Cathy Dyer, from Marcham, Abingdon, travelled to Zimbabwe to meet her sponsored child, Advance. She tells us about meeting Advance. Watch her video and read her story.
“My trip began with an overnight flight to Johannesburg and then an hour-long flight over to Bulawayo where I spent a night with family friends. The next day Plan staff collected me to take me to visit Advance, and to see some of Plan’s projects in his community.
From Bulawayo, it was about a two hour car journey to the village. My first visit was to the secondary school. I met the deputy head teacher and was taken to meet Advance in his class. Luckily, I spotted him in the back row after a few seconds, avoiding any embarrassment, and everyone cheered!
Singing and dancing
Advance came with us to see the local primary school. The villagers had gathered and ladies and gentlemen from the whole community were waiting outside the school in the shade under a tree. There was singing and dancing to welcome me. I was then taken to say hello again to the deputy head in his office before we went round to the back of the school where there was more dancing and singing. There were children sitting in the shade under a big tree and tables had been laid out with white tablecloths and artificial flowers.
Speeches welcoming me were then given to the assembled audience. Plan and their sponsors were praised highly for all that they had done to help the community. Then the children danced, sang and read poetry.
I was given a chance to stand up and say a few words – I thanked everyone for such a lovely welcome and told them what a special visit it was for me. I was invited to give out my presents and I gave a wind-up radio to the kraal head. The deputy head said this was a very good present as it didn’t need batteries.
A special gift
I was invited to hand out the pencils, pens, paper, balloons, whistles, little notebooks and colouring-in books that I had brought with me. I had also brought some baby cardigans and knitted hats which I was able to give to some mothers. I was given presents from the ladies in return – many baskets, two floor mats and two wall hangings and a lovely wooden carved elephant from Advance himself.
Advance was lifted up in front of everyone and praised as a special person. After all the gifts we enjoyed more singing and dancing and I was invited to join in. It was a bit embarrassing, but it was good fun! There were hugs, smiles and laughter all round and it felt very special.
Sanibonani
We then drove from the school to the village where it was mostly ladies sitting in the shade waiting for me along with just two men. I went to each, shook hands and said “Sanibonani. Unjani?” “Good day. How are you?”
I was shown around the kraal by a young man who is from the village but now lives in Bulawayo with his family. He said he was a musician and had played at the Edinburgh Festival.
The kraal consisted of five or six huts, including a kitchen hut with a fire going and a main hut with a sofa and three chairs. This hut had very beautiful decorations on the walls and home made shelves.
I was shown the maize field and told how the rainy season had stopped prematurely in January causing many crops to fail. If people plant their maize in different stages then there is more chance of a later successful crop. They also grow beans and groundnuts and pumpkins too.
Good food and goodbyes
I was treated to a meal in the hut. We had cooked beans and nuts and pumpkin leaves and cooked corn meal (also called pap or isitshwala in Ndebele) and corn on the cob with water to drink. We washed our hands, put food on our plate using serving spoons and then ate with our fingers as is traditional. A lovely cool breeze was coming through the doorway as we sat and ate.
I gave Advance two tops and a football book and I gave his granny Edina food we had bought and some head scarves and woollen hats. They thanked me kindly. Advance showed me two photos of his mother, now sadly deceased; one of when she was a girl and one of her as a young woman.
Then it was sadly time to say goodbye to Advance and his family. It had been a very special visit to Zimbabwe. Thank you so much to Plan for facilitating it and to the family and villagers who made me so welcome.”
How you can get involved
By visiting Advance, Cathy was able to see first hand how sponsorship contributions are helping his community. Sponsoring a child, like Cathy does, enables you to make a lasting difference to the lives of those who need it most.
Thanks to our supporters, Plan is working with thousands of communities around the world on many projects.
Sponsor a child today