew members of Zimbabwe Television waiting for us. A large crowd had also gathered there. Wilton gave the wheelchair and gave a speech on whom LTLA is, What we do etc, Wilton emphasised on the word of God.He told all who were gathered there the importancy of having a relationship with God.

This event was screened on Zimbabwe Television for the whole of last week. We praise the Lord for being able to help this man who"s future was bleak despite being degreed because he had no wheelchair. This was a heart moving event.

Clothes, more clothes, and happy faces!

Families waiting patiently and eagerly for distribution of clothes in front of Wilton's house.

Long lines but no complaints ...

... just smiling faces.

Piles and piles of clothes to share...

Arrival of container

Pastor Martin (on the left) and Wilton as they begin to open the container. Pastor Martin has 30 churches in the POOREST areas of Zim. He consciously chose the most needy places around the country. He has already passed out most of his portion of the container contents. His relationships with officials allowed us to bring the container in without duty.

Container with labor of love

The people of Ames (First Free Church, Ames High School students, Ascension Lutheran Church, St Thomas Aquinas Church, Fareway Grocery Stores, etc) and other friends from Iowa and the Midwest sent a 40' container to Zimbabwe in November 08. It arrived in Chinhoyi, Zim in late Feb and the $250,000 of donated clothes, medical supplies, food, books, etc. is being distributed. Enjoy some of the photos that have been posted here. LTLA is a group of common people who are trying to help meet an uncommon challenge in Zimbabwe. And while the headaches are many, the impact is beyond reasonable expectations. We hope you enjoy following our adventure in Zimbabwe as we together pursue our mission.