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Friends of Nabushome School
October 2014
Dear Friends and Supporters of Nabushome School,
There are several new developments to report, both at Nabushome and in our society.
1. Personalia
On Saturday, 11 October 2014, this year's annual general meeting of our society took place.
The most important items on the agenda were approval of the Executive Committee's actions
over the past year and elections to the Committee.
The meeting was preceded by a cash audit, performed by cash auditors Andreas and Christa
Retzer.
The following were elected:
Chairman: Paul Ziehl (as hitherto)
Vice-Chairman: Stefan Ziehl (new)
Secretary: Tony Kemp (new)
Treasurer: Inge Ziehl (as hitherto)
Cash auditors: Andreas and Christa Retzer (new)
Homepage agent: Barbara Ziehl (new)
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Herbert Wittmann (Vice-Chairman
since the society's foundation) and Anneliese Wittmann (Secretary since the society's
foundation) very much indeed for their many years of service and loyalty to our society.
Friends of Nabushome School
We wish our newly elected members much joy and satisfaction in their new, responsible
jobs.
Here is a brief introduction to the new members:
Stefan and Barbara have already visited Nabushome twice, and will be going there for third
time at the end of next year. So they know what it's like "on the ground" and have been well
acquainted with the society's work for many years.
Tony, a long-standing supporter of the society, has been translating our website and
newsletters into English for some years now. He is English and works as a professional
translator. As a soon-to-be retiree, he is prepared to devote the necessary time to his new
job.
Andreas and Christa have also been supporters of our society for many years. With one son
currently at school, they can contribute experience from current (Bavarian) schools, as well
as a great deal of enthusiasm.
We are confident that we are now well set for creatively addressing and mastering future
challenges.
Friends of Nabushome School
A few words of explanation regarding of our society
From the group of (financial) supporters, a relatively small group of seven people has formed
who are prepared to manage the society and take care of the many different jobs that need
to be done.
If any of you would like to join this group of members, please let us know. We are not a
society in which only an exclusive group of persons can participate. Everyone is cordially
welcome to do so.
We are open to any requests, and would be delighted if anyone wishes to join our team on a
regular basis.
Don't worry – there is always plenty to do!
What does "participating" mean? Here are the most important points/conditions:
You have to be prepared to devote the necessary time to take on one or more specific
tasks in the society without any payment, i.e. on an entirely voluntary basis. But this
post should not only exist on paper: it means actually doing something in practice.
Willingness to meet regularly with the other members to discuss topics and to come to
decisions. This is also a forum for new ideas. We try to set the dates for meetings so
that everyone can attend. For urgent matters, we use the telephone and also know
how to send emails!
Friends of Nabushome School
Every member should be equally well informed. This means not only being briefed but
also informing yourself, so that each member is in a position to fully answer the
questions of our supporters.
Willingness (not a "must") to travel to Nabushome. The travel expenses have to be
borne entirely by the members themselves, however. Our promise: Every cent donated
goes 100% to Nabushome. We do not have any administrative expenses – that is an
important component of our success and the trust that supporters place in us.
Veronica teaches her class their times tables.
2. New school building
We did it! The financing is in place. The construction work is now about to start, following
delivery of the first 6,000 bricks fired in the various villages to the building site in
Nabushome, which has already been cleared. Work can begin!
We will be kept up to date by the school on progress during the construction phase, and will
naturally pass on news of important developments to you.
Sincerest thanks to all who contributed to the financing. It's really heart-touching when you
look at the individual donations and the stories behind them. Here are just a few examples:
Collections on the occasion of a retirement party
Donations in connection with a "relocation party"
Friends of Nabushome School
Football wager during the last World Cup, in which football enthusiasts from England
and the USA took part as well as fans from Germany
Children from Bavaria giving up their pocket money to help children in Africa
Money earned from sales on eBay
And naturally not forgetting the numerous special donations from our supporters, in
addition to their annual contributions.
Work on the new school building has begun.
Friends of Nabushome School
Ivy Sewela (Deputy Head) looks proudly at the first delivery of self-fired bricks for the new
building.
Friendliness that is infectious...
There can be no greater thanks for our support.
Friends of Nabushome School
School-beginners at Nabushome School in their new tracksuits for the cooler season.
3. School garden at Nabushome
The garden is continuing to develop as planned.
At the school, they are particularly grateful that the new well – constructed with donations
from our supporters and solely for irrigating the garden – means they are not dependent on
rain.
Although the African summer is only just beginning in Nabushome, it is already very hot.
Normally, the garden would not stand a chance...
The crops now growing in the school garden include maize, spinach, chomollier, covo, rape,
okra, tsunga, pumpkins, onions and more than 100 tomato plants.
Besides this, there are numerous fruit trees, including four mango saplings from Victoria Falls,
which we ourselves had the honour of planting.
Friends of Nabushome School
Gardening experts among themselves.
In the foreground: just some of the tomato plants.
Friends of Nabushome School
Today, there is a delicious pumpkin dish from the school garden.
Little Nompumelelo (first grade) looks a bit unsure with her portion of pumpkin. But after all,
it's not every day you have your photo taken.
Friends of Nabushome School
The washing-up after lunch needs to be done as well.
4. Society flyer
From many discussions with you over the years, we know that our supporters are always happy
to promote our cause. That is one of the main reasons for our success. One supporter after
another has joined us in this way, which has enabled us to realise many of the projects at
Nabushome.
Especially in the last few years, our website has proved an important "reference work". We are
keen to make sure it is kept up to date. Following the recent elections, we now even have a
homepage agent, whose job is to make sure that there is nothing out of date on our website.
To give people who have heard of us a quick overview of exactly who we are and what we do,
we have also compiled a society flyer. Initial feedback on this has been positive, so we are now
officially releasing the document, first in German and subsequently in English. As you will see,
it is a "maxi flyer" (in aviation terms, we would call it a "wide-body aircraft"). The reason for
its size is that we have so much information that is important to us all. Over the years, we have
been asked many questions, which we have always been happy to answer. We have also tried
to incorporate these questions and the answers into the flyer. People who are interested in us
generally have a number of questions, and that is a good thing. Indeed, we have sometimes
learned something from these questions as well.
We hope you will find the flyer interesting and not too overwhelming.
We also intend to post the flyer on our website, where it will be regularly updated.
Friends of Nabushome School
Looks like a fascinating lesson.
The excitement is mounting: The final exam for the ninth-grade pupils of Nabushome has
started. The four best pupils get a scholarship from our sponsors to attend Nechilibi Secondary
School.
Friends of Nabushome School
5. Child with a problem - Faith Sibanda
As you know from previous newsletters, Faith - a pupil at Nabushome - suffered from a severe
distortion of one foot. She was unable to walk unaided.
During our visits to the school, we had grown very fond of her. We therefore decided last year
to finance some lengthy medical treatment. The costs of the necessary trips and the medical
treatment itself, including an operation, were financed privately (i.e. not from the society's
funds).
To obtain the treatment, Faith, her mother and a teacher had to undertake a bus journey
lasting several hours to the hospital in Bulawayo some 300 km away.
After more than 30 journeys, we are now able to report the successful conclusion of the
treatment. Faith recently received special shoes which help to stabilise the foot that was
operated on.
She can now walk unaided, without crutches or sticks, which – as we hear from the school –
she does with huge enjoyment.
The outcome, then, is a wonderful feeling of happiness for the girl, her parents, the teachers,
and naturally for us.
Faith is no longer a child with a problem!
Our little friend Faith with her mother, prior to the medical treatment.
Friends of Nabushome School
I would like to close with this happy news.
Cordial thanks for all your financial support – in some cases over many years – for our many
projects in Nabushome and Nechilibi.
As you can see, Nabushome is growing and thriving, and all thanks to your help!
Why approximate, when you can give the exact measurement? That, too, is Africa.
Signpost to Nabushome School.
Something else very important to finish with:
If you would like to promote our cause, please use our new flyer or refer people to our
website at www.foerderer-der-nabushome-school.de. This contains more or less everything
those interested need to know about us. Our many short videos, which can be viewed at
www.youtube.com under the heading “Nabushome”, give a good idea of the situation “live on
the spot”.
Friends of Nabushome School
Thanks again for your support and trust.
I would be delighted to hear from you.
With African best wishes,
Sincerely,
Paul Ziehl
