Zimbabwe, Africa

ZIM02c - Fountain of Hope - Makamure Community Development

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Key Partnership Information:

• Partnership Ref.: ZIM02c

• Partner: Gideon & Jennifer Chisamba

• Commenced: 25/11/2015

• Funding Status: Partially Funded

• Partnership Type: Community / Agriculture Development, Training / Education

• Funding Size: $8,000 - $14,999

• Annual Budget: US$ 11,022

• Connected To: ZIM02 , ZIM02a , ZIM02b , ZIM02d , ZIM02e , ZIM02f , ZIM02g , ZIM02h

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Current Partnership Impact:

• 200 families are being assisted

• 187 children are being supported into schooling

• 250 people are in vocational or agricultural training

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Other Partnership Information:

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Partnership Overview

Gideon and Jennifer and their "Fountain of Hope" organization have been involved in the community of Mthombothemba (ZIM02a) since 2000. Their main mission is to combat the spread and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on orphans and vulnerable children, women, and the community at large through the provision of orphan care services, HIV/AIDS workshops and community based development projects.

Due to the amazing transformation they have seen in this community over the time they have been involved, in 2014 they decided to expand their learning to other communities and formed a relationship with a group of churches in the Makamure community, about 300 kms from their base towards Masvingo. There are a number of reasons why they selected this community. One of the major reasons is that it is an area prone to droughts, it has a short rainy season and it is not dissimilar to their home base. The soil is very sandy and infertile but because of the incredible results they have seen with Foundations for Farming in Mthombothemba they knew this community could benefit greatly from this training.

Along with this, the leaders of the churches are working well together. They came to a Foundations for Farming seminar first and have proved to be faithful in following through.

The development in this community initially involved training and relationship building. They held a number of seminars related to church unity and cooperation, health, family roles, organisation of time, and Foundations for Farming. 

A major step forward was the installation of a borehole and pump. The women now only have to walk about 200 metres for water not 2 kilometres. Alongside the borehole they have developed a garden demonstrating Foundations for Farming techniques and also a community garden (see above photo). In addition they are also running a goat loan programme here and feeding a number of vulnerable children twice a week. 

The Fountain of Hope team visits this community every month or two.  

History of Partnership

In 2001 Rob Purdue, BHW Executive Chairman, travelled to visit Gideon and Jennifer in Mthombothemba as his nephew was living there. Rob was impressed by them and BHW's Field Director continued to dialogue with them. In December 2012 we sent funds to assist with training some of their people in Foundations for Farming and then late in 2013 BHW commenced partnering with Gideon and Jennifer at a greater level, providing financial support for the Peniel children's home (ZIM02), Mthombothemba community development (ZIM02a), and personal support for Gideon and Jennifer (ZIM02b).   

Beneficiaries

There are many beneficiaries here. Gardens are being grown. Children are being fed. Families are becoming self-sustaining and sending their children to school. The morale in the whole community has improved. People are eating better and are learning to work and take responsibility for their families. The children are learning better because they are eating better.  

What We Like About The Partnership

Gideon and Jennifer understand that transformation requires a broad based holistic approach to solving the issues and the starting point has been building relationships with the community. We are encouraged by the commitment of Gideon and Jennifer to both Mthombothemba and this community.

 

Key People

Gideon & Jennifer 

Gideon was raised up in a very remote and poor community. His father died while he was still very young which eventually meant he had to stop going to school while doing Form 2. He hated God then for making his family poor, taking his father away when he was still young, and allowing the school authorities to chase him away from school when he really wanted to proceed with education. However his friends from school helped him to study from home by bringing their books to him and eventually, although he did not go to school formally like other children, he was able to write his ‘O’ Level exams and pass all the six subjects. 

He wanted to be a teacher but the colleges also wouldn’t take him because he had no money. So he again stayed home still with his hatred for God whom he blamed for causing all this. Gideon and his brothers went through very difficult times and one night, Gideon says, “He met me and told me that He died for me out of His love for me.” That night he cried the whole night for it was the first time that he sensed that there was someone greater who loved him. The following day he went to see a Christian friend who helped him to accept Jesus as his personal Saviour. “That was the same day I realized that God had called me to communicate His love to orphans, vulnerable children and the poor.” 

He later joined YWAM where he met Jennifer whom he later married and adopted her five children. They live in a rented house outside Bulawayo.  

Other People Involved

There are two key people they work with to lead the development. One is a pastor called Admore. They met him when he did a YWAM Discipleship Training School.

 

Vision And Annual Strategy

The vision of Fountain of Hope is to communicate the love of Christ to orphans, vulnerable children, downtrodden communities, widows and families affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty by meeting their physical, emotional, social and material needs. They do all that they do to point the poor to Christ, the true Fountain of Hope which never dries up.

This is done by:
• Running a twice weekly feeding programme for orphans and vulnerable children 
• Reducing poverty in the community by training and running income generating projects like Foundations for Farming gardening, livestock management and goat loan programmes
• Discipling the church and the community to raise up disciples who are Glorifying God, Grounded in love, Growing in Christ, Going and proclaiming 
• Community development and leadership training to pastors and church leaders, to challenge the church to be a vehicle of transformation of their communities