Fambai Zvkakanaka (Travel Well)

FOSA Newsletter

Summer 2014

Dreams Realized: Faith and Dedication Build Children’s Homes by Judy Ahlschwede, Vice Chairperson

How does one summarize a journey of 16

years in one small article? For me it started

in 1998

when I first

traveled to

Zimbabwe to

visit my

daughter

Christie,

whom with a

friend, were

the founders

of Fairfield

Outreach and Sponsors Association (FOSA).

From there it was a journey of love and

faith. Love of the children and the people

of Zimbabwe and faith that God would

guide me on this journey.

The vision of the Fairfield Homes

blossomed the winter of 2001, when a

small group of impassioned individuals

planned and dreamed together. The group

asked and God graced me with the honor of

serving as Chairman of FOSA and the

building project. This building project would

allow the children to have a mother to love

them and allow them to live together and

grow up as a family. In the old system the

children lived under very difficult conditions

and were relocated to different institutions

when they reached the age of 5.

FOSA began our work of sharing and

making people aware of the predicament

of the little ones. We worked diligently

with those in Zimbabwe. As inflation in

Zimbabwe spiraled

out of control, it was

three years filled

with challenges,

tears, faith, hope,

and prayer. Prayers

for strength to

endure, for

guidance, for

patience, and for

courage. Faith was

our ever present companion with this our

guide.

Faith is:

Knowing, before it is done.

Believing, before it is proven.

Loving, before you are loved.

Giving, before you have received.

Faith is Trusting in God.

The day of great joy came in May of

2004, when the children moved into the

Homes. I will never forget a song the

children sang to me as tears streamed

down my face: “Thank you for giving us a

Musha, a place to call home.”

As I have returned to Fairfield Children’s

Homes through the years, I thank God for

Celebrating 10 Years Homes

in t

he

many things . . . for sparkling eyes,

brighter smiles and healthier children.

For babies that now get to come directly

to the Homes to be loved and cared for,

for children that no longer cling, but

wave and smile instead because they

now feel secure and loved. For better

educational opportunities, for a faithful

board, for all our generous and loving

sponsors and donors for without you

none of this would be possible. And

most of all I am thankful for all the

amazing mothers, aunties, staff and

administrators of Fairfield that love, care

for, and guide the children each and

every day.

Website: www.fosakids.org Email: fosakids80@gmail.com

Children at the original orphanage.

by Janine Roberts, FOSA Liaison

I first visited Fairfield Orphanage in

1998 and 2002. Over 40 children were

living in one small structure with

dormitory bedrooms for the boys and

girls. They spent most of their time

wandering around the outside

courtyard all day while three staff

workers were busy washing all the

clothes and preparing food for the

children. The children had no personal

belongings and clothes would be

thrown in a big heap each morning still

smelling slightly of urine as each child

dove in trying to be the first to reach

their favorite clothing item. The

Children Excel Moving from Orphanage to Family-Style Homes children were poorly behaved and did not

do well in school.

I returned to live at

Fairfield just a few

weeks after the children

had moved in to their

newly built homes in

2004. Many were afraid

at first to enter their

houses because they

were not used to them.

The number of children

doubled almost

overnight to fill up the new homes.

We now had 80 children in groups of

10 taken care of by their very own

mother who was hired full time to

take care of them. The change was

almost immediate in the children as

they realized they now had someone

to love them, help them with

homework, and take them to the

hospital when they were sick. They

now had brothers and sisters to look

up to and stand up for at school.

As I have watched our children grow

up over the last ten years, it is truly

amazing to see how Fairfield Children’s

Home has changed their lives. Our

children are often top of their class and

many are preparing to go to college and

university. This would never have

happened if

they remained

in the old

orphanage.

Our children are

healthy now,

eating fresh

foods from our

gardens and

food donated by

local churches.

Children in institution-style orphanages

in Zimbabwe have little hope for a bright

future. While the family-style homes at

Fairfield require more staff and are

therefore much more expensive to run,

the end result far outweighs any cost.

Our children are happy and well-

adjusted and I believe they will go out

into the world and make a difference.

Many have expressed a desire to give

back and work with other orphans when

they leave Fairfield. Children need to

grow up in a family, and the staff at

Fairfield treat the children as their own.

From left to right: A beautiful soapstone sculpture of a mother and child, representing the best of Fairfield. One of the huts on

the grounds. A child enjoying one of the chickens growing at Fairfield.

Children at the original orphanage

(Babyfold).

One of the homes being built.

by Emily Greising, FOSA Board Member

I remember walking into the orphanage

for the first time, overwhelmed by the

sights and smells. Walking through the

front door of an unassuming brick

building, the first things you see are rooms

to the right and left. Each room is full of

cribs, some with sleeping babies, all

smelling of dirty laundry. As you proceed

to the right and through the next door,

you are welcomed by the bright sunlight as

it pours in from the courtyard. Here you

find children, running and grabbing for

your attention. Each with a vibrant spirit,

all longing for something they are missing.

When I was first presented with the idea

of traveling to Zimbabwe in 1999, I was a

sophomore in high school and I had no

idea where Zimbabwe was. However, I

soon learned that this place would hold a

very special place in my heart. During the

trip we were given the chance to visit the

children at Fairfield orphanage. Fairfield

was home to around 30 children. We only

spent two days visiting the children, but

these days were the most poignant of the

trip.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough

to return to Zimbabwe, and the

orphanage, several times with my friends

and family. As we left the orphanage

after the first few visits, I would worry

about what would happen to the children.

Despite the care they received from the

nannies, it was not an ideal environment

for a child to grow up.

After getting to know each of the

children, I felt a deep connection to

Fairfield and wanted to make sure they

would be ok. Through a series of fortunate

events, I learned about Fairfield

Orphanage and Sponsors Association, or

FOSA. FOSA was dedicated to improving

the lives of the children at the orphanage,

the same children I was desperate to help.

They were able to put into place an

organization that allowed connection to

the children and an opportunity to work to

better their lives.

The plan was to build new homes that

would replace the old orphanage building.

Soon the children would be living in

houses with eight to ten children who

would become their siblings, a woman

who would serve as their mother and

other ‘aunties’ who would create a strong

community. When family care is not an

option, this is considered to be a best

practice model for children living in an

orphanage.

With the plan to build these homes also

came approval from the government to

care for older children. Children would

now be able to stay at Fairfield until the

age of 18, allowing them the opportunity

to grow up with one sense of place.

Since 2004 the children have been

living in homes, attending school, doing

chores and living in a family. As the

afternoon sun shines over the homes,

children start wandering in from school.

They walk, or run straight to their house,

change their clothes, eat lunch, begin their

afternoon chores and start their

homework. At the old orphanage, there

were no organized chores and homework

was rarely done.

Fairfield Children’s Homes: “A Thriving Community” I remember the first time I returned to

Fairfield after everyone had settled into the

homes. There was no longer the chaos of

many children eating and sleeping in one

small building. The children had matured

and gained a sense of responsibility and

pride. Now you will see babies being picked

up by their siblings or carried on their

mother’s back as they do

their daily housekeeping and

homework is a community

event. Children from each

home come together to work

through problems, ask each

other questions and study

for their yearly exams. One

visitor described Fairfield as

“a neighborhood of homes, a

thriving community.”

On this 10th anniversary of

the homes, I am reminded of

the stability and

encouragement the children

have received through this community. I

never imagined that I would be able to

watch them grow up and travel back to visit

them as a friend. What an honor and

privilege it has been to share their story.

As I thought about my experience with

Fairfield, the first thing that came to mind

was to ask Moses, a child who grew up at

Fairfield, for one of his memories of our

time together. Through a Facebook

message, he reminded me that the first

time I left the orphanage, I gave him a

watch and I cried. I cried because I was

overwhelmed with the uncertainty of the

future. When we saw Moses in Harare

during our last visit in 2011, when he left, I

cried, but this time they were tears of hope.

For the children at Fairfield, I hope they

will continue to find stability in the homes,

love in the community and sense of place

and pride that will lead them into

adulthood.

One of the families moving into their home in 2004.

Website: www.fosakids.org Email: fosakids80@gmail.com

Continued Support Imperative

As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the

Homes, we are reminded of the work that

still needs to be done. We are in need of

additional support in order to adequately

help to support the children and staff of

Fairfield. Due to the continued decrease in

value of the US dollar, we currently seek six

sponsors per child.

We know that like many of us, our sponsors

and donors have passion and drive to

support Fairfield Children’s Homes, please

consider a bi-annual donation to help us

meet the needs of all 80 children. Visit

www.fosakids.org to donate today.

7914 West Dodge Road #122

Omaha, NE 68114

We have a new address for donations and correspondence. We can assure you that this change will not affect the processing of

your donations or sponsorships. Our corporate address remains in Indianapolis; however we now ask that you send all donations,

sponsorships and notes to: FOSA, 7914 West Dodge Road #122, Omaha, NE 68114.

Note: FOSA’s New Address

FOSA board

members Pat

Groves and

Christian Kakez-

A-Kapend bike

444 miles with

students from

Drew University

under Purdue

University

Ministry.

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