Nyadire Orphan Safari

 Dear VIM Leaders and Friends of Mission,

From July 27-August 14, Mary Beth Zollars of The Nyadire Connection and I will co-lead a volunteer team heading to Nyadire, Zimbabwe. One of our primary efforts will be working with children.  We will offer Vacation Bible School for children and continue to deepen relationships with the orphans at the Home of Hope orphanage and those in the Home of Hope Outreach (HOHO) program.  Many people in Western PA have adopted these children into their extended families.  The supporters have an awareness of the situations from which the children come. They know about the children left behind – those not fortunate enough to be adopted. 

Mary Beth, a language teacher with the Chartiers Valley School District, heads up the HOHO program for The Nyadire Connection. Since she started working with the orphans, it's been her dream to provide the children of the Home of Hope with a “field trip” so they could learn more about the animals of their own country.  We’re hoping to make that happen in August.  Read on for details on how you can help.

The Home of Hope at the Nyadire United Methodist Mission is an orphanage for 25 children, ages 4-13.  They are one big "family" with three "mothers" and three "aunties" (the female caregivers), two general hands ("fathers"), an administrative assistant, Elina, and the administrator, Emmanuel Chimba.  Together they rotate their physical and spiritual duties to care for these curious, active, and loving children.  The Home of Hope is located in the middle of the Mission, equidistant from the schools, church, and hospital.  "It takes a village to raise a child" is a phrase that often comes to mind.

 During the past three years, The Nyadire Connection (TNC) has worked with the Home of Hope to find sponsors to connect with and help the children at the orphanage and about 150 other orphans in the region who are part of the HOHO outreach program. Most of those live in their villages. Sponsors give about $30 a month to help pay school fees, provide supplies. TNC has also helped with repairs to the orphanage and provided seeds from Western PA retailers for a garden so they can grow their own food.

The mission teams have played with the children, read to them, and offered Bible School. Last year's Bible School drew a huge number of children from all over the community.

This year the August VIM Team is offering to take the Home of Hope children on a 3-day safari.  The safari will allow the children to see other parts of their country, experience their own African wildlife, attend educational classes, and do volunteer work at the safari ranch [Imire Safari Ranch – renowned for its Black Rhino Breeding and Conservation Program].

If you would like to make a donation to the orphans' safari, it would be most welcome. The estimated cost is $30/night/child to cover room and board and activities. It's a three-night safari, so $100 would cover the cost for one child and help with transportation. Any donation would help. Make checks payable to The Nyadire Connection with HOH Safari in the memo line. Mail to: 

The Nyadire Connection, % Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102

 Questions?  e-mail Mary Beth Zollars at mbzollars@aol.com

 Keep me posted about your VIM activities ...

 Diane Miller

Mission/VIM Coordinator

Western Pennsylvania Conference

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