THE ISHE ANESU PROJECT
History, Objectives & Needs
HISTORY:
Ishe Anesu Project is located within the Hilltop United Methodist Church
premises in Sakubva, Mutare, Zimbabwe. For years, Maria Sabino Humbane,
its Director, had a vision to start this project but had no idea how to go
about it and let alone the means. It was not until 1997 during her
training as missionary of the General Board of Global Ministries in
Atlanta, Georgia that her mission began to take shape. She expressed her
wish to work with underprivileged children in Africa and asked the GBGM to
assign her to a community service for her missionary work. Thus, during
her training at the Mission Resource Center in Atlanta, Maria found a
place where she could work her project out as her internship with a group
of children.
Upon completion of her missionary training, Maria returned to Zimbabwe.
After discussing her vision with Bishop Christopher Jokomo, then bishop of
the Zimbabwe Annual Conference, Maria was assigned to the Sakubva
community to start her project. With the help of the Hilltop UMC, Maria
identified 15 underprivileged children to start her project.
OBJECTIVES:
Ishe Anesu is an after-school project. Maria designed the project and
defined its primary objective as follows: to provide education to the
underprivileged childrenorphans and the poorest of the poor. In order to
achieve this objective, the project pays school fees and buys school
uniforms, books and stationery for the children. Wearing school uniform is
required. In addition to paying school fees and buying uniforms, the
project offers Christian education and values, social and family ethics
and recreation. The project provides 2 meals a day. Minor injuries and
illnesses requiring first-aid treatment are taken care of at the Project.
The Project pays for Doctors appointments and treatment of the children.
Occasionally, the children enjoy extracurricular activities such as visits
to the museums, animal game preserves, airport, food factories and other
sightseeing areas. What the projects lacks is its own transportation
means like a mini bus. A mini bus would be used for their daily
transportation to and from school. They would arrived at the project on
time and they would not run the risk of meeting strangers as they walk
back to their homes in the darkness at the end of the day.
The Project began its operation in July 1998 with 15 children aged between
7 and 12. Since then, it has grown to an enrollment of 60 children most of
whom are orphans of a father or mother or both. Their guardians are too
poor to send them to school. Those who try to send them to school find
their financial means blocked and the child is expelled from school. The
project identifies these children and reinstates them in their respective
schools. Currently, the project has 23 students who have completed their
primary school education and are now attending high school. Of these, 15
live in a United Methodist boarding school (Marange United Methodist High
School). Four of them expect to graduate from high school in December
2004.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING:
It is not the projects goal to send the students to college after they
graduate from high school. However, it is our dream to send at least one
student to Africa University to make history of Ishe Anesu Project.
Preparation for vocational training is underway for those who may not be
able to get jobs or those who may fail to complete their high school
education. Basic skills such as carpentry, brick laying, blacksmith jobs,
dressmaking, home economics, etc. The project does not intend to keep any
student beyond the age of 18.
OUTREACH PROGRAM:
In addition to educating the children, the project has devised a program
designed to empower the mothers of the Ishe Anesu children. The women come
to the project to learn basic skills such as sewing, baking, knitting and
cooking special meals. As a result of this training, the women are now
able to bake bread for their families, sew uniforms and knit sweaters for
their children. Sweaters are part of the school uniform. Prior to this
training, the women used to send their children to school hungry because
they could not afford to buy bread for their breakfast. They have also
learned how to make soap, raise chickens, gardeningincluding growing
mushrooms. While at the project, the women also cook meals for the
children. These mothers, therefore, have become an asset to the project
and with their skills they are able to help themselves.
THE WAY FORWARD:
Needs: There is need to increase funding for the projects operation. Our
immediate goal is to recruit 40 more students to reach our target
enrollment of 100 students. The Ishe Anesu school building has enough
space for that number. The need to recruit more students is not just to
increase the volume of the student body, but to rescue more children who
are forced to leave school simply because education has become too
expensive for many families to afford to pay for their children. These
school leavers find their way back on the streets where they are coerced
into all kinds of illicit activities.
Along with the need to increase the enrollment at Ishe Anesu, the need for
increased scholarships is also growing. Scholarships enable us to send our
students to Marange High Schoola United Methodist mission school. Sending
our students to Marange has many advantages, namely, that they continue to
pursue their studies in a Christian school where they continue to practice
their Christian education received at Ishe Anesu Project. The students are
for the first time exposed to a highly conducive learning environment.
They organize themselves into study groups, they have access to a good
school library, they eat decent meals and their surrounding is well
protected. In contrast, at home they are subjected to all kinds of house
chores that absorb all their study time and this has contributed to low
grades or even failures.
Due to inflationary economy in Zimbabwe, it is not possible to give a
fixed amount necessary for a scholarship, but until now $300.00 for
primary schools and $600.00 for secondary schools would take care of
school fees, school uniforms, meals, medical aid, books and stationery and
transportation. These figures are subject to change at any time of the
year.
Funds can be sent through the General Board of Global Ministries, The
United Methodist Church, 475 Riverside Drive, Rm 320, New York, NY 10115.
Please designate your gift to Ishe Anesu Project, Zimbabwe, Advance
Special #13071A. If you need more information please contact: Maria S.
Humbane, Africa University, P.O. Box 1320, Mutare, Zimbabwe. E-mail:
whumbane@africaonline.co.zw.
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