Charity Update 2009

Zimbabwe Orphan Care

Environmental Street Furniture has adopted 'Zimbabwe Orphan Care' as their nominated charity for 2009. Zimbabwe Orphan Care (ZOC) have been working in Harare and the surrounding areas since 2000 establishing feeding and clothing programs for abandoned orphans and widows from the regime of Robert Mugabe. ZOC have sought to help these people through education and practical support on the ground through Alan & Dorothy Graham, originally from the UK, but who have lived in Zimbabwe since 1999.

The recent escalation of violence and rapes throughout the period of elections in early 2008 has led to thousands of unwanted babies being born and these babies are being cast into the sewers, left on buses and trains or just dumped at roadsides, as the young mothers have no idea how to care for them, or the resources to do so. ZOC has been challenged by this plight and have purchased a 3 acre site in the centre of Harare (Zimbabwe's capital city) to establish an orphanage to 'house' these abandoned babies. The 'Jabulani' (means happy) orphanage will be completed in January 2009 and will be able to accept the first children at that time. The total cost of this project is £250K and to date all existing costs have been covered by donations. It is anticipated that once this project in complete ZOC will purchase additional land to build more homes similar to 'Jabulani'

ZOC do not retain any money from donations in the UK, so every penny is directed to the Orphanage and ongoing programmes in Zimbabwe. We would encourage you to support the Zimbabwe Orphan Care charity, as we are, in donating whatever you can to help them in this invaluable work. An ideal way of giving is through our project 'Build an Orphanage in a Day' (www.buildanorphangeinaday.com) which encourages people to donate one days salary, worked in their own job, towards the building and running costs without having to go to Zimbabwe to do it. More details are available on the website.

ZOC is a charity registered in Northern Ireland with HMRC - charity registration number XT8500

For more details please check out their website on www.zimorphancare.org