The Dale Street community raised $10,000 for C4C during November of 2012!

It’s not uncommon to hear parents in Medfield, Massachusetts say that the reason they moved to town was the schools.  It’s true that Medfield schools have an outstanding reputation.  But it’s not just high test scores and an award winning music program that make them special.

Character Counts
Teachers in Medfield work hard to cultivate character traits such as honesty, responsibility, generosity, and humility in their students.  Their thoughtful and engaging planning makes an enormous difference in who children become and what they believe.Dale Street School’s focus on poverty around the world helps children to understand and appreciate all that they have.

How it all began
Dale Street School’s partnership with Coalition for Courage began because of a personal connection between Dale Street and Elizabeth Berges (former Dale Street teacher and co-founder of C4C), but it has continued because of hundreds of other personal connections made over the years.  Medfield residents have had an enormous impact on the lives of children in Zimbabwe.  What is also clear, is that by making a difference, children in Medfield have been affected as well.

Growing Together
What started as a seed, just an idea about how to be a part of the solution, has grown into a web of relationships.  Children have inspired their families and other members of the Medfield community to share what they have, and we’ve all grown as a result.  Over the years, soccer teams, sporting goods stores and individuals have rallied around us to provide for needy children in Norton, Zimbabwe.

“The first and only time I met Bill in Johannesburg, I was taken aback by his humbleness and in thinking that Bill had assisted me all these years and yet he had not seen me in person. The conversations I had with him showed me that he believed in me. He instilled confidence in me that one day I will be able to achieve my dreams. It’s not often that we are blessed with people like Bill in this world, where they believe and let you be the master of your own destiny, without setting operational parameters. I am in the process of making inroads and establishing myself in my career of choice, with notable success so far, and all this would not have been possible without Bill’s kind and generous assistance.” -Babylon

(1936-2012)

Bill Bicknell was a passionate, driven and articulate man who accomplished many things in his life.  He was a teacher not only in the classroom, but in the school of life.

I will never forget the evening I sat across the table from Bill and told him the story of Babylon, C4C’s oldest child, who was then about to finish his O-levels.  I was wondering what to do next.  It was Bill who encouraged me to “think big” and take the risk to offer university scholarships to our brightest children.

As was Bill’s way, he also put his money where his mouth was and funded the first university scholarship.  Bill and his wife Jane invested in 4 years of education for Babylon.  To say that Bill’s impact was life changing for Babylon is an understatement.

-Arden    

When we travel to Zimbabwe, we get to see the happy dances of children who receive gifts from their sponsors, we talk with teachers who tell us what a change they’ve seen in children who’ve been picked up for sponsorship, and we visit homes where sponsors’ photos are the only decoration on the wall.

We can see how your money is changing children’s lives but, can you?  We highlight students’ achievements in newsletters, but it’s hard to bridge the distance.  The disconnect remains.

Although many families would like to travel to Zimbabwe, it is not financially realistic for most people (and with the current political instability, it is probably not safe either).  However, over the past 10 years, several children have come to the US.

When Marlon came to spend Christmas with his sponsor, he was also able to visit Dale Street School and talk to students about life in Zimbabwe (although perhaps the highlight for the students was the fact that Marlon taught them how to make their own soccer balls).

When Jane came to interview for college, she was able to spend time with the family who had sponsored her for the past seven years.  Later her sponsor spoke about meeting Jane while at a book group and soon a new sponsor, Coral Harris, was inspired.  Coral now sponsors Michelle, one of our rising stars, who is following in Jane’s footsteps on the path to college.

We struggle between the cost to bring a child to the United States and how that same money could be spent in Zimbabwe, and we also know that it’s overwhelming for children to travel.  However, we have noticed a ripple effect.  Not only is it amazing for sponsor families or schools to meet the kids they are helping, but the children who have come here have been inspired.  They return home ready to work even harder, and this, in turn, inspires all the other C4C kids to work harder as well.  Although attending college in the United States may not be the right choice for every child, the possibility of a full scholarship is quite incentive!

This year two children will visit in April during their school break.  We plan to have a few events where donors and friends can meet and listen to the children tell their stories.  Craig and Alice will be prepared to speak about who they are and what life is like in Zimbabwe. If you or your school are interested in hosting them for a day or special event, please contact us. Craig will be applying to college in 2013, so he is planning to come to the USA this April for interviews and college tours.  If you have a college-bound child and/or have any interest in taking Craig to potential schools, doing interview prep, or helping him with essays, let us know!  We are looking for some volunteers!

Alice is Craig’s younger sister.  She is an articulate and bright sixth grader.  She will most likely attend boarding school after seventh grade, and we fully expect that Alice will apply to American universities in the future.  We are hoping to bring her here in April with Craig.  If your school, church or Girl Scout group might like to spend some time with her, let us know.

As I get further from the year I lived in Zimbabwe, I find more of my time is spent on logistics and fundraising and less on the soul feeding connections that drew me to this work.  Many days the morning arguments that come from my elementary school girls trump thoughts of barefoot children singing songs of thanks.

As I stand in my beautiful home with a refrigerator and pantry full of food, the discrepancy between my life and the lives of kids we support in Zimbabwe feels unconscionable.  It’s a given that my water is safe, that the electric company will work tirelessly if power is cut during a storm, and that my children will attend school and have a warm place to sleep at night.

For children in Zimbabwe, this isn’t so.  Theirs is a less forgiving world.  A mistake such as dropping a dozen eggs could mean the loss of potential income to feed the family, while for my children it would mean no scrambled eggs.  Just as it is inconceivable for my children to think of skipping dinner, it is inconceivable for many children in Zimbabwe to imagine having two pairs of school shoes.  I know this, and yet, at times I feel compelled to provide my own children with the latest fad.

One morning when I was last in Zimbabwe, I was overwhelmed by the discrepancies of my two realities.  Through tears, I dared admit my struggle to Vitalis and a group of older children.  I was surprised when they began to share their stories and draw a parallel to their own lives. They reminded me that C4C children have a full uniform and school fees paid on time.  They know if they get sick they will be taken to a doctor.  They recalled when, years ago, all of their neighbors were without food and they felt guilty for receiving a basic food pack.  To my surprise, they each spoke of their place as a C4C scholar as one of privilege.

As they drew their parallels, I was able to find comfort in the similarities of our human experience.  The discrepancies are clearly much more extreme than the children comprehend, but I appreciated their humility and the fact that they recognized their own privilege.

It is my greatest hope that this appreciation will blossom into a spirit of giving.  I want both my American children and all of our C4C scholars to have an appreciation of what they have.  In addition, I’d like them to have a deep understanding of social justice, a knowledge that they are special, and that they have the power to positively impact and influence a corner of the world.

We encourage you to join us, as we do what we can to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots.   We all have a lot to be grateful for.  Let’s get into the spirit of giving.

- Arden

Lovejoy, Arden, & Annah

Background

In the summer of 2010, volunteer Bridget McBride taught a group of young women how to make Luna Pads, which are washable feminine hygiene pads that can be re-used from month to month.  After purchasing start up materials and teaching them how to make the pads, the girls were able to make pads to sell for a small income.

Lena and Kayla built on this project by taking it to a new child care centre.  They also incorporated their backgrounds in theater arts and public health to expand the project to include a peer education component.  While teaching girls how to make pads, they created a safe environment where girls could talk to each other about intimate issues in regards to their physical and emotional health, and to support one another in making good decisions.

As is often the case when implementing a project, Lena and Kayla had to make some adjustments to the original plan once they got settled in Zimbabwe.

After starting the project at Chiedza, Kayla and Lena discovered that although the high school girls were interested in learning how to make pads, the caregivers also wanted to have a turn learning.  While Kayla and Lena didn’t want to change their program completely, they did recognize that the caregivers interest offered some new possibilities.  Eventually, they were able to grow the initial pad making activities into an intergenerational project that incorporated income generating with information sharing between teenagers and their elders!

We are so proud of their ability to be flexible and stay open minded.

Being consistent about our expectations for this many children has been challenging at times, but last year we worked closely with teachers, children, and C4C staff to identify the minimum requirements acceptable for children at each grade level. Taking into account how long the child has been a part of C4C and the age of the child, we have linked our expectations to funding, and now have a very clear incentive program to keep children in grades 1- form 6 on track.

Pippa Henderson, founder of Tsungirirai Orphan Care Centre valued hard work and honesty. Known as ‘Gogo’ (‘grandmother’ in Shona), she provided thousands of vulnerable children a chance to succeed. We honor her legacy.

The first year- Henderson Scholars

We have discovered that there is an adjustment period necessary for new C4C scholars. Coming in, children may have major gaps in their education as a result of staying home with a dying parent or because their guardians couldn’t pay school fees. As much as they want to succeed, they often need time to catch up first. So instead of penalizing those who don’t meet our high expectations in their first year, we have instituted a program where Henderson Scholars attend mandatory extra lessons and have frequent check-ins in order to provide whatever academic or emotional support they need in their initial year with us. Regardless of their grades, they are given a full uniform and all the school supplies necessary to do their best work.

Moving up – Incentive levels
In their second year, things change. This is when students are assigned to one of three incentive levels depending on their school performance. The “level” they are assigned changes every term, and they are given support, incentives, or consequences in accordance with their results. We used to purchase a new uniform for every student at the start of the year and then replenish school supplies each term. We have now broken up the items we distribute so that they are “earned.” Those students who have outstanding performance receive more than those who have average performance. And those who do poorly, receive only the bare minimum until they bring their scores up.

Bethany Sager is an educator known for having very high expectations for her students. She has inspired hundreds of people to give to C4C over the past 10 years, and with her guidance, many children have learned how they can make a positive impact on the world.

Sager Scholars
C4C children whose grades meet our expectations (A’s, B’s and maybe a few C’s) are called “Sager Scholars” and are provided with their school supplies, plus two new school uniform items at the start of the term. In some cases it’s new shoes and a new school shirt, in others it might be a sweater and pair of trousers, or a socks, underwear and a track suit. If any of these children want to have extra lessons, they can request funds, but we do not require they attend tutoring.

Jane Hale has spent much of her life teaching the power of literacy. As a university professor, she pushes her students to think not only about the impact they might have on the world, but also on the ways in which the world has impacted them. She encourages lifelong learning and exemplifies what we hope for in all our students.

Hale Scholars

Students at this level have exceeded our expectations and are doing outstanding work across the board (they have an A average). If they aren’t already in boarding school, students who perform at this level are eligible for it the following year. They are provided with a bigger allowance for school supplies and uniform, and are able to go on school trips. Any students who maintain “Hale Scholar” status for the entire year are treated to a special dinner with their guardians in December.

Level 0
Unfortunately, we do occasionally have children who fall below our expectations (C average or below), and while we used to provide these children with school supplies and uniforms, we no longer do. Instead, we use funds to pay for extra lessons, which are mandatory for any students who are at “level 0.” If a child remains at this level for an entire year, and there were not extenuating circumstances, they are removed from our roster and do not receive a scholarship the following year.

On my last trip to Zimbabwe I spent one afternoon snapping photos of happy children as they sang and danced barefoot at the orphan care center.  After a little while, I felt a gaggle of boys trailing behind me.  I could hear them giggling and making CLICK, CLICK sounds with their mouths.  When I looked at them I saw that they were “taking photos” with cameras they had formed from mud and sticks.  It couldn’t have been more adorable, and was a sweet reminder about creativity’s power to transform.

So often I am amazed by how happy and carefree children in Zimbabwe seem.  Their innocence and unadulterated joy is in such contrast to what I know of their histories.   After caring for dying parents and younger siblings, many Zimbabwean children enter an adult world without having had the chance to test all the rules, be irresponsible, to dream freely.  They are forced to make important life or death decisions before they even understand the connection between cause and effect.

At C4C we strive to provide them with all they need, as well as the skills and confidence to become independent, healthy adults.  Childhood is a time for taking small risks, making some mistakes, and learning.  Part of our role is to show them how their choices have consequences, and another is to rebuild some of their hope for the future.  By connecting children with sponsors, setting clear expectations for academic performance, and showing up again and again, we hope to mimic parental behaviors they have otherwise lost.

It’s not an even playing ground.  It never will be.  But we can choose to make the best of our disparate worlds.

By supporting C4C, you help give vulnerable children something to depend on. Thank you for helping us to transform their futures.

-Liz Berges

Liz and Anisha

 Thanks to ongoing support from Mike Kratochwill and Reebok, we have been able to supply two sets of sports teams and peer educators with Reebok gear!  The children wear their matching shirts with pride!

A study area contains textbooks, several computers and a  child-friendly corner with health information.

Chiedza often sponsors events for orphans and their guardians.

Director Marko Ndlovu (left) accepts donation of Reebok shirts from Vitalis Madhawu (right).

Chiedza is well organized with goals and achievements posted for all to see.

Since 2002, we have worked closely with an agency called Tsungirirai in Norton, Zimbabwe, but as Tsungirirai’s leadership and programming have changed over the years, we have kept our eyes open for other non-governmental organizations doing work in line with our mission and vision.

We were thrilled to accept a grant from Chiedza Child Care Centre, which was actually modeled after Tsungirirai’s early years!  The agency is based in the same community partnership model to help orphans and vulnerable children.  Just like Tsungirirai, there’s an on site preschool, a library for school aged children, support groups for people living with HIV/AIDS, and close to 250 orphans who show up daily for a meal.

Chiedza focuses very much on sustainability.  In order to supplement the costs of running a free preschool for the 25 children of HIV positive parents, they added a second classroom and took on 25 paying families from the community. They have a chicken coop, rabbit hutches, and gardens that children tend in order to help raise money for the agency.  Chiedza has taken strong steps toward guardian and community involvement.  They require guardians to spend one day each week helping at the agency – they cook meals, clean dishes, sew uniforms, or do maintenance on the grounds.

We are very excited about this agency and we look forward to growing our relationship with Chiedza.