Partnership Overview

Gideon and Jennifer have developed many networks and key relationships which has enabled them to have a significant impact in various remote villages in Zimbabwe. Mtshazo village is a village in a new area, approximately 85 kms to the south of Mthombothemba, and is a very arid area. There is no church there but a strong invitation. 

There is a river bed that runs through the area and every year they get flash floods and lose children in the river. The river is between where the children live and the school so part of the vision for this village is to start a preschool with a teacher for the young children until they are old enough to go to school safely. There are many vulnerable children in this village and the community already has a poorly run children's programme but FOH would like to enhance this. They would also like to train 25 families in Foundations for Farming methods.  

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 funds were sent 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). Following on from this, in 2015 a community development project in Makamure was commenced (ZIM02c), in 2016 a community development project in Mandiva village commenced (ZIM02d) and then in 2017 two more villages were added - Chirogwe (ZIM02f) and Mtshazo.   

Beneficiaries

There are many beneficiaries here as the whole community benefits from gardens being grown, children being fed and educated, and families becoming self-sustaining. This type of community development lifts the morale of everyone in the community.   

What We Like About The Partnership

Gideon and Jennifer/Fountain of Hope 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 continue to be incredibly encouraged by the commitment of Gideon and Jennifer to the communities they are involved in. Their love for these people and their desire to transform these communities is inspiring. 

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

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.

In Mtshazo village this is done by:
• Running a daily feeding programme for 30 orphans and vulnerable children and providing education assistance for these children
• Providing Foundations for Farming training and farming inputs to 25 families in this community 

Two of the FoH staff, Mr H and Naomi, have been to this place a number of times and are particularly moved to do something as it is a very poor area. All the same issues that exist in Mthombothembo exist in this village - abuse, vulnerable children, HIV/AIDS, lack of water, no agricultural skills, and a lack of leadership.