Cooling off at school this summer!

Hello Friends,

Summer is here and so comes the heat! Nhaka Foundation is proud to be in partnership with Ruffs Kitchens which supports the daily feeding program in some of the schools we operate in seeing about 5 174 children being fed every single day! As summer beckons the children will be receiving 500ml of the nutritious traditional drink called maheu. Served as a cold and refreshing beverage this drink surely does refresh the children.

We have been working hard the past couple of months on various fronts. The team has been implementing various interventions through the early childhood program such as classroom renovations, health screenings to help with early identification of disease, parenting meetings to promote great parenting practices amongst parents and caregivers as well as working with schools to establish outdoor playground centres for the early childhood development classes.

I have also been out and about on the regional and international front, working with various partners to promote access to early childhood development for children living in difficult circumstance across Africa and around the world. This work has certainly broadened my view especially of the work we are currently implementing in Zimbabwe and also opened up different lessons that I have brought home for adaptation and implementation in the communities we work in. 

Follow some of the regional work we have been involved  here  as well as read about us in articles that we have contributed to such as in the ACEI Childhood Explorer Summer 2015 issue by clicking  here . As a learning organization we are happy to be part of various initiatives that will ensure that children will enjoy a brighter future that opens up a whole lot of possibilities for their lives.

Until next time,

Patrick

Fresh Fruit Water

With Summer around the corner, I was feeling like experimenting with flavored waters.  I used my giant drink dispenser so that I could leave it out all day long as an incentive for my kids to remember to drink up.  It worked!

When I was in Flordia on a trip with my husband, they had the most amazing displays of water dispensers with all kinds of patterns of fresh fruit pushed around the edges.  Here is what you will need to make the fruit look as pretty as it tastes!

1.  slice up fruit.  I like watermelon, cucumbers, limes, oranges or strawberries.  

2.  Add some ice and then add 1 row of fruit.  Use the ice to hold your fruit to the edge.  

3.  Then add some more ice and another layer of fruit.  Repeat till you are close to the top.

4. Fill with water.  

What are some of your favorite combos of fruit infused water?

Rocking Zimbabwe forward

Dear Friends,

Forgive me, it has been quite some time since I  put up my thoughts on this blog. The past couple of months have been filled with a lot of activity and movement within the Team Nhaka family. The work we carry out in the communities continue to hold a lot of meaning as lives are transformed and children have a better shot of opportunities that exist for them in the world. The passion, energy and commitment that the Team has always puts a smile on my face and makes me want to work even harder each day. 

2014 was a very busy year for Nhaka Foundation and the trend is set to continue in this new year judging by what has transpired so far. The team is working on finalising the 2014 annual report which will be posted shortly on the website and sent directly to our partners and friends. Just having reviewed the report myself, I am amazed by the commitment of the team members but more importantly by the resolve that communities have to solve their own local level challenges. Where in some districts children are not enjoying the power of play, this is not the case in the district we are working in. Parents have mobilised themselves and constructed outdoor playground equipment using locally available resources. Parents are coming together to load scotch carts with bricks, river sand, pit sand and are carrying drums of water so that an early childhood development classroom is either constructed right from the ground or is renovated with support from Nhaka Foundation and its partners.

Nhaka Foundation believes in the power of working together, collaborative approaches to community development as well as in the use of appreciative inquiry to build up the positive strengths that exist in the communities so that the lives of children do not remain the same. It does take a village to raise a child, thus when everyone comes together to work towards one goal, the children of that community benefit more.

In 2014 we continued work with our amazing partners in Ruffs Kitchens who have committed to building more feeding stations and tripling the number of children that receive a guaranteed meal each day. 7 schools are currently being supported resulting in over 3 500 children receiving a meal at school each day. If you dont see that as awesome and out of this world, I don’t know what will… We are grateful for this kind of support and what it is doing to the children and communities in Goromonzi. 

Our friends from Rock Africa supported the construction of a two classroom block at one of the schools in the District and already over 150 children are benefitting from the use of the classrooms. In 2015 they have committed to supporting after school discipleship clubs that will see children being mentored and discipled!. Exciting kingdom work!

We have had some staff movements, as we restructure our operations to improve efficiencies and ensure that we are able to reach out to more children.

This my friends, kicks off the blog for 2015!

Best,

Patrick

Our children, smile laugh and cry!

Dear friends,

I am delighted to share that we have over the past 10 months been able to streamline our work, have better operational efficiencies and reaching out to more children. 

We are grateful for true partnerships that join hands with us and work to support the lives of children in Zimbabwe. Last night I had a conversation with one of the respected citizens of Zimbabwe and she took me back memory lane to the things that this country used to do to ensure that children are safe and living in secure environments. Some of the information she shared was from back in the day and I could not relate to it because I was not born yet! As much as these mechanisms of childcare where developed in the colonial period, the new government failed to maintain the systems that ensured that the poor and vulnerable children would be taken care of. Now that is really sad…

When I reflect on the work that we are doing at Nhaka Foundation, I see how as a team we are working to reweaving these mechanisms and trying to get communities to take more responsibility to look after their children. Granted this is not an overnight process, we will continue to claw away and ensure that communities value children, respect their wishes and creates friendly spaces for them to play and learn.

When we look at life, how many of us wish that our children do well in life and that they become happy, responsible and productive individuals, citizens, members of society, members of families, leaders, parents and brothers and sisters? This off course should be what everyone cherishes and have as a dream. Are we doing enough to help our children, to ensure that they have all the opportunities available to them?

Im our daily hustle and bustle do we to pause to think and reflect on the fact that our children also have a human side that craves for hugs, smiles, laughter, love and bonding? Are we getting too busy for these basic yet most important aspects in the development of children? 

The above all starts in early life and it is important for us all to invest into the early years of our children.

Until next time,

Patrick

Catching up...

Hello friends,

These are exciting times at Nhaka Foundation. A lot of things have been going on in all facets of the organisation i.e from Admin to Programs. We are grateful to you our friends and partners for the journey that we are taking together. 

Since my last update/post, I have travelled around the country looking at various initiatives that are being undertaken by organisations as well as the various efforts being made by various individuals to promote the wellbeing of the Zimbabwean children. I have also been honoured to meet with various funders who are looking for ways to support the Zimbabwean cause targeted at ensuring that our littlest and most vulnerable children receive the support that they need so that they live happy and fulfilling lives.

Apart from taking a physical journey, I have also been travelling, this time in my spirit. My relationship with God has grown tremendously particularly as I have quiet moments, ruminate on the word of God, the promises He has made over my life and indeed the Word He has spoken over Nhaka Foundation. It is true friends, God watches over His word to perform it. Many of you know of the testimony of Nhaka Foundation and I am proud to say that indeed God is watching over His word and it is springing to life.

When one looks around and at best looks deeply into the Zimbabwean situation, we see no end in sight. We see suffering, we see children not going to school, not having three square meals a day, not prospering, lack of health services, increased maternal mortality, children heading households, an economy that has spiralled out of control. These are the daily heartaches that we are having to wake up to and the realities that we have to face. When shall we live in a Zimbabwe that has abundance for all, a society that is just and whose rulers are fair? I have been spending a lot of time also with my seniors, people who saw the sun decades before i did...trying to delve into their minds, getting wisdom and knowledge at the same time. Interesting journey this has been.

So what is consuming your time, your mind and where are the treasures of your heart? I know a lot of you will be starting up a conversation with me about this..lets talk! remember you can drop me an email on patrick@nhakafoundation.org. Thank you for the conversations that we continue to have. 

Join the discussions on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and be part of the work we are doing in Zimbabwe!

Be blessed!

Patrick

News from KLRN Education

KLRN’s Education Initiatives
Maricella Borroel
Director of Education

KLRN’s Education Department creatively engages and inspires lifelong learning as we present free high quality workshops, experiences, and as we deliver resources to the community.

The station continues to grow its early childhood programs for children birth to age five—reaching their families and formal caregivers. KLRN delivers community-based family strengthening services that prepare children to enter school ready to learn and prepared to succeed. KLRN believes there is power in sharing experiences, information, and ideas. When caregivers learn more about child development, they learn how to promote literacy and school readiness through every day activities.

In 2013, KLRN served over 2,150 adults and children at 260 enrichment activities. Enrichment activities, like Play & Learn, teach adults practical strategies to support children’s holistic development and explore the borderless classroom. As we build engaging experiences, adults learn more about their role as a teacher, advocate, and nutritionist resulting in stronger, healthier families.

As a partner in Education, KLRN is committed to strengthening the quality of childcare throughout San Antonio. The station delivers free professional development opportunities for formal caregivers via Training Through Television, Super Saturday Trainings, and Little Bites, Big Steps workshops. Since 2013, the station has awarded over 3000 training hours. KLRN engages caregivers, offers support, and encourages their professional development. Early childhood teachers return to their classrooms empowered and prepared to create stimulating, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate experiences for children in their care.

KLRN’s Healthy Kids Project supports healthy lifestyles by influencing eating decisions and physical activities as we share media resources and lesson plans with educators. As children’s dietary behaviors are formed early, it is important that they take ownership of their personal eating and fitness habits. In School Year 2013, Harlandale ISD and Edgewood ISD participated in the school based phase of Healthy Kids. To learn more, visit us here.

KLRN knows creative, interactive experiences engages students and inspires teachers. As school budgets are becoming leaner, many campuses are eliminating field trips. By delivering Dinosaur George- Museum in the Classroom on campus, KLRN cultivates a collective activity for students, faculty and families.

We thank you for taking the time to learn more about our educational initiatives. Being a part of the community has constantly motivated us to be more for you, to design and to deliver high quality experiences, and to continue searching for opportunities where we can all connect together. KLRN is committed to helping all children, their families, and their teachers thrive. We offer experiences because we believe every child is special and deserves a positive, supportive learning experience. I would invite you to reach out me so that I can share more information about our efforts.

It takes a village to raise a child!

Dear Friends,

It has been quite a while since I personally wrote something on the blog. It has been a very busy season for myself and certainly for the entire team. The team in the past 6 months has grown, we have moved to new offices and have grown our portfolio of projects that are designed to provide holistic support to the children we serve in Mashonaland East. With growth comes various opportunities and challenges and also this comes with a greater level of diligence as we engage with various ones in ensuring that we provide the best service to the little children we reach out to.

Nhaka Foundation has been able to live up to its mission of ensuring that the littlest and most vulnerable children receive the utmost care and programs that support their holistic wellbeing and development. How have we done it? We have been able to engage partners who have funded us to carry out awareness raising campaigns in various communities on the importance of early access to education, importance of regular health checks, importance of a balanced diet for the children, homeschool relationships as well as importance of parental involvement in the lives of children right from the early years. We are optimistic that with this level of community engagement, there is going to be increased enrolment of children at ECD centres, there is going to be increased parental involvement in the lives of children and thus promote guidance socio cultural aspects that are necessary also to stimulate the growth of children. Coupled with these aspects we have also been engaging with community stakeholders, providing information, statistics and evidence of the importance of ECD. There has been an apparent lack of knowledge and clear information on various aspects relating to ECD and thus Nhaka Foundation has been holding community stakeholder meetings, key stakeholder meetings, high level meetings with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary education officials and with other non state actors. These meetings have been also driven by the African proverb that says "it takes a village to raise a child" Thus everyone has a role to play in creating an enabling environment for children to grow and have great lives.

Another passion and area of interest that has been in one corner of my heart has been the issue of inclusion. That is working with children with special needs/disabled/challenged in one way or the other. Africa and indeed Zimbabwe is fraught with stories of disabled children who are locked away in granaries or food storehouses or children who are hidden from mainstream society because of the various challenges that may present themselves in the physical or mentally. Nhaka Foundation is very soon going to be launching programming specifically aimed at working with these children and their families to ensure that they too have access to play and learning opportunities. They are no different and they need the same access to such.

I will be back with more news and insights into what God has been doing in my life and through me to reach other lives and communities.

Be blessed,

Patrick