We can’t believe where the days go, now halfway through our time here.  Each day passes so quickly, no sooner have we cleaned, fed & watered all the animals it seems like it’s time to put them all away again for the night.  Trips to the local village to buy feed, food and to deliver orders for quails & eggs, people visiting us to buy chickens or to see the quails and our other projects or going to visit our sponsored families and schools means our days are kept pretty full.

Good news is that the main road here has been bulldozed, which means the countless pot holes are slightly covered for now (although you have to keep your eyes peeled for the many that still try to catch you out!).  Trips to the local town are now quicker & easier, now 1½hrs instead of 2hrs, the trouble is that the local combi (minibus) drivers now go even faster and the dust as you drive along is like a thick fog, especially if you are driving facing the sun.  But it is much better than it has been for some time.

Spinach and cabbage gave us our first produce from the vegetable garden, both are very tasty cooked with peanut butter.

You may remember the story of Edeliwe, Beauty, Tatenda and her other grandchildren.  When we first got here we went to visit them as she was unable to come when we met with the other families.  We were able to give them another grocery package which was paid for by a donation from Beauty and Tatenda’s sponsors.  She also had a sick son living with her, which was adding pressure onto her already desperate situation (he has since moved to be looked after by the pastor of the local church he attends and is recovering well).  One of the buildings damaged by the rains had come down, her eldest son (who has his own family nearby) is trying to help her and has built her a makeshift small hut from the bricks of that building.  At the moment all 6 of them are sleeping in one round hut, which is also used as their kitchen.  She mentioned that her son would like to build her a new house but can’t afford to buy materials.  We have now met with the son to see what his plans are and what is needed in way of materials.  We agreed that what would be ideal would be a 2 roomed flat house, about 8m x 3m.  The cost for materials is around $500 and we are going to use some of the money from recent donations to buy the materials (we have ordered the bricks being made locally) and her son should be able to start working on it very soon.  It will be lovely to see this family with somewhere safe & warm to live.  It is also great to see her and the grandchildren now attending a local church.