ANNUAL REVIEW

2012

ZIMKIDS INSPIRATIONJeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Welcome to Zimkids’ third Annual Review! As you read through our 2012 review I hope you get a sense of how much Zimkids has developed - through financial growth, strategically focussed operations and a committed team of passionate individuals.

The word I’d choose to sum up 2012 would be “resolute”. The focus of our team in Zimbabwe to build better futures for vulnerable children and families has been carried out with real purpose and unwavering passion. Individually, those who support Zimkids exhibit amazing resolve for a variety of motivations. The work we do requires enormous dedication both from those on the ground, as well as from those of you that support us. From a personal perspective, my motivation continues to come through my faith – for me, there is tangible evidence of God’s grace and favour in the work of Zimkids and this fills me with encouragement and retains my high level of commitment to what we’re trying to achieve.

Intuitively, I have measured a large part of our success over the past six years in terms of the number of new families that we have been able to support. However, this year has helped me to better understand that the real success is when we are able to stop providing support to families because they have become self-sufficient and no longer need our help. This has been the case from eight families this year – these moments gave me real reason to rejoice and take stock of what we are achieving here.

In terms of our operations, this annual review provides a sense of what Zimkids has been up to in the past year but I’d like to highlight one example of where we’ve made a difference to the lives of children and their families in Zimbabwe. Last year, we launched the Saturday school, which is aimed at improving children’s literacy. We started with a group of six children but over the past year the project has grown to a point where we now have at least 45 children regularly attending. This has resulted in a tangible improvement in the literacy of every single child who has taken part in this project (as evidenced by their school reports!). This is just one way in which we are delivering on our strategic ambitions and experiencing success. I continue to be astonished by the variety of ways in which people support the work of Zimkids. This is not just in the form of financial contributions but also in the form of time and prayer – no matter how small, all contributions make Zimkids what it is. Thank you for the commitment you have shown with your generosity over the last year despite difficult economic climates. I also want to express my personal thanks to the field team in Zimbabwe, the UK volunteer team, our fundraisers and supporters and the Board of Trustees. Zimkids is a multinational and multicultural team effort – a team that I am immensely proud and thankful to be a part of.

CHARLENE STOTTER (“PUFF") November 2012

FIELD DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

THE UK TRUSTEESPeter LeechTanya RatzerDavid ForwardKelly GriffinPaul HarveyCaroline Katiyo

ZIMKIDS UKLauren Powell - UK Operations CoordinatorKelly Griffin - Trustee and UK VolunteerDave Griffin - UK VolunteerLinda Sherrington - UK VolunteerNicola Howie - UK VolunteerClaire Strugnell - UK VolunteerDarren Powell - UK VolunteerGinny Gotla - UK Volunteer

CHARLENE STOTTER

FIELD DIRECTOR

BLESSING RUSIKE

FIELD STAFF

NELSON MWACHANDE

FIELD STAFF

JOHNSON MWACHANDE

FIELD STAFF

BLESSED NYADZIKO

FIELD STAFF

CAMILLA LYNCH

FIELD STAFF

LARA PEACOCKE

FIELD STAFF

WHO IS INVOLVED?

OUR TRUSTEESZIMKIDS ZIMBABWE

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Helping people find their own way out of poverty by teaching them skills and providing resources. We have continued teaching sustainable farming methods to our families. One of our widows has been particularly successful with this. After training and much encouragement she has been able to successfully harvest many kilos of maize. During this last year she harvested enough maize to supply her family’s needs for the year plus a small surplus which she has been trading for things like cooking oil. This lady’s whole family is healthier and happier as a result of this success, and we are seeing a slow reversal of poverty here.The bee keeping project is running well with a significant increase in the amount of honey being produced. In 2010 we produced around 40 bottles of honey from 4 active hives. This year we produced at least 100 jars of honey from 8 active hives. We sold this honey at US$5 each and used the US$500 to further whichever project needed it most. Next year we are expecting to produce at least the same amount of honey from our active hives, as well as catch more swarms, and activate more boxes.

RELIEF OF POVERTYProviding families with emergency healthcare, food and accommodation when they are in desperate need. We have continued to focus more on training people to grow their own food instead of giving large amounts of handouts. We have trained families in sustainable farming methods as mentioned above. This is mostly for maize, but also vegetable crops, as well as learning compost-making etc. We have continued to supplement food for HIV positive or ill adults and children. We also provide regular food supplies to our families in most desperate need. We take them mealie meal (ground maize), soya chunks, cooking oil, milk powder, salt and sugar. We also provide food for the children who attend our extra schooling every Thursday and Saturday and for the ladies who are learning to sew. Many children in Zimbabwe have very few clothes or footwear, or nothing suitable for the cold weather. We have been able to help families with clothing and sometimes bedding, particularly from the container shipments that have been donated. We have paid for many clinic and hospital visits for people who were desperately poor and would have had no way of paying for their own medical care. Many of these beneficiaries were people living with HIV, as well as their children or orphaned children. Accommodation remains very difficult to find in Zimbabwe, particularly for people with limited income. We are supporting some child-headed homes where the children cannot pay the rent.

OUR PROJECTS“AFTER TRAINING AND

MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT

SHE (ONE OF OUR

WIDOWS) HAS BEEN

ABLE TO SUCCESFULLY

HARVEST MANY KILOS OF

MAIZE"

OUR PROJECTS

SCHOOL EDUCATIONEnabling children to attend school through paying for school fees, uniforms and stationery and running a Saturday school for those needing extra support. Zimkids has assisted many children with school education this year. We supported a large number of children whilst they were writing their GCSE’s. Some of the families we support can afford school fees, but not exam fees. Nothing is supplied by the Zimbabwean government, so this makes GCSE’s unaffordable for many children. We were pleased to fill the gap for some of the families in most need. All of the children receiving school fees from us are regularly visited in their homes, and encouraged in life skills, hygiene and HIV/AIDS education. Besides paying the fees we aim to really input into their life in as many positive ways as possible. Some of the children received school uniforms, textbooks and stationery as well. We have continued with the Saturday schooling for some of our Zimkids at the base. This is held on every Saturday in the school term, and has been run by a specialist teacher, who kindly volunteers her time. Currently we are averaging 40 children between the ages of five and eighteen years old every week. These students spend time working on reading skills, as well as furthering other literacy and numeracy skills. The number of children has doubled from when we began in January 2011. Every single child involved in the Saturday school has shown signs of significant improvement in a variety of ways including academically, their attendance and attitude. Every child has moved up in their placing in class in mainstream school.

DEVELOPING FAITH

Offering counselling and bible study to all families that would like it. We have continued giving Bible teaching to our interested children. We focus on the practical application of the Bible, and how it affects their everyday life. It is most helpful to orphaned kids to know they have a heavenly Father who loves them. We aim to pray on every visit with the children and parents/guardians. We now have a small library of Christian and educational books that can be given to the children. The Zimbabwean team are all Christians, and meet daily for bible study and prayer. This is one of the most valued times of the day and the team would not function effectively without it. The team also have an extended prayer and resourcing time once a month.

“EVERY SINGLE CHILD INVOLVED IN

THE SATURDAY SCHOOL HAS SHOWN

SIGNS OF SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT

IN A VARIETY OF WAYS"

We continue to work in rural Mutoko. Here is an account from a volunteer who visited in the summer…

It is Thursday and time for a small group of us to head 2 hours out of Harare to a rural area called Mutoko. Johnson and Blessed are the two men, both in their mid-twenties, who are leading this short trip, and Lara, the newest member of the Zimkids team, and I are going for the first time. It is clear as we head out of town and the landscape changes from the dense trees and buildings of the city to the characteristic granite monoliths and sprawling bush of the countryside, that these two men are getting into their groove! They have packed the car with supplies to help soften the tough environment for us city-girls and emergency supplies for a family whom we will visit whose home has just been burnt down.

As we travel, they tell us the biographies of the six families they care for in Mutoko. An HIV positive woman and cannot send her 5 children to school, a granny who cares for her 4 grandchildren and works so very hard while struggling to stay off the bottle, a single mom of one young girl who is building a chicken run and will be getting some seed money for her business, a young family who are trying to get medical attention for their son with a clubfoot, three teenage girls, our hosts, who live and farm in a homestead but run the risk of losing it to their relatives in the city. Typical stories of hard, unrelenting, rural life. Stories without faces. Stories that wait.

We arrive to find that our hosts have left their homestead to spend some time in the city but have left a key for us to make ourselves at home in their simple, neat homestead. A configuration of 3 or 4 separate huts, each for a different function of life - cooking, sleeping, cleaning - a not-long-enough drop, a dried up well and a small patch of land growing maize and groundnuts, will be our home for the night and we settle in before heading off to visit the other families.

Over the next 24 hours, I follow and marvel at the spirits of these two phenomenal men. Neither of them having had any formal training in community development, and both in their mid twenties, they display the kind of wisdom and discernment one could hope for in a highly experienced community development field worker. Having grown up in situations much like the ones we visit in Mutoko, they unsurprisingly have a sense of what is needed and what will be damaging to the people they so clearly love and would wish to wave a magic wand for. While Zimkids has the resources to provide in limited ways for the material needs of these 6 families, they arrive with nothing other than their friendship and time to share. And time is spent. Generously. There is no rush and there seems to be no other agenda than hearing what the immediate lives of these families are about and spending time in prayer and encouragement.

When they encounter children who have not made it to school this day, or this term, or this year, they call on Lara to do some schoolwork with them. Under the closest shade an hour or so will be spent reading, colouring, writing, practising the things they have learnt somewhere else, or learning one or two more things. It may feel like a drop in the ocean of Africa’s education crisis, and of course it is, but for that time the children lean hungrily over the work set before them and a few patient, dedicated adults are present with them, giving them a bit of themselves that can never be removed.

The darkest, emptiest situation is the homestead of Sarah (name changed) whose home was burnt down by a suspicious and jealous family member. She had started out with very very little anyway, a widow, battling HIV and feeding her 5 children with the small vegetables she grows in the hard soil around her compound. Johnson and Blessed are deeply concerned that the food packs that have been provided for her in the past and the attention and care given to this family by the team over the years may have something to do with this relative’s dangerous attitude and actions. They wrestle with the fear that in some way their involvement has not had positive results.

MUTOKO THROUGH A VOLUNTEER’S EYES

“TYPICAL STORIES OF HARD, UNRELENTING, RURAL LIFE STORIES WITHOUT FACES. STORIES THAT WAIT “

I am reminded of the book “When Helping Hurts” by Corbett and Fikkert that is an honest and timely challenge to those of us who long to make a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable. It is a book that asks us to consider our deep need to be the ones who make the difference and how this may ultimately hurt the ones we long to help. These guys could write a chapter or two in my opinion. Instead of buying a new roof and bed or immediately filling up her home with replacements of the things that have been lost, Johnson takes Sarah to see the headman of the village so that she can present her case before him, something she has felt unable to do in the wake of the fire, a paralysis of hopelessness having set in.

They return a couple of hours later and she is smiling and laughing for the first time that day - they have discovered that the village is preparing to have a meeting about her case and to work out how they can build her a new home, each family being asked to donate 10 bricks towards the building of the new homestead. They want to build it closer to other families and away from the relative - and they are planning how to see justice done with her enemy.

We spend the afternoon with Gogo who looks after 4 grandchildren. Lara “does school” with the one child who has not made it into the local school this year and Blessed and I chat to Gogo as she spends a painstaking half hour drawing water from the well to wash dishes. She uses a 20m “rope” made out of short connected pieces of barbed wire attached to the bottom of a 2 litre coke bottle. This is not more effective than a normal rope but just because rope and a bucket are not affordable at all. When asked how her food supplies are

going, she does not want to look like she is asking for anything so she says it’s alright. But it is not. Blessed chats honestly to her and it turns out she really has nothing to give the children - her neighbours help where they can but they also have very little.

The rest of our time is spent visiting, listening to, encouraging and praying with the other equally inspiring families. A husband and wife take us to see the stone-chipping they have been doing to earn money to send their children to school. One pile of stones that they have chipped will get them $70 and has been worked on for 10 days by the wife. Another mother asks if we will pray with her as she feels finally ready to forgive the people who executed her mother before her eyes at their home for political reasons.

Before heading back to Harare we go into town to buy maize meal and some simple supplies for two of the families. I ask Blessed if I could buy a rope and a bucket for Gogo, if that would be helpful or somehow, not. He feels it would be a wonderful gift and I run around the small town looking for the right rope, with a kind of renewed energy as if this one purchase were going to bring an end to third world debt. I completely trust these guys to give me the best advice about this simple gesture, but I am struck by how good it suddenly makes ME feel to be able to bring one simple practical solution to one of these families before we leave.

CAROLINE POWELL

FINANCIAL REVIEW With the backdrop of a double-dip recession in the UK and reduced disposable income we were humbled to see donations increase by over 11% in the twelve months to 5 April 2012 compared to the previous year. Much of this income comes from a pool of regular supporters – many of whom have given monthly donations since Zimkids was founded. These donations provide the foundation for the charity’s on-going operations.

In addition to our regular supporters, we have been very fortunate in receiving financial support from members of several churches, from schools and from corporate organisations both in the UK and overseas whose donations have helped to drive the increase in income over the past two years. Finally, Zimkids also receives significant income from sponsored events and activities generated by volunteers and the general public. These fundraising initiatives included four events which, in total, raised £12,000 and ranged from a cross-channel swim to marathon running. Whilst the majority of donations to Zimkids are spent at the discretion of the Zimbabwe field team and trustees, some donations are restricted to specific items or causes as determined by the donor. During the year £25,943 was received, and £27,581 incurred on specific projects including a residential building project, the Zimbees project and repairs to a motor vehicle. As at 5 April 2012, £7,166 of restricted funds was held within the reserve funds.

The amount spent on Zimkids’ charitable activities in the 2012 financial year was broadly flat compared to the previous year, reflecting the continued investment in the four strategic areas. This money is spent on a wide range of things ranging from medical treatment, temporary accommodation for orphaned children, beehives, seeds and farming implements and school fees (for 35-60 children, depending on the need). The charity has also started to generate its own funds through the self-sufficiency programme through selling 100 jars of honey produced as a result of the Zimbees project, which raised $500. This money was reinvested into Zimkids.Other costs include foreign currency exchange differences, bank charges and the depreciation of motor vehicles owned by Zimkids in Zimbabwe.

The following table summarises the financial position of Zimkids for the financial year ended 5 April 2012.

Amounts stated in £ 2012 2011

Donations received 99,667 89,479

Costs of raising funds 861 1,037

Charitable activities:

Self Sufficiency 13,075 15,337

Relief of Poverty 10,952 11,536

Christian Education 9,349 12,251

Education 16,672 12,482

Administration costs 5,380 4,469

Staff costs 13,832 8,028

Other costs 13,828

TOTAL 69,260 77,931

Governance costs 1,872 1,800

Net addition to reserve funds 16,546 8,711

Closing reserve funds 71,914 55,368

WE ARE HUMBLED TO SEE DONATIONS INCREASE BY OVER 11% IN THE TWELVE MONTHS TO 5 APRIL 2012 COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THANK YOU!

SPONSORSHIP

Ask your family, friends and colleagues to sponsor you to do something wacky and wonderful for Zimkids. We’ve had people sky-dive, participate in a ‘sleep like a Zimkid’ night, trek round Europe, and individuals have done all sorts of running events including the Dubai Marathon. We can supply you with good old fashioned sponsorship forms or you can set up a fundraising page within ours at www.everyclick.com/zimkids.

EVENTS

Plan an exciting event in your school, workplace or community. Whether you charge an entrance fee, have a raffle or charge for food and drink, this is a great way to raise both awareness and funds.

We’ve had people hold yummy bake sales, auction of promises evenings, pub quizzes and even jazz concerts. Whatever your passion is you can make an event out of it - go for it!!

COLLECTIONS Organise a collection in a local business, school, train station or even just on the high street.

You’ll need to obtain a licence from the relevant authorities but this is a great way to raise some quick cash! It helps if you dress up in something eye-catching too!!

FUNDRAISING FOR ZIMKIDSWe have had lots of Shamwaris (Friends of Zimkids) raising money for us in lots of different ways over the years and we hope the following will inspire you...

PLEASE EMAIL INFO@ZIMKIDS.ORG FOR YOUR VERY OWN “GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING".

On behalf of Zimkids UK, I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone that has made the work of Zimkids possible this year. Thanks to our dedicated regular givers, fundraisers and volunteers we have had another really successful year of promoting and raising money, thus enabling the work in Zimbabwe to continue to grow.In particular we would like to thank the following organisations and individuals:

CORPORATE AND LOCAL BUSINESSES INCLUDING...Black Rock & CDC Group

OVERSEAS...Evangelical Baptist Church Of Geneva

LOCAL SCHOOLS &&&&AND CHURCHES...Avenue Primary School, Sutton, Surrey St Lawrence Church, Morden, Surrey Morden Baptist Church, Morden, Surrey West Street Evangelical Church, Carshalton, Surrey

INDIVIDUALS...Bryan Tate - Sponsored English Channel SwimMartin Parkes - Sponsored Trek Across EuropeAdam Windley - London MarathonKate Hazell - Dubai Marathon

This year I was fortunate enough to make a trip out to Zimbabwe (the last time I was there was 2007). I was there to see the work for myself and volunteer for three weeks with the team. The experience was incredible. The focus was very much on reacting to the immediate and direct needs of the clients when i was there in 2007, this isn’t the case anymore. The focus is much more on the spiritual and emotional needs of the families we support as well as supporting them to become self-sufficient. Food and medical aid is still administered in desperate need but not as the first course of action.

The Saturday schooling had the biggest impact on me. It is incredibly well run, with 40+ children attending each Saturday without fail. Some of the children travel from 4am to get to the base as they love it so much and are just so eager to learn in a way that is accessible to them. They begin the day with porridge, split into age-appropriate groups for lessons (taught by team members plus other volunteers), having games outside, more lessons and then lunch. The children are being taught at their own level, are building friendships and learning to respect one another as well as just have a good time with friends – something they don’t often have the chance to do at home.

I was also really impacted by the number of volunteers that arrive every Saturday to help the team. It was great to see people from all over Harare giving up their Saturdays to take part in helping less-advantaged children to go further with their education. If you really want to grasp how your money impacts the children and families we support I urge you to go out and volunteer with the team. I’ve taken away a fresh perspective on what we do in Zimbabwe and a renewed passion for this wonderful charity, I encourage you to consider making a trip out there to see for yourself the difference you are making.Thank you

LAUREN POWELLUK OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

A STATEMENT FROM THE ZIMKIDS UK TEAM

“ZIMKIDS IS ENSURING THAT VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN ZIMBABWE ARE NOT FORGOTTEN."

BECOME A SHAMWARIWe need more regular givers. The work we do in Zimbabwe is for the long-term, we want to make a difference to the families we support long into the future. In order to do this we need to ensure that we have a stable stream of income.

So far our fantastically loyal supporters have enabled this to happen and long may this continue. If you feel you could become one of our Shamwaris (regular givers) please contact

us at info@zimkids.org or call 020 8540 9380 to sign up, we really do need you.

THE AMOUNT YOU GIVE PER MONTH, HOWEVER SMALL,

REALLY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SEE HOW BELOW:

£5 will feed a family for a week

£10 will buy a school uniform for a child

£20 will pay a child’s school fees for the term

£50 will feed 3 children and their granny for a month

VOLUNTEEROver the years many volunteers have travelled to Zimbabwe to assist the team. Volunteershave gone for different durations – some for a couple of weeks, others for several months. All volunteers return with amazing stories of life-changing experiences. If you are interested in volunteering please contact info@zimkids.org for further information.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US

CONTACT US

EMAILinfo@zimkids.org

TELEPHONE+44 (0) 20 8540 9380

ADDRESSZimkidsMorden Baptist ChurchCrown LaneMorden, SurreySM4 5BLEngland

Registered UK Charity: 1127069

or find out more by visiting our website

WWW.ZIMKIDS.ORG