June 2010 Newsletter
South Africa & Zimbabwe Trip
It's now been just over two weeks since I returned from Zimbabwe and South Africa. I brought home with me five weeks of incredible stories as everyday we found ourselves amazed at God's unfolding journey for our lives. Not everyone has the opportunity to turn a terrible personal tragedy into a story of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to God for allowing us to be a part of the healing process both in Zimbabwe and South Africa. I can't possibly recount everything that happened here in this newsletter, but for those of you interested in learning more, please visit my blog (http://blog.compassionatejustice.com). I purposed to sit down each evening while in Africa to reflect on the days events.
The trip was divided into three segments. The first two weeks were spent reconnecting with people who I first met in September & October of 2009 in South Africa. At the same time we poured everything we had into launching our book "Saving Zimbabwe" by doing various media interviews. Due to the generosity of a friend, my wife Elizabeth was able to join me during this time. As always she was a great asset in keeping me on time, on point and in the right place! I was deeply moved by the response to the book and quite taken back by how quickly South Africans commented on its relevancy to current conditions in their nation.
One of the highlights of the book launch for me personally was listening to Matthew Marais (who lost his whole family in 1987 in the farm invasion) talk about forgiveness and reconciliation. There was not a dry eye in the room that night. As Elizabeth returned to Kansas City, I left for Zimbabwe for two weeks with my long time friend and colleague, Thabani Dube. He had joined me for many of the media interviews as I felt it was essential he have a voice concerning this story. As I tried to explain to people, I may have written the story but it was his life! As we ventured back to Zimbabwe together for the first time in 23 years, one of our first stops was at the gravesite of our 16 friends who were killed on Nov. 25th, 1987. It was a sober moment for both of us and captured in the middle photo above.
Another highlight captured in the photo on the above right was seeing Stephen Ncube who was one of the elders at The Community of Reconciliation. Stephen is now 88 years old and truly a great man. After the dissidents destroyed the community in 1987, he held everyone together in the village of Mbezingwe. I was in tears as he thanked me for telling the story of the community and its impact on the region. He has tried to tell the younger generations that there was a time that black and white Zimbabweans live together in peace and shared everything in common. Sadly, they haven't believed him! He said to me "your book is proof that this happened and we in fact lived it. Now I can pass my story on to my grandchildren in the hope that they can heal our nation."
We returned to South Africa after two weeks in Zimbabwe. While I saw much suffering, I also saw many signs of hope. As I shared on a number of news shows, there is a younger generation rising up that want no part of the conflict of their fathers. They want a very different Zimbabwe and I believe that given a chance, with the right motives they can do it. While we shared many things with many people, it is my firm belief that if Zimbabweans all gathered under the single banner "for our children and their children" and all decisions were made in light of this motive, you would see national transformation quickly. I have a great deal of hope for Zimbabwe as there are many, many Zimbabweans ready for change.
Project Compassionate Hands - Medical Supplies
While we were in Zimbabwe, Thabani and I had hoped we would be able to see the medical supplies from our Compassionate Hands project already in the hands of the hospitals and clinics who were to receive our donation. Unfortunately that was not the case as ZIMRA, Zimbabwe's customs organization, decided to delay the release of the supplies until after we had returned to South Africa. The supplies sat at the ZIMRA depot in Harare the whole time we were there while they unpacked the whole container in search of something that we had inadvertently left off the shipping manifest. After a week of delays and not finding anything (we were very detailed) they then charged us storage fees, medical fees and anything else they could think of for an additional $2,200.
While it was extremely frustrating not to be there to share in the joy, we were thrilled to see the photos of the container being unloaded at Voice of Peace on May 8th. This week Richard Ndlovu, the administrator at the Mtshabezi Hospital in Southern Zimbabwe will be driving up to Harare to pick up a truck load of supplies. Thabani and I took a tour of their hospital and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the staff. I greatly respect the doctors who have remained in Zimbabwe underpaid and working in less than ideal circumstances. They are there out of principle and not for personal gain. It's people like that our organization looks to partner with as they are the true heroes. Tatenda & Lucia Gungewo of Voice of Peace are planning on taking possession of their clinic building next month and we look forward to seeing photos of it up and operational. Not only will it be used to supply health care for thousands of orphaned children, it will function as a base for mobile medical clinic into the rural areas.
Project Aspire - Books for Schools
In talking with a number of educators in Zimbabwe, we discovered that there is a serious shortage of textbooks and library books in the country. Minister of Education David Coltart has secured a number of grants to purchase new textbooks but this won't be nearly enough to turn things around. As he told us in February, Zimbabwe hasn't had a curriculum update since 1982 and currently just has one textbook per 30 students! One of the keys to transforming the nation is the revitalization of the education sector. We have to prepare the children to be the nations leaders in every segment of society.
We recently discovered that just like medical supplies in the US, books only have a few years lifespan in American schools. As new books are brought in, the used ones are sent to be ground up and recycled into cat litter or oil absorption products. In most cases the companies that supply the books are required in their contracts to dispose of the used books. They try and sell some, but 90% are sold off to recycling companies. In our case, a door has opened for a number of these companies to donate truckloads of books to Compassionate Justice in order to help us in Zimbabwe.
We will start sorting through books on June 7th and work through the summer aiming to send the first container to Zimbabwe in September. Our goal is to ship 4 containers full of books over the next 12 months. Please consider helping us with the cost of $15,000 per container. We would also like to purchase the containers for an additional $5,000 in order to use them for secure storage of the books and later converted into other purposes. It is our goal to rebuild the libraries of as many schools as possible using the resources we have been given.
Project - Saving Zimbabwe
For those of you new to Compassionate Justice, this non-profit organization was formed as a result of a book I originally wrote in 2008 titled "Saving Zimbabwe; Life, Death & Hope in Africa". It tells the story of The Community of Reconciliation, an agri-based, racial integrated community in southern Zimbabwe in the 1980's. Tragically, on Nov. 25th, 1987 sixteen people were murdered on the project by people who simply didn't get it and were motivated by selfish-ambition and greed. In Feb. 2009 the book was released in the US only. As copies made their way around the world, I was asked if we would be willing to release an "English-cized" version in Africa, the UK and Australia and New Zealand. On April 10th, 2010 the book was released in South Africa by Struik Christian Media and is now on sale in all leading retailers there.
The initial response has been very good as people are intrigued by my perspective on what is at the root of Zimbabwe's problems. As I reiterated during each interview, true and lasting change starts in the heart. Corruption and racism, which have plagued the African continent for decades, are not economic or political problems as much as they are issues of the heart that play out in those arena's. The reason real change never eventuates is because we are not dealing with the real problem which is self-ambition and greed.
I have been very encouraged by the emails and letters we are getting from those who have read the new edition of the book. It is our hope that it will be a catalyst for deep discussion and a contributor to the healing and reconciliation movement that needs to take place in Africa.
We have been told by the publisher that the book will be released in the UK sometime in July. Once we get a specific date we will pass it on. We appreciate all your help in getting the word out and please feel free to write us and tell us how the book affected you personally.
For those passing through Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, the book is at Exclusive Bookstore there!
Where can you find us:
Compassionate Justice International website: www.compassionatejustice.com
Saving Zimbabwe book website: www.savingzimbabwe.com
CJI Director Bob Scott's Blog: http://blog.compassionatejustice.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/compassionatejustice