The answer Is connected to the first question. We maintain relationships with all these families since more than 30 years and provide support via school and other education funding, family planning, help with the purchase of a property, or with the building of a home. By now these are all very skilled and well educated people – the Zimbabwean education system used to function well until a few years ago. Without our support most likely many of these people would have emigrated to other countries though, simply because opportunities for well educated people are marginal in Zimbabwe. Even though this seems like a drop in the ocean, it’s a few refugees less on their way to Europe. Sustainable aid should be managed in such a way that it becomes possible to reasonably live with a family in one’s own country.

Of course there are plenty of people in need of support in Germany too. In addition to our social system there is a diversity of organisation and people who provide support for those in need people in our country, and this is a good thing. Due to my 5-year stay in Zimbabwe a deep love for this country and its people has emerged which made it a matter of course for me to build this bridge between Europe and Africa. We are all living on one Earth and are all interdependent. The last years have shown how global the effects of man-made changes are: be it through war, migration, as a consequence of the changing climate which people in poor countries are particularly effected by, the exploitation of natural resources which in many countries imply devastating impacts on local people. When I walk across the markets of Zimbabwe and see the tons of used clothing offered which still have their European labels, then this a consequence of failed economic and development policy. The local cotton industry has now chance in competition with these cheap foreign products. We cannot isolate ourselves and only care about us Germans. A just world requires a broadened horizon. Plus we are helping people to stay in their hoe country because once home lands and communities cannot be replaced by anything. This is well known to many older Germans who had to leave their homes in the past.

In Germany for some time it was a fashionable thing to offer forest kindergartens in nature. For African children, particularly in rural areas nature is a huge playground where much is learned. But in contrast to Germany these children have hardly any possibilities to build on their cognitive and lingual skills. Besides the native languages the common language is English. Hardly any family speaks this language at home, but at school English is the language through which all conversation happens, and which needs to be mastered. Foundational elements of knowledge such as letters, reading clocks, forms and colours are necessary on the further path of school education. Fine motor skills like holding a pen, or using scissors to cut are also an elemental part of education. Hence the kindergarten is the first facility which prepares children for school. The government has recognised the value of preschool education too. Since 2014 there is an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Syllabus, developed by the Ministry of Education, which also functions as a foundation for the schooling of child care staff at university level. A well-meant move forward which in its current form however only applies to a small part of the population due to the political and social situation in the country. This is precisely why kindergartens which pick up on this approach and allow particularly disadvantaged children an equal start to their development, are so needed.

The decisions to not build the kindergarten in a rural area, but in a suburb of a big city has the following reasons:

Experience has shown that the availability of some infrastructure such as water and power makes the building process more feasible. This includes a solid house surrounded by a yard which is suitable for play. The area is sufficiently densely populated to have enough children for the kindergarten in the near and walkable vicinity. Children whose parents can fully, or partly pay for the fees are mixed with scholarship children (orphans, disabled children, children of poor families). It is a principle of our Bongai Shamwari project that stronger members support the weaker members of our community. Children with their parents are meant to experience this at their young age already. Another point comes from experience gained in Chikore. There we had built a ‘mother’ kindergarten Ngarawa at the mission station, and step by step another 14 kindergartens in the local region. Till today these Creches have benefited from one another. Child care staff met and collaborated. This principle we wish to continue with Bongai Shamwari as a ‘mother’ kindergarten by including rural kindergartens in the region step by step. Three such kindergartens and their staff are already pert of the team work.

Yes, we have an extra room for visitors and volunteers who can also complete a practical training/internship with us. Of course visits have to be planned in advance, and there has to be a reason and purpose. We are looking for people who also support the local kindergarten such as Rudo does in the administrative sector, or Tatenda and Papa Trader who do garden and building work.

The donation money is brought to Zimbabwe in person, or is transferred to us. Some transaction fees and administration costs remain in Germany, e.g. for our website, or postage. All German Trust members work for free. Flights are paid for privately too. All Trust members in Zimbabwe work volunteer-based too but oulay such as local transport costs is covered.

Yes, these are always provided in the beginning of the following year.

Any time: Publicity for our project, sharing information about Bongai Shamwari with others, passing on newsletters and flyers. Prompting friends to collect birthday money towards the project, active support of fundraising campaigns, using connections, contacting wealthy relatives, or acquaintances, etc. There are many possibilities.

To some extent. For some time we were looking for used toys and have received a lot. Postage to Zimbabwe is very expensive and one has to consider carefully what should really be sent. By now we also have quite a lot of things and want to slow down at that level. If you have something to give, please ask in advance what is needed at the time.

Otherwise we share about concrete needs in our newsletter.