WHY YOU CAN'T BUY CHICKENS AT NIGHT . . . (April 28, 2016 update)

Sorry, for no photos on this one, but, well, it was dark! We were trying to buy chickens for Thiufhati so he can breed laying chickens. We had helped him last year with a micro loan for a garden. Thiufhati had been faithful and paid back the half of the loan he was responsible for. So... We wanted to help him again this year. However, it was our last day in Venda Land, and we didn't get to his house until late. He directed us through the Bush, past the huge Baobab tree, straight on past the goat fence with the angry dog, then turned left at the broken orange chair and we were there. Thiufhati got out and ran to arouse the chicken man.   Promptly 3 grown men showed up with their phones using them as flashlights. We heard the squawking  and saw the blinking lights darting back and forth chasing chickens on the ground.  Suddenly, Thiufhati showed up at CJ's window with a big, very scared chicken in his arms adamantly describing something between his excited stuttering. The chicken protested right in CJ's face and she jumped a foot sideways in the Land Rover, then she sat there keeping her eye on the disturbed chicken at all times. What Thiufhati was trying to say (while he held the beak closed of the protesting chicken) is that these chickens they were catching were too big. The ones he wanted were down for the night, or I should say "up for the night" because they were roosting high in the tree and absolutely could not be persuaded to come down.  He wanted us to SEE that the chickens were simply too big.  All the while, firmly gripping that chicken's beak!  The poor thing darted her eyes back and forth hoping Thiufhati would give her a chance to breathe. Finally CJ asked Thiufhati , "What are you trying to ask?"  Thiufhati dejectedly responded,

"The chickens won't come down till morning."  Since we were leaving, he didn't think we would be able to help him. CJ said, "Thiufhati call the chicken man, we'll pay him tonight, have him do a receipt and you can pick up your chickens tomorrow."  Which is exactly what happened but we had to wait a long while, because chicken man had to "stamp" the receipt to make it official. The Venda LOVE to stamp things. 

 You cannot make this stuff up!  The good news is that, when we come back next year, Thiufhati will have had a better income and HHTH will be able to help another person with a project. 

"THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS!!!" (April 17, 2016 update)

To the Africans, it is "blue gold," called water. As I said, the draught had kept their seeds from germinating, therefore, no crops. Luckily, there are two Afrikans brothers, Leon and Jaco, who drill bore holes around the whole region here. We got quotes for our 3 Family Garden and Tshikuyu Primary School. There are 75 children in the school, without water. The quotes were exceptionally reasonable so HHTH had the well started at the 3 Family Garden, and the very next day they started drilling.

We were all holding our breath.

The diggers take a sample to see how close they are to water. We watched all day long, praying they had surveyed the best location.

The land is not right next to a river, but close. Nelson, one of our gardeners said, "there is water here," with such conviction that I felt deep in my heart he knew. The little piles grew in number. We had hoped close to 30 meters would yield water, because it cost more with each meter.  Finally, at 43 meters there was a slight dampness. Then at 60 meters Jaco told us they would go to 84 meters to assure it wasn't shallow and the gardeners would have a reserve to draw upon.

Left to right, Titos, Nelson, and Frank were in awe. Their very own source of water!!! They could not believe they would no longer have to depend on the weather to grow their crops. Their hopes were pounding out of their chests.

Then it came!!!  Blessed, wet, and pure water. They had struck between two fissures which would feed their reserve.  Our prayers were answered.

Nelson, Frank, Titos and their wives can "see" their garden. They can "see" their children eating healthy food. They can "see" a lush garden with enough left after their family's needs to sell to villagers and a larger market, therefore, bringing more income into the village. They foresee in the future, creating a few jobs as they increase their yield. They have overcome so much... And there are many more challenges to meet like getting the JoJo tank platform built, the field plowed, then the planting. They are exhilarated to face these wonderful opportunities...  Proverbs reminds us that, "without vision, people perish."  These 3 families are people of vision.

Until next time, from "The Bush."

Hello from Awelani near Bende Mutali. (April 15, 2016 update)

Remember this photo where we had contributed enough so they could purchase an I beam to start building a workshop to house 5 different occupational workshops. One for repairing cars, another for repairing computers, learning IT, sewing, etc.

C. T. (on the left) said he would not stand still but would find other supporters to also keep the project going. Our donation gave him a "kick start" and became the catalyst to give momentum to the building.   Below is my latest email from him. His enthusiasm is barely contained.

"Hallow Sid
I write to find out how you travelled back home after our memorable School Assembly. We are all well and busy working on the workshop for our technical subjects.
May you send me your whatsapp number so that I send you photos of our development stages. I have tried CJ 's number. She is not receiving my messages.
So far we have bought 1 Beams and riversand for the workshop. Builders are excavating to work on the foundation. I also bought 64 bags of cement. At least we have started as I promised.
Thank you. Convey my warm greetings to your husband, family members and the Directorate of HHTHs
Yours friendly
C. T. Ndlovu."

We feel so rewarded to see things positive happening because HHTH made a difference in someone's life. When we return next year, we will, no doubt see students working on cars, selling rebuilt computers, designing and sewing clothes or taking large orders to sew uniforms for other schools, and other wonderful opportunities.

Another episode  in the story of the 6 Men and A Dream.  As we said, they have had to start over from scratch three times!  If you could only experience the severity of the environment here,  you would see what an awesome thing this is. Their tenacity and perseverance is nothing short of miraculous!  They are clearing about 10 to 13 acres of land that was owned by two of the men's fathers and is now theirs. So, it cannot be taken from them. However, instead of 6 men, there are only 3 men now... BUT, there are also their 3 wives and these women are incredibly hard workers. The women are busy clearing out the "crown of thorn" bushes and they are rooted deep in the earth, stubbornly clinging to the hot dry ground.

Today the temps were above 100 degrees. They worked all morning with no food or water. These women are sturdy and will achieve great things for their families.

One lady broke her hoe handle. Tito quickly grabbed chopped a straight branch off a tree and shaped her a new hoe handle with his panga knife on the spot.

Then Aida got right back to work. I asked her if the bark hurt her hands and she gave me a strange look and said,"No... it is OK."  I looked at her hands and she didn't have one blister.

CJ, Janco, Sam and I went to the Blue Store (which only has a few basic things) and picked them up loaves of bread, water, Coca Cola, and a canned fish they like. They were really hungry but would have worked all day without food or water, then would have had to walk through the woods a few miles to get home to eat.

SWEET VICTORY!

So!! It is now 3 Families With A Dream.  They may come up with a different name; we will keep you informed. Front row, left to right, are Nelson, Frank and Tito. Back row, left to right is Aida, Nelson's wife and Frank's wife. I will get her name and Tito's wife soon.

They liken their story to the Biblical story of the 10 Virgins who were to wait for the Bride Groom. Five brought extra oil because they were not sure when he would come but the other five did not. The five trimmed their lamps while the others did not.  When the Bride Groom came, the first five were ready with plenty of oil. The unprepared ones pleaded, "give us some of your oil so come in to the wedding and not run out. "  The first five said, "No or we might run out too and then there would be no light for the wedding. "  So, the ones who worked hard and kept their lamps trimmed went into the wedding and the ones who did not want to work or prepare were left outside in the darkness.  Even though there were 6 men who said they would work and be prepared to make the garden a success, only 3 actually did it even against incredibly difficult obstacles. Now they and their wives are working very hard and they are making the garden a success. We believe in them and felt the need to help them overcome the problem of the drought which kept their seeds from germinating. But that is a story I want to share after telling you about Nelson and the Land Rover you see behind the group.

Nelson is one of those people who is gifted at knowing how to do about anything he is faced with. This Land Rover is a 1975 to 1980 model. When we saw it, it was only an empty shell on 4 cement blocks. There were no doors, no top.  The engine was partially missing. It was actually a place for chickens to occupy. When we came this year Nelson had it all put together and running. It was a miracle!  Now... he only has 3 gears and can only go forward, but it runs!  They were loading it with small tree trunks they cleared off the land to sell.

ON THE WAY TO AWELANI . . . (April 11, 2016 update)

On our way to Awelani, Sam, CJ and I traveled through Kruger Park, the entire length of 6,700,000 acres of space for the wild animals to roam in. We came upon this whole group of elephants drinking out of one of the few tanks of water in Kruger. Notice the tiny baby elephant trying to get in on the action on the right.

Sam and CJ stand on the Tropic of Capricorn in Kruger.

The baboons are plentiful and huge!  This is very much like the guy who got into our Lodge in Zimbabwe. They can be very threatening.

We had the good fortune to have Ms. Fluffy Ostrich explore our car while she continuously pecked on our windows. She fluttered her eyelashes  at us, so, all is forgiven.

"UNDER THE AFRICAN SKIES..."

Looking out at Africa, we continuously bumped into rainbows and miracles. This looks innocent enough, but riding on the hidden roads to the left, literally shakes the fillings out of your head.   It literally was a visual feast.

Last year Gilbert  Mbedzi had a 97.4 % graduation rate. And in spite of that slipping down to 85%, Gilbert has such an impeccable reputation, he still received awards for having the best graduation rate in the whole area. We will help him with their 28 orphans, and some technology.

"NEVER...NEVER...EVER GIVE UP!!

We started with 6 Men and a Garden sand dropped down to 3 Men and a  Garden composed of (L to R) Tito, Nelson, and Frank. Through some really rough problems, they have had to restart their garden 3 times. . Now, they have completed fencing around the perimeter of 13  acres and cut out all of the thorn bush stumps. They are on the verge of planting!! Nelson told us today they will try to plant before we leave to come back home.  (Notice the reclaimed piping and drip lines).'

You can see their fence and how expertly they constructed it. It has to be made "goat proof,"

We completed our meeting with the guys and were so happy they never quit, nor did they avoid keeping their agreement on the portion of the loan they owed HHTH. They had been saving payments for a whole year so they could honor the agreement they had with us. So, needless to say, we are willing to continue working with Nelson, Tito and Frank because they have proven so trustworthy.

Our next stop was to meet with Edison at Tshikuyu Primary School. We work with about 27 orphans there. HHTH will provide them with 3 months worth of food.  Again, most of these children lost their parents to AIDS. They come to school to get one meal a day, but they go most of the weekend without food. Edison said it is very hard for them to concentrate when they are so hungry all the time. Our goal is to be able to feed these children for the whole year.  If you would like to help, we can feed a child for a whole month for only $25. To feed a child for the entire year is only $300.  Call me on 248-514-3022 or email me on
sid4wayne@gmail.com if you want to help feed these children.

"STARRY, STARRY NIGHT..."
Our day was made complete when Hennie (our friend here who helps us so much) invited us to join his party for "dinner under the stars in the cave."  Here where we are staying at Awelani, there is this huge, open cave on the preserve. It was magical to follow the lamp lit path to discover this fantastic cave and to share an elegant dinner with fellow sojourners. There was a Professor of Responsible Tourism, two ladies from Cape Town, and another from France and the owner of Trans Frontier Parks Destinations along with Hennie. We could look up from the cave and see the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, Scorpio and many others.

Just when we thought we had enjoyed the last surprise, Anita, our host, announced we were going to do some "Star Gazing!"  There is nothing more exotic than to Star Gaze under the African sky.

Argan is an astronomer and has an unparalleled passion for the stars. We were able to see 4 of the 63 Moons around Jupiter. We also got to get up close and personal with Mars and Saturn. Since there is no light pollution here, the experience was vivid.

Argan on the right and Hennie on the left. I went to bed with the feeling that I was granted a small look into heaven this night.

We have exciting news coming up with our many projects, so stay tuned.

Until then... From "The Bush..."

GETTING IT ALL TOGETHER . . . (April 8, 2016 update)

Today was a day or unloading and loading for our trip to our agenda Villages in Mutale. Hennie, our friend in Palaborwa, has stored our shipment for several months. He graciously helped us unload things we didn't need for our work in the villages and then loaded us up with all the clothes, shoes, and other items we will need for the children in Fethali High School and Tshikuyu Primary School. It is a whooping big trailer load and these children will be thrilled.

Sam, our sweet little add on from California sorted, folded and packed for us so things will be more organized when we get to the villages.

Left to right are Hennie, his wife Vanessa, our friend Computer, and CJ. We met Computer after lunch to discover how he is doing since we last saw each other.  CJ and I first met Computer over 5 years ago when he was working as a waiter at one of the Lodges. He so obviously had potential that we started helping him complete his schooling. Computer was raised in a house with dirt floors and as soon as he was old enough, he built himself a rondeval with floors. He now has many certificates of achievements and has a the responsible job of ordering the explosives for the mine that keeps it running. He is earning more salary than he ever has in his life. Now his goal is to save to pay for the Labola (what the prospective husband must pay the parents - an expensive proposition), so he can marry his true love, Vision. This used to be done in cattle but in modern times it can be in cash. He will pay more than is asked of him because he wants to demonstrate the depth of his love for Vision. It is so rewarding to see that the helping hand we give is rewarded with a person like Computer being able to create the life he dreamed of.   You may get to meet him one day, as he very much wants to come to the U.S.A. some day.

So... We drove on through Kruger towards our destination as the roads are better and it is the quickest way.  And it is thrilling to see the wild animals.

LATEST UPDATE ON TRUST AND MODESTAR...

Trust is on his 6th batch of broiler chickens. When we arrived he was IN the chicken pen nursing one little chicken. He cannot tolerate even losing one because that means $8.00 to the family. Before we left Zim, that little chick was running around eating like a horse and fattening up.

Now, we get good updates about the success of the Tuck Shop HHTH helped them start for Modestar's Sister. They are all working hard and it is being a huge success for them. They hope to make $10. or more profit per day and have been doing so since they opened. Believe it or not, this will allow the Sister to care for her four children.  We can't even imagine that could happen in our world. It is wonderful to be able to report to all of you how far your contributions go in helping others make a decent living.

Below is a "What's App" we just received from Trust. We had taken him to Zambia to get Mealie Meal for their tuck shop, and took him to eat in a nice Lodge, then to see Victoria Falls on the Zambian side. These are not things he could have ever hoped to do himself.   I want you to experience his appreciation for this outing...
"Good evening Sidney. Tomorrow I am going to Zambia to buy some light bulbs and some tablets to sell in the tuck shop.We are selling well in our tuck shop.l will also go deeper in search of Michael Jackson hotel.
I will never forget that day,what an amazing day for me! Thank you very much for taking me to the hotel for a great lunch and to see the Victoria Falls at the Zambian side.I have never been at the hotel since or before .That was my first time to visit the hotel and have lunch like the one you bought for me.Thank you very much may God bless you."

A tour guide had taken CJ to this hotel the year before and said Michael Jackson owned it. We found out from the locals that Michael Jackson didn't own any hotel there. When we ordered our lunch Trust was only going to order fries. We asked him to please order a full meal because we wanted to treat him. He ordered a hamburger but would not eat only the fries. Trust took the hamburger back to Zim for his wife and children to eat. When he goes to buy things for the tuck shop in Zambia, he must ride his bicycle about 20 miles round trip and can only carry what the bicycle can hold. These people must work extremely hard for any little advantage they get.

My heart is humbled that what we so easily take for granted is a rare gift for Trust.

Until next time.... From The Bush..

AND THIS IS ONLY HALF THE MOTHER LOAD! (April 2, 2016 update)

Nyasha stands in front of most of the books for the new Dadani Library. All the books are now unloaded and this is only half of them. Janco will bring the other half from Nelspruit, South Africa in July when he goes back to Zimbabwe for us to distribute food to our orphans again. They are still in awe that people from across the world would send them all these books. This was/is a completely successful project. All of you who were involved in this drive or who helped in any way can be proud of this wonderful project.

I told you about Memory and the hope of getting a job so she can help the family live a more decent life. She has gone for two interviews after we spoke to Kumalo and CT about her qualifications and abilities.  Memory is an excellent seamstress, and she also designs clothes. She has gone all through the community letting people know about her sewing classes. Her willingness to work so hard. Will, no doubt, yield good results. Things are progressing well.

JUST A LITTLE FEEDBACK ALREADY
Mashonga sent us this photo of Memory posting her sewing classes all around Victoria Falls, Zim. She will earn a certain percentage for each student she brings in. She is motivated and working hard to get started. 

AS TACO BELL SAYS, "LIFE IS SPICY, DEAL WITH IT!"

We left Zimbabwe and two days later wound up at Janco's Dad's house. His name is Willie (pronounced "Villie"), and the guys made us a lovely dinner. I had been carry around a box full of Penzeys Spices for Janco since we got to Africa. It was time to give them to him. As a guide, Janco does a lot of cooking, and he is remarkably good at it. We have had DE-LICI-OSIOUS meals.  He was delighted and gently asked us not to use too much of his new spices on our meal that night. 

GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?
Sam Simonenko, Mother of Shana Schutte, flew all the way from California to be part of our mission work. She has had a dream to help African orphans for a long time. She will combine her dream with our work to help many children here.  We are very happy to have Sam join Helping Hands Touching Heart in our efforts here in South Africa.

CJ and I won't work her too hard until she gets over the 9 hours time difference. Talk about jet lag, this little trooper has it in spades.  After a small dinner tonight, Sam dropped in bed like a rock and we have 't heard a peep from her since.  

HOSTILE POLICE AND ANGRY WOMEN...

I almost forgot about our hostile policeman and vicious baboon experience in the same day. Well, let me tell you the stories...
We had gone into the town of Victoria Falls and was pulled over by the corrupt police for the 4th day in a row.  He was checking the gears (underneath our Land Rover), all the tape that has to be on the vehicle and ALL the possible lights, blinkers, and hazards. We knew then he was going to keep going until he found something he could write us a fine for. Our nerves were a little on edge from the 4 times before. Janco was outside with him complying to all his requests.  When the policeman poked his head in the vehicle still looking for something, CJ lost her temper and told him how ridiculous it was. His brilliant reply was that he was just trying to help us, AS he was writing a ticket. I asked how he was helping us? The Dude said by finding things that are wrong. Well!  That did it! I jumped out of the vehicle, stormed around to where he was and went "postal" on him. Meanwhile, CJ was also yelling at him from inside the Land Rover. He backed away, and told Janco we were not being very diplomatic with him and my searing reply was that his corruption was why they don't get as many tourist as they used to because the police cheated tourists out of money making them feel threatened.  He became more menacing... CJ and I both calmed down when the thought hit us that a Zimbabwe jail might not be near as comfortable as our lodge. That shut us up for real. Then we felt bad for losing our temper but angry because of the unfair system. Janco just told him that the ladies may not be very diplomatic, but what they are saying is absolutely correct. As a guide he has lost business because of the corruption with all the fake police roadblocks. So we paid the fine and left, still a little hot under the collar.   Neat little Tidbit.....we were never pulled over again. I think he told his friends to watch out for the screaming, undiplomatic women... So they left us alone.

THE UNINVITED, UNWELCOME VISITOR!

So!  After the police run in, we were a little exhausted what with all that yelling and everything. CJ laid down on the sofa in our living room. Now, our living room has a canvas wall so it can be completely rolled up and all of Africa is there to see and enjoy.  I went up one level to nap on the bed and just as my head touched the pillow,  CJ let out a blood curdling scream 😵 and being upstairs, I bolted down to our open air living room!!  Standing there was a BOHEMATH  BABOON!  He was between me and my baby girl, threatening her safety... I screamed and carried on. He just stood there, menacing as he snatched candy off the coffee table.  He lazily looked around for something else to steal. He was  in noooo hurry.  If you ever wonder whether fear or protection takes over when Your child is in danger, well, the baboon lost. I charged at him and he took off.. But ever so slowly. Scared the dickens out of me after it was over. But my baby is safe.
So, bad cops and aggressive baboons colored our world.  "Just another normal day in Africa."

Stay tuned for more "from The Bush."

INTO THE WOODS AND THE WOOD CARVER'S CAMP (April 1, 2016 update)

This is the 4th time we have worked with our carvers, so we want you to meet them. This has been a very harsh year for them because of their badly declining economy. We visited them several times in between working with our orphans, and projects with Trust, Modestar and Nyaradzo.

Please meet Mdumiso (pronounced M-doo-mee-so). He actually specializes in carving elephants in many different modes and iron wood giraffes.

Joe Ndlovu's (Nd-lo-vu) name means "elephant,' and he makes elephants as well, and charming salt and pepper shakers.

This is Kennais, and he is the bowl and basket master. All of the carvers are multi-talented. HHTH buys pieces of art from almost all of them so we can sell them at Fund Raisers.  It feels good to know we are supporting these men and their families.

Janco brought out some of the Bibles we brought. We distributed many with the orphans and our carvers. They plead to have their own Bible. Then other people around town hear about us and we give to whoever wants one.

CJ and Sidney dispense new, brightly colored T-Shirts to each carver. They really love to get something new for a change. These were from the T-Shirt drive by our Kenwod Church. They were greatly appreciated.

Here, I am chatting with Jabulani (which means happy or joyful). He spreads a lot of smiles. Jabulani is showing his panel that shows the history of slavery in Zimbabwe. It is an amazing piece of art! I realized I could not leave it there. It is actually the story of humankind. It has an amazing story behind it and a story about getting it ready for me.

You must come over and witness it yourself. It is breathtaking

Here is Douglas Mcube (M-coo-be). Douglas carves the salad sets,, you see here. Plus giraffe statues and bowls.

Tanja Mufunda carves a plethora of finely detailed small and large bowls.

Admire Muzaza carves incredible animal heads and big 5 statues. Admire gave me a beautiful red beaded necklace as a gift from his heart.

This is David Wakatirinda and his younger brother Trafadzwa. David is one of the finest artists I've ever been privileged to know. He is at the Master level. Trafadzwa is apprenticing under David. I will bring back two extraordinary pieces back to the USA to enjoy.

John Muteedzi created a unique jewelry box of elephants for me. And he created a procession of elephants migrating across an arc. Stunning.

Mashonga Kudakwashe carved elegant panels for us. He is the vice Chairman of their Big Five Co-op.

We have known Amos Ngula since our first visit. He is battling AIDS and cannot carve every day. I had him carve a unique African chess 
set.

Vusa Ngwenya is the Rhino expert. He did not disappoint us.


Prince and Justin show off the panels they carved for us.

And here, all our artists put on their new shirt for a Kodak moment. They are so proud of their bright colored shirts and for the pieces of art they created for us.

Driving down the road in Botswana, we saw one elephant after another. Instead of seeing stray dogs or road side parks, we saw elephants, Cape buffalo, giraffes, wart hogs, baboons and more.

There is nothing like an afternoon drive in Botswana.

Until the next time, this is Sidney signing off in the Bush.