A project to support the hard work at MATTHEW RUSIKE CHILDREN'S HOME By JOSEPH DITS jdits@sbtinfo.com February 14, 2002 More photos LifeNets Home Got an assignment for ya, folks: Raise 120 children in Zimbabwe who were either abused, neglected or orphaned. While you're at it, cultivate a huge garden, raise chickens and run a preschool. I'll give you a staff of about two dozen. You can't pay them much. But, here's the good part: Along with agriculture, I want you to teach the kids sewing, computers and other employable skills; see if you can hook the older kids up with a swanky hotel to learn about the hospitality business, too. Joseph Dits is a reporter covering urban and social issues for the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune. Since 1998, he has written about everything from struggling neighborhoods to poverty to the concerns of Latinos. South Bend is his hometown. He also does a lot of biking and cross-country skiing and took a church-to-church bike tour of central Ukraine in June 2001. Matthew Rusike Children's Home in Zimbabwe is doing all of that. Meanwhile, the Home provides stability, hope and an experience that the kids never -- never! -- forget. The kids have told me so. I spent all of 1996 as a volunteer at the orphanage, where the kids wrote about their lives and dreams for the newsletter I started (which continues to be published today). Now, a LifeNets project will help the Home to earn more income from one of its agricultural programs. Kids help at every stage with production of maize, leafy greens, vegetables and poultry. They eat some of the product, and the Home sells the rest to generate income. We are seeking donations to purchase a "de-huller". This machine removes the outer surface of the maize kernels so that the maize can be ground into a finer quality meal, thereby selling for a higher price. Maize is Zimbabwe's staple food. It makes something called "sadza," which looks like grits but is as thick as mashed potatoes. People use their fingers to eat it with their favorite greens, beans, meat and other side dishes. The de-huller machine costs between $2,000 and $2,500 (U.S. dollars). Any additional money we raise will go to badly needed seeds, fertilizer and pesticides, which in 2001 cost a total of $1,400 (U.S.). Matthew Rusike Children's Home is a green, pastoral place with fruit  trees and soccer lots. Boys play barefoot in the dirt. There's enough space between the various buildings -- the dorms, the dining hall, the office, etc. -- to give the children and staff plenty of elbow room. The Home sits in the village of Epworth on the outskirts of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. The children, ages 3 to 18, come from the saddest of stories: from parents who've died or gone to jail or have become abusive, or from relatives who were charged with the kids' care but have turned negligent. Zimbabwe's orphan numbers continue to grow since the nation has one of the worst AIDS rates in Africa. Regular church life helps the kids to heal inside. And, the Home roots all of its operations in native Shona customs, just as it has since it was founded in 1950 by the Pastor Rusike, a Shona man himself. Every day, I'd watch kids come home from school to eat lunch. A few would kneel briefly beside a female staff member who was dining on the rocks outside, bow their heads, softly clap their hands and offer a greeting. Very traditional. Very loving. Most kids attend school in the village while some move to a higher echelon at boarding schools. They read books in the libraries and seek the tutoring of volunteers. Kids dream. So do the board and superintendents, who speak of one day establishing smaller, family-style settings to give the children more one-on-one attention. The Home receives some financial aid from the government but cannot survive without the support of donors. Friends in Australia and England have done great things, bringing irrigation, solar heating and more. But, running the Home is a lot more expensive now than when I was there. Zimbabwe's economy has been sinking with some shaky political news. The nation's leadership is demanding that white farmers give up their land. Meanwhile, thugs have used violence to take the land. Most people -- certainly the MRCH kids -- have been quite safe as the violence has been isolated to certain farms. Still, gasoline sold for $7 (U.S.) per gallon in October 2001. The Home manages to feed each child for roughly $15 (U.S.) per month. Neither I nor Vic Kubik believe it was mere chance that allowed him and his wife, Beverly, to visit the Home in October 2001 (see photos of their visit by clicking here). They happened to be in Harare for a church conference. It seemed as if transportation woes were conspiring to keep them from getting to the Home, but they made it and reported having a "wonderful!" visit. Was it divine intervention? Hmmmm. Would you like to host a fund-raiser at your church, club or community? To help, contact Joseph Dits in South Bend, Indiana, at (219) 235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com. He can send you a videotape of the Home and other promotional materials you may need. Check out the Home's own Web site, www.matthewrusike.org, which includes photos and stories of the children. The site was made possible through the efforts of the Qantas Airlines Cabin Crew Team in Australia, a bunch of good mates who've worked their koala tails off for the Home.