It’s been another eventful week. On Monday I met Mr. Dimba, the Headmaster of Mutumbara Primary School and learned what is needed to enroll two children in that boarding-school. I liked him very much and think the children I’ll be sponsoring there will be in good hands. On Friday I was able to deposit the funds needed for their fees for the next term.
On Wednesday, I met Rev. Chitsiku, the District Superintendent of the Mutare district of the United Methodist Church. Then a team of four of us went to the Zimunyu Skills Training Center located about twelve miles south of Mutare to evaluate its progress. The Center’s program of teaching skills valuable for rural adults and communities began one year ago, but its slow development has been a concern. We met the administrator of the program, saw what has been done there, and heard his plans for the rest of this year. On Friday afternoon, our team reported back to Rev. Chitsiku. The result of the following discussion was a commitment to move quickly into developing small scale agricultural demonstration and teaching programs at the Center. Animal husbandry, gardening, sewing, and other practical skills will be modeled and taught. The DS emphasized getting these started immediately. His strong support will make it happen!
Friday evening, I had a “farewell dinner” with the Sarimana family at the Inn on the Vumba, a lovely place located several miles south of Mutare in the Vumba mountains. The Sarimanas are good friends, having been my host family in Mutare many times, and our farewell dinner near the end of my stay is always nice.
This weekend I’ve been busy giving and/or proctoring more Final Examinations at AU. I’ll have them all marked and final grades given before I leave at the end of the week. The semester has gone by quickly!
