I live in Zimbabwe and have always had a huge heart for children but not once did I ever think I would end up doing what I am doing now.

My story begins about 5 years ago when a friend who worked for me died. She had helped me tend my life, my house and my children, I was devastated!  She left a little orphan, Olie, who was only 4 years old.  Olie should have moved to live with her family in their family area "Kamusha", where the poverty is just terrible. I contacted her family and asked if she could carry on living with us. The remaining family were struggling to survive as it was so they agreed. 

This started to make me aware of the plight of orphans in our country and when I met a woman, who sells tomatoes on the side of the road in out area, she told me there was a grandmother who was looking after 5 of her grandchildren and she had no job or money.  I went to see them and said I can't promise anything but if I had an extra cabbage or bag of rice at the end of the month I would help her. 

That's where it all began and now I suppport107 orphans. 

I run an orphan organization that helps extended families or even family friends look after orphans.  These families have very little as it is, so they are unable to care for these children properly. 

Our aim is to reach out to these children and help where we can by clothing and feeding them and ensuring they have their school fees and the various items they need for school. We also offer Christian counseling and teaching to the children.  But our funds are very limited and we are struggling to do anything at the moment. 

The best option is for the children to be able to live amongst their own communities. I feel strongly that if you keep them in their community, going to their usual school and clinic, then  it's not as traumatizing for them. The orphanages care for the children until they are considered old enough to manage on their own where-after they get put out on the streets with no support or guidance. 

The tragic cycle starts again and the girls often fall pregnant and leave their babies at the orphanage.  We do have one amazing lady called Vanessa who lives in the community and has taken 3 of our kids into her home because they were being abused.  Vanessa is a nurse at the clinic and lives in a shack. 

Tumei is 25 years old.  Her legs swelled up some months ago so she went to the clinic in her area, there they told her that there was nothing they could do.  Some months later her feet started to rot and they were hanging off, so her brother, Makwani, put her in a wheel barrow and pushed her to the hospital. 

This family is very very poor and they are basically starving.  The road that they pushed her down was a rough, 4 kilometer road that is only accessible by 4 x 4 trucks. When she got to the local hospital, she was told that the hospital did not even have gloves and she would have to go to town. This was impossible as the bus trip into town is very expensive and the family does not have any money. 

The alternative suggestion, given by the hospital nurse, was to go home and give home care. After Makwani pushed her home again, he took a blade and chopped her hanging feet off.  This is hard to imagine but he did this to help her. 

When I went to see how I could help Tumei I found her lying in a small mud hut with half the thatched roof missing. The family came out to meet me and they were all very happy to see a visitor.  I don't think they have ever had a car parked in their yard. The family took me into a very dark hut and when my eyes finally adjusted to the lack of light I saw a crumpled human curled up on the mud floor covered with a few pieces of cloth. 

I could not promise to pay for Tumei's treatment as it would use up too much of the funds I needed for the orphans that depend on me. I could not ask my husband for yet more money.  He is so generous as it is.   With a heavy heart I went to buy some bandages, antiseptic, chlorine and food. 

That was the best I could do for now and one week later this is still troubling me so much. I feel so helpless so I decided to take my camera and photograph this poor woman and send the photographs to you. I have just come back from yet another emotional day and I have tried to tell Tumei's story in the hope that she can get some much needed help. This is only one of the thousands of sad stories of the suffering amongst the poor people in Zimbabwe but perhaps one life could be saved.

I know you also have such a love for Africa and children.   I have four wonderful volunteers who live in the area who don't have much more than the orphans but every week they are there to help me.  I could not do this with out them, they are truly special people.

Here are some photographs of Tumei and I have included some pictures of the orphans as well.

Many thanks for your time.

God Bless you 

Love Nat