LifeNets Developing Nations Scholarship Program
Posted July 4, 2008
LifeNets has been working with people in Zimbabwe since 2001 and has not only helped there but other Zimbabweans outside the country. We have appreciated our relationship with Joseph Dits, reporter covering urban and social issues for the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune.
There was a need for Godfrey, a former orphan in Zimbabwe for a laptop, scientific calculator and digital camera, so he could attend a mining school in Zimbabwe and do his coursework.
LifeNets was able to help him with the laptop. It was successfully delivered by Jayne During from Indianapolis who travels frequently to and helps immeasurably in Zimbabwe in February. Jayne has sent a number of containers of aid over the past few years to Zimbabwe. Joe wrote a wonderful article The Art of Making a Difference for the Rotarian Magazine last year about Jayne.
The student, Godfrey, had come up through Matthew Rusike Children's Home. Joe has worked at the Matthew Rusike home and my wife Bev and I visited it on October 8, 2001. Joe wrote about the Matthew Rusike Home here on our site.
On April 1, 2008 Godfrey wrote back to Joe:
1) Where
I’m recently staying, there is network problems and I don’t have access
to the internet and
2) I have been running around a lot, trying to get
the right mine for my attachment program. I have been to Isabella Mine
and Buchwa Iron Mining Company (BIMCO) in Kwekwe. They were both
opencast mines although they are relatively big mines. Right now I ‘m
attached to Pakamiso Mine a tribute to Zimbabwe Mining And Smelting
Company ( ZIMASCO). It is a chrome mining company and it practices
underground mining and has several adit mines around the area. It is
situated in Mutorashanga about 110km north-west of Harare along the
mineral rich belt known as The Great Dyke that stretches from the
north- east through the center to the south-west of Zimbabwe. Chrome
mining in Zimbabwe is labor intensive and small scale in nature when
compared to the Sinosteel Joint Venture operations in South Africa.
Sinosteel has 90% of shares in ZIMASCO and ZIMASCO is the 3rd largest
producer of chrome in the world despite the economic conditions in the
country. So far I have just completed the first 5 weeks of my attachment
program. The whole idea of attachment is to let the student familiarize
with the mining operations and to obtain a Blasting License (BL) before
going back to the college the following year. After completing my
studies I will be required to go for a Full Blasting License (FBL). This
will give me an opportunity to open my own mine with little hassles if
the need arises. R
May 25, 2008
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 Godfrey is on the left
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