By JESSE GRAHAM
A GRUYERE man is asking fellow residents to dig deep, to help support work at a Zimbabwe orphanage next month.
Mark Edmonds will head over to the Mathew Rusike Children’s Home in late April, to build a brick chicken shed, purchase new bedding and install solar pumps and water storage tanks at the orphanage.
He told the Mail on Tuesday 22 March that his work with the orphanage, on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe, began in 2013 when he found a lack of water for children and sub-par food.
He was over as part of his work with Uniting World, as the home is owned by the Methodist Church of Zimbabwe – a partner church.
“They were eating pulverised maize and a rough cabbage – that’s all they were eating each day,” he said.
In 2014, he said $39,000 USD was raised for a new bore, five 10,000-litre storage tanks and an upgrade of the irrigation system – the children also received access to running water.
“I said to them, ‘you make a go of this, and I’ll come back and do another two and a half acres’.”
He said churches, locals and groups such as the Healesville Country Women’s Association had helped with donations over the years.
During the interview, Mr Edmonds pulled out a photograph of children standing by a full sink of water and smiling, which he said was the first time the taps were used.
“This photo here’s probably my favourite,” he said.
Last year, Mr Edmonds visited the orphanage twice, extending the irrigation system and later purchasing a new generator.
He said that from April 2014 until the end of 2015 the orphanage produced more than 20 tonnes of tomatoes, two tonnes of peppers, a tonne of cucumbers and more than 7500 chickens for meat, among other produce, which fed the children, with excess produce sold.
Mr Edmonds’ next venture to the country will see the construction a brick chicken shed to house 300 egg-laying chickens, install a solar pump and new storage tanks, and purchase bedding.
“At the moment, most of the beds are discarded beds from the locals, so you could imagine what sort of condition they’re in,” he said.
“They’re sleeping two or three kids to a bed in some cases, which is really not satisfactory.”
His goal for the project is $24,000 USD, and he said he has raised $19,000 USD, leaving only $5000 USD (about $6586 Australian) to raise.
For more information, or to donate, contact Mark Edmonds on 5961 9353 or at karmarkorea@hotmail.com
