2021 Update from Cornelious

Greetings from Zimbabwe and the Themba family.

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever”. Psalms 136:1

The Lord has been so gracious to us as the Themba family and we are grateful. While the Covid 19 pandemic has seen very high profile people, like medical doctors, professors and even presidents, succumbing to it, God’s eyes have been upon the Themba family and we have had no loss. Ebenezer! He has taken us this far. We truly understand that it is not by might nor power, but by his Spirit. Zechariah 4:6

STAFF and VOLUNTEER TEAM

If there is one thing that the Lord has blessed me and the whole Themba family with, l would say it is a strong, united and God fearing team. I am so grateful to God and l cannot even understand how He brought us all together.

The volunteers who join us every year for their college internship program fit in so well and make us complete. God is so good.

RE-OPENING OF SCHOOLS

Our schools opened several weeks ago, after a long period of closure. We are so grateful that our children are back to school and pray that they work even harder, seeing the amount of time they have lost since the advent of Covid 19. While the private schools have continued offering lessons through online teaching, the government schools have been closed since March 2020, making it over a full year as l report now.

We are so excited that the schools have reopened, however our visits to schools have revealed that a number of teachers are not coming to school as they are demanding a pay raise. School fees have been raised by over 200%, greatly affecting the less privileged.

NEW VENUE FOR FRIDAY’S

Since the inception of Themba, we have been meeting with the children weekly for spiritual nurture and instruction. In December 2020, the new leadership of the church where we have been meeting advised us that we were no longer going to have that privilege, hence we were to look for an alternative venue for our meeting.

I am glad to report that, by God’s grace, we have been offered a place for our meetings with our children right at the center of where the children live. Lotshe Primary School acknowledged the critical role Themba plays in transforming the lives of the less privileged in the community, hence they offered us a classroom and open space for our activities, free of charge. They also will allow us to use their play grounds for any games with our children. With this central venue, we expect more of our children to attend our Friday Bible study meetings.

“I know the plans l have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11  God always has good plans for us!

FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS

The Covid 19 lockdown saw many companies and businesses closing down. Many of our families, whose survival is through vending, have been affected as people had to remain indoors in a nation with a badly crippled economy.

Our Themba families are so grateful for the food distributions we made during the lockdown period. To them this was God’s miraculous provision, ”a manna of their time.”

OUR SETBACKS

As the Themba family, we lost one of our grandmother caregivers due to old age, but what pained us most was the loss of one of our grade seven pupils, Junior Ncube, who died some weeks ago. He died in the hospital and the cause of his death is not yet known. May their souls rest in peace. We will greatly miss them as a family.

  ABUNDANT BLESSING

Despite the many challenges brought by Covid 19, God remembered our nation Zimbabwe. He gave us abundant rains this season and there will be a great harvest in our nation. We are truly blessed. Even some of our caregivers who do urban agriculture will have a good harvest.

We are so grateful to all the sponsors and partners of Themba for your continued support, even in this difficult time we live in under.   

We thank you!

May our gracious Lord richly bless you,

Cornelious Moyo