Why Zimbabwe?
The inspiration for the water well ministry came about during a summer study in Arkansas in 1997 where Bobby met Rev. Mark Makura. Rev. Makura’s stories of his home touched Bobby and planted a seed that was ready for harvest over fifteen years later.
If you’ve never been to Africa, Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in the southern part. It’s known for its dramatic landscape and diverse wildlife. It’s home to Victoria Falls, and national parks with hippos, rhinos and birdlife.
Construction and Children’s Home 2017
We were able to bring several groups over to Zimbabwe in March of 2017. Two of them were from the Licking County area. A Construction team helped work on a children’s homes as well as build a quarantine area for an animal rescue. The other team was youth driven. They visited Sister Mercy’s Children home and also did a pump repair.
Chipinge 2017
We teamed up with the Collins family to do 3 clean water projects. One of the family members (Ashley) had gone to college with a gentleman from Zimbabwe, so she wanted to put a borehole/pump in his home village.
They were also able to help us provide a borehole for villagers just outside the national park. The farmers kept bringing their livestock into the park and causing harm to the wildlife. We provided a borehole for the people with a trough for their livestock.
Ashley and Tyler actually got engaged on this trip
Mutare 2017
I met Margret by chance, but I am so glad that I did. She runs a childrens home and is also the head of all the children in her area, including the bush. We were able to give her a new borehole on her property. 3 days after ours was finished, her old one failed.
Shungu Dzevana Children’s Home (March 2016)
We found this children’s home through Rotary Harare West. We were able to help them get clean water access via two boreholes located at their new buildings across the street. We also repaired a tank and stand that had collapsed.
They care for over 150 kids, half are in Harare and Half are in a rural area called Mhondoro.
Good Samaritan Children’s Home (March 2016)
We actually stumbled across this place by the hand of God Himself! These kids were on the brink of starvation. We installed new toilets and septic as well as a new borehole. The church group that went with us donated $2,000.00 for food supplies.
Warren Park (March 2016)
This suburb of Harare is dear and close to Bobby’s heart. Warren Park is where Rev. Makura is buried and where one of the churches that he founded, Gospel Assembly, still functions. This borehole project was dedicated in memory of him.
Epworth (July 2015)
Epworth experienced a large influx of people during the late 1970s and early 1980s with the population being 20,000 in 1980 and 35,000 in 1987. The Methodist Church could not control the influx of people, and therefore transferred ownership of the farm to the Ministry of Local Government in 1983.
By 2002, the population was 113,884. Epworth had not been planned as an urban residential area, and therefore this rapid increase in population was occurring on land without any water supply and sanitation facilities. Epworth became the only informal settlement to have been tolerated by the Zimbabwean Government in the post-independence period because of the long history of settlement by some of the residents. The government decided to upgrade rather than demolish the informal settlement. Since most residents of Epworth had settled in the area spontaneously, public utilities such as water, sewage, and electricity were lacking before government intervention.
A local board formed in 1986 under the Urban Councils Act whose members are elected by the community, is responsible for managing the area including the collection of rates and other levies. Epworth was initially developed into four sub-areas but as the population increased it expanded to nine sub-areas that had extensive squatter settlements.
Mutare (December 2015)
Mutare (known as Umtali until 1983) is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe after Gweru, with an urban population of around 188,243 and rural population of around 260,567. It is the capital of Manicaland province.
The crops used to suffer not because of lack of knowledge of how to preserve the land, but due to lack of water. Pictured is the water source for the whole farming community. They could not water their crops because everyone’s household water was from here.
Chitungwiza (April 2015)
This borehole came as a surprise for us. We had funds of $2000 for a borehole in Kezi, and the drilling company backed out. We took that money and instead drilled a borehole here in Chitungwiza where over 6,000 people now have access to water. The church where we placed the pump had been praying for water. God is faithful!
Celebration Children’s Home (April 2015)
Mabvuku (January 2015)
Domboshava (September 2013)
