How will you look back on 2020? Will it be the difficulties of the pandemic? Or will it be your positive contribution to the world? Your generosity has already helped thousands of children, their Mums, Dads, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents this year. Now, you can make a lasting change by supporting our Christmas appeal!
A small Christmas donation could help children to move on from the coronavirus and reach their full potential. It could take them off the streets and return to school today. You could start a child’s journey out of poverty by teaching practical skills that last a lifetime.
Get ALL children back to school
Schools in Zimbabwe have reopened after a nine-month lockdown. We are so excited for all the children who will be able to pursue their dreams again! Sadly, these recent weeks have shown that reopening schools is one thing but getting the children back to class is another altogether. The side effects of the pandemic are now preventing children from attending school. Your donation could get them back to the classroom.
Thousands suffered the economic consequences of Zimbabwe’s lockdown. Families plunged into poverty and children depended on CBF food packages for months. Now lockdown has ended, but these problems remain and threaten education. How can parents even think about paying school fees when they can’t work and their children are struggling to eat? School risks becoming an expensive luxury.
Missing school means no learning and no making new friends. But how do children spend their days if they don’t go to school? Disadvantaged children provide income for their families by working on farms or selling fruit on the street. This short term fix creates long term problems. Research shows children who don’t attend school earn significantly less than those who do.
Education can be especially life changing for girls. Research shows women can earn up to 20% more for each year of school they attend. But sadly, we have had many reports of girls not returning to school after lockdown. There was even a 16 year old, previously studying in a CBF assisted school, who dropped out of class and got married this year. How will this decision impact her future?
Other children feel lost after 9 months out of school. Kelly, a CBF beneficiary, explains: “We were suddenly told to stop going to school and that it would open in two weeks. Then the reopening kept being postponed. We were told that we could learn online, but this was a disadvantage for us who don’t have cell phones.” Can you blame them for not coming back? To make things worse, lockdown and social distancing made it harder for the CBF team to keep in touch with the most vulnerable children.
How can I get ALL children back to school?
The children have made huge steps to achieving their potential in recent years. You could stop the pandemic taking their future by donating to our appeal:
- Donating £5 could feed a child for a week at school. Stop their parents worrying about food costs, and get them back to class.
- Donating £25 could organise an outreach visit for a child who hasn’t come back to school.
- Sponsor a child and secure their access to education for years to come!
Create a LIFETIME of opportunities
Coronavirus and lockdown sent many children in our communities, and their families, into deeper poverty. A survey of parents found over 75% were unable to work and earn money during the pandemic.
Dean Matondo, our Zimbabwe Team Leader, experienced this firsthand when delivering emergency food parcels. He remembers Dylan, a three-year-old boy who “literally knelt on his knees and showered me with praise, showered CBF with praise for providing Maheu and porridge.” It was much harder when we ran out of food to share: “they would get down on their knees and plead with me, but at times there was no way I could help, as the food stuff was limited to a certain number.“
2020 has shown the need for our communities to provide for themselves. We believe self-sufficiency plays a key role in escaping poverty. Children should grow up learning the skills to succeed in their local economy. For many in our communities, this means excellent farming knowledge.
Earlier this year we rolled out a successful farming training programme to CBF families in Cheza. We taught them how to farm the land more effectively and how to make the most of their resources. Now we want everyone to learn the skills needed to provide for themselves. You could give this opportunity by supporting our appeal…
How can I provide a LIFETIME of opportunities?
With the right resources and training, a child could grow up to escape poverty and become self-sufficient. You could make this happen by making the following donations to our appeal:
- £10 to gift a chicken that a family will live off.
- £50 to pay for a farming lot they can use to grow their own crops.
- £100 to teach specialised farming techniques that last a lifetime.
One day they could look back on your donation and thank you for teaching them to support their own children.
Help the CBF team
The appeal could also be your opportunity to say thank you to our amazing team of volunteers in Zimbabwe. They were on the pandemic frontline distributing food and protecting vulnerable families. We are so grateful for their hard work and sacrifices.
After giving so much this year, we would love to thank them by giving them more opportunities for training, development, and growth.
Thank you for all your amazing support in 2020. It’s been challenging, but would have been infinitely harder without you. We will see you for a new start in 2021!
