In light of the recent political unrest in Zimbabwe, we thought we would write a blog to address the situation and reassure dedicated supporters like yourself that we are still operating, and Creating Better Futures remains the same. We are sure you are aware that we work independently of the Zimbabwean government, and we do not comment on any political situations taking place in the country. Our work is all about the children and creating better futures for them.
However, as the news coming from Zimbabwe continues to develop, we feel it important to share with our supporters a background to what is going on, and how this may impact your donations to us.
What is the current situation?
Zimbabwe’s modern history has been dominated by struggles for independence and power, and this has inevitably had knock on effects throughout the country which has presented itself in a variety of different ways.
In 1980, Zimbabwe gained independence from the British, which then saw Robert Mugabe take presidency. For many years, the country was considered “the breadbasket of Africa” but since the year 2000, there has been a rapid increase in poverty, hunger, inflation, poor access to education and healthcare along with many other social, political and economic issues.
After years of rule under President Mugabe, the country saw hope in 2017 when Emmerson Mnangagwa took control of the government following military intervention which saw Mugabe resign. President Mnangagwa has vowed to improve the situation in Zimbabwe and told the people that he would concentrate on solving the economic issues that ravish Zimbabwe.
His efforts to improve the economy have since resulted in price rises that are severely impacting the Zimbabwean people. A lack of cash in the country coupled with fuel prices which have risen three-fold in recent months has led members of the Zimbabwean population to stage protests throughout the major cities, which has sadly led to violent conflicts between police and members of the public. At the moment, the government has ordered phone networks to block all access to the internet, including WhatsApp.
How does this affect Creating Better Futures?
Whilst we strive to remain neutral and independent of the government, it is inevitable that the current situation will have some impact on our work, however, this disruption is minimal, and please rest assured that the children are going to school as normal. If there are any changes to this, we will of course update you through our usual means- our mailing list, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Whilst the disruption that is currently taking place in the city is not having an impact on our usual activities, the price hikes are something that we have been feeling for a short while. As a result of these price rises, we would like to update you on the structure of our donations:
- £1 now feeds 1 child for 1 week
It is amazing that for so long we have been able to feed 1 child for 1 month from just £1, however, with the value of the pound falling against the dollar, as well as prices in the country increasing exponentially, we have revised our messaging. £1 is still such a small amount of money that will feed a child for 1 whole week at school, that’s just £4 a month! This new price increase will include fuel costs to collect the food from the supplier and take it to the schools, as well as covering the increased cost in the food itself. If you would like to donate towards helping up to support more children please follow this link to head to our website and donate today – https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/8874#/DonationDetails
- Child sponsorship increase to £20 per month
We cannot thank sponsors enough for their continued support. Our sponsored children are all doing incredibly well and get so much value from knowing that there is someone so far away thinking of them and supporting their success.
As you will be aware, original sponsors pay £15 per month, and as of 2016 we introduced the new monthly payment of £18 for any new sponsors, whilst still valuing the original payments. With the price increases mentioned above, we have decided that it is time to increase the sponsorship payment to £20 per month for new sponsors, however, we are extending an offer to all existing sponsors to increase their payment from either £15 or £18 a month to cover the new costs. If you can spare the few extra pounds every month, please contact our child sponsorship co-ordinator, Izi on izi@creatingbetterfutures.org.uk and she will advise you on how to do this. If you choose not to increase your payment, your sponsored child will not lose out and we will cover increased costs from other budgets in the charity.
- CBF Truck Appeal
As I am sure many of you are aware, the CBF Zimbabwe team use a truck to tackle the uneven road surfaces and visit the schools and sponsored children. Unfortunately, the truck has recently broken down, and we have been unable to pay to fix it because of the increased costs. We have therefore started an online appeal to raise the money needed to fix the truck and get the team back on the road. Without the truck, the team are unable to conduct home visits, make trips to the schools or write letters with the children, so it is vital that we get the truck up and running again as soon as possible.
Giving to the appeal is quick and easy and all you need to do is click the following link: https://www.give.net/CBFTRUCKAPPEAL/fundraising
- Christmas Gifts
Please note, if you donated money to give your child a Christmas gift, we have been unable to distribute these because of the truck break down, but as soon as it is fixed we will distribute the gifts and send pictures to sponsors.
Once again, thank you so much for the incredible support that you provide CBF with, we couldn’t do what we do without you, and we thank you for understanding the increase in prices.
We always have hope for Zimbabwe, and this hope remains today!