Letters from Zimbabwe
Volume 2, Number 2
March 10, 2000
Mutare, Zimbabwe
Dear Family & Friends,
As usual, things have been exciting around here lately. Some of you
have even expressed concern over our safety and well-being as the result
of news about the cyclone and disturbances resulting from the defeated
referendum. Our special thanks to those who have written to us about that
or anything else. We really treasure messages from home and we are so
grateful that we have the telephone line that makes it possible. It was
almost unheard of—we got our telephone only three weeks after we
applied; most wait years! Please write!
Cyclone Eline, which hit Mozambique so hard, didn’t do too much
serious damage in the Mutare area. We had a lot of trees down and
electricity and telephones were out in some places. It was very messy and
inconvenient, but nothing serious. It was a dramatic storm to watch,
however, with rain coming down in torrents and the winds howling around
the corners of the building and bending trees and bushes. Every once in
awhile we heard a c-r-r-a-c-k as another tree broke off, while many others
were pulled out by the roots as they toppled.
The results of Cyclone Eline at Greenglade—right
where we normally park our car!
However, people in
Mozambique, southeastern Zimbabwe and northeastern South Africa still need
massive assistance. Because of flooding and bridges out, they have no
homes, clothes or food. Rescue operations are ongoing, but much more money
and assistance are very badly needed. Starvation and disease are imminent.
Mutare has been designated as Methodist’s center of operations for
relief in eastern Zimbabwe where there tens of thousands are homeless and
destitute as the result of the massive flooding of the lower veld rivers.
Their homes, livestock, crops, belongings, and even the top soil have been
washed away. The other immediate problem in Zimbabwe is lack of fuel—diesel
and gas for cars are both in extremely short supply because Zimbabwe
simply has no money to buy it from Kuwait or anybody else. Long queues at
petrol stations are the result and even when the station has no gas to
pump, there are still lines of people waiting and hoping. We are presently
down to a quarter of a tank of gas and, at this point, have no prospect of
getting any more.
The governing party suffered its first popular defeat in twenty years
four weeks ago when the people rejected the proposed new constitution,
despite very heavy advertising in the government media. The solidly no
vote has been widely interpreted as an anti-government vote. The proposed
constitution would have concentrated even more power in the presidency and
would have authorized the government to seize many of the white-owned
commercial farms without compensation unless Great Britain agreed to pay
for them. Since these farms provide nearly half of the foreign currency
needed to pay for imports, it is absolutely essential that, whoever owns
them, they be efficiently run with cash crops for export. Morris shared a
rather detailed commentary on the political situation with some of you. If
you didn’t get it and would like one person’s views, let us know. It
will be interesting when the general elections come up in April. Some of
the veterans of the war for independence have now taken it upon themselves
to occupy white-owned farms saying that the land had been promised to the
black people. The government is now claiming that it has ordered them to
leave, but the police have made no serous attempts to clear the squatters.
There is talk that some of the veterans were taken to the farms in
government buses. How this will all come out remains to be seen. Whether
it will gain or lose votes for the Zanu PF is anybody’s guess.
On the bright side, we are healthy, happy, and settled in. We have
filled our apartment with sculptures, wall hangings, and other art works;
most of which will soon be sent to the U.S. to be sold to raise money for
our projects here. In the process, we have trekked into some interesting
remote areas after the artisans who made them. 55 miles may not seem like
much until you drive it in first gear over rutted and gullied dirt roads.
The remaining 150 miles that day were on good tarred roads. We have
visited weaving, sewing, and carving cooperatives and are making plans for
even more extensive trips just as soon as the fuel situation enables us to
travel with some assurance that we can return home.
Weya applique at its source (left), Ziwa
weavers (right).
Morris is conducting his seminar-sized class and helping out in the
information office. Writing letters in answer to the questions from people
planning to come as volunteers has been both fun and satisfying. His
American History students thought that far too much detail was expected of
them on their first exam, while the volunteers-to-be seemed to react
favorably to the detailed and relatively prompt answers they
received. Fortunately, his status as a part-timer exempts him from
service on the University Senate. Fortunately? Indeed! Yesterday’s
session began at 10 am and ended at 8:30 pm!
The Hartzell library is a busy place and the children and teachers are
enthusiastically and actively using its facilities. Many come in at break
time and after school. Ann has been giving lessons on use of the reference
materials, particularly the encyclopedias and lessons on the computers are
being given to students and teachers by one of the teachers who has some
training in computers. She also has been reading stories and doing reading
and writing lessons with the 2nd, 3rd, & 4th grades.
 
Start of the library project (left),
reference class (right).
The exciting news concerns Mr. Maramba’s dream of building a new
three-room library. The school’s PTA decided last summer that the
current library was already overcrowded and began plans to build a bigger
one. They have already gathered about a third of the cost and needed only
another US$10,000 for the building itself. While some of us were
discussing possible means of raising the money, a VIM team arrived from
Michigan the end of January. One team member, a newly retired engineer
from Midland, became so enthusiastic about the project that he is
arranging for his home church to raise the money. Although there are some
important steps still remaining,, the gathering of estimates and the
hiring of a contractor are underway.
Construction could begin as soon as the rainy season ends. Those
of us who thought that it might take years or major spending or money
raising on our parts just to get the building erected, are now in a
position to begin to think in terms of furnishing and equipping. With a
large area for stacks and another as a reading room, Ann will also soon be
back in the position of encouraging people to collect and send more books.
The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes continues. As
the result of the ever-widening circle of sharing, a school with no
library in January 1999 should have a well-stocked three-room library
building by late 2000! Many of you have played an important part in this
miracle.
For those of you who read our letters for reports of exotic wildlife
seen – sorry! The storks left the day after the cyclone, the monkeys
have not returned and we have not had any new ornithological sightings of
note. The mountains are still beautiful, however, with an ever-changing
panorama of clouds and light.
We have been involved with the paying of high school fees for five new
students; the very expensive examination fees for three scholarship
students finishing high school, the back debts of a university student so
she can finish and graduate; the elementary fees for 125 pupils; uniforms
for over 50; major support for a project giving 20 street kids food,
clothing, a whole range of school help, and Bible lessons; three different
relief collections for flood victims; plus individual gifts for people in
need to buy groceries or clothes. Most of that was with money that many of
you have provided or that came from the money we raised selling Zimbabwean
art last year. The needs are everywhere and it is difficult to decide
which to help and which to regretfully decline.
Four Hartzell High scholars.
We thank God for the opportunity to be able to help some of His people
in this beautiful country, and we thank you all for your support, love,
prayers, and donations which make this possible.
May God’s grace and peace be with you,
Morris & Ann
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