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By scott, March 17, 2011

Towards the end of 2009 we embarked on a campaign to build a micro-agricultural pilot farm and a house for Elias’ family in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. You responded with great enthusiasm, raising a quarter of the project’s total cost in just one month!

Yet due to the tragic passing of one of our Zimbabwean partners in Chiredzi, the project was put on hold. It was further complicated by impediments common to the Zimbabwean development landscape . . . But our resolve to secure Elias and his family’s future has not waned, which is why we are reviving this project!

Just a couple of weeks ago, our partners in Chiredzi purchased a basic structure for Elias. There is no plumbing, no electric wiring, there’s not even a roof, but Elias is so excited to turn this building into his house. In fact, he is taking a leave of absence in April to start-in on finishing his house, and we will be there with him, building and documenting the construction. Not only do we want to help Elias but we want you to see Elias’ new home and just how much your support has meant to his family.

Of course, building this house for Elias is just the first phase of a two-part project. The second phase is the construction of a micro-agricultural pilot farm, a collaborative effort between our partners in Chiredzi and another Zimbabwean-based organization, Foundations for Farming. This organization provides revolutionary agricultural training to both urban and rural subsistence farmers, with results seeing local crop yeildings increase nearly 300%. Stay tuned as we will be posting more information about this phase of the project next week.

So all this to say, we are excited to be back on track, helping Elias secure a strong future. We extend a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who supported this initiative in the past, and encourage you to please consider making a secure donation today as this project is still in need of funding. You can also support the project by purchasing EF merchandise from our friends at Silver Cloud Studio, who generously donate proceeds back to EF. Thank you for standing alongside Elias, his family, and the entire Chiredzi community!

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By scott, March 8, 2011

In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to draw attention to a Zimbabwean woman we are proud to know:

Fungai is a founding member and current director of Youth Education and Training (YET). As a former teacher, Fungai is passionate about educating the youth of Zimbabwe, and has poured her life into providing educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth living in high-density slums in central Zimbabwe. She recognizes the significance education plays in breaking the cycle of poverty, and is working tirelessly to empower Zimbabwean youth with this life-changing tool. Smart, confident and dedicated, Fungai is truly a woman making a difference in Zimbabwe today.

We could not be prouder to work alongside her, and of course, to be able to call her friend. If you’d like to support Fungai and her work with YET, please consider making a donation today. Just write us a short note and we’ll earmark your donation specifically for Fungai and YET.

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By scott, March 3, 2011

We received an exciting update this week from our partners over at Albert Street School. They have just recently received results for their students’ Cambridge International Exams (CIE). ’O’ levels had an overall pass rate of 73% and ‘A’ levels pass rate was 71%. We’re so proud of the students, excelling academically despite the countless hardships faced as a refugee population in South Africa.

You can see a break down of the CIE report here.