Abantwana Bethemba Project (local language for 'Children of hope'),

Park Grove members Ann & Phil Smith have a daughter, Sue, who is working in Zimbabwe. The church. with which she is working are involved in running this important project and has asked us to be involved in supporting it. The Abantwana Bethemba Project (local language for 'Children of hope'), cares for children of Umgaza, which is a poor, semi-rural subsistence-farming community on the outskirts of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The project provides a support programme for orphan and vulnerable children aged 4 - 6 years, who have no access or opportunity for early childhood development and educational experience. Many of them have been made vulnerable by HIV/Aids and some are orphaned. Stress is caused by the death of parents or care-givers. There is a background of poverty, violence and discrimination. Some suffer from lack of life-skills. A caring atmosphere helps the children deal with their loss and there is an element for them to enjoy childhood. Food is provided, three times a week. Volunteers are members of the Umgaza Church and they all receive 5 days training.
Below you will find out more about Sue.
As a teenager, Sue wanted to train as an Occupational Therapist. She even changed school to take the appropriate 'A' Levels. However, at school-leaving age, she felt a calling and abandoned her University place and started volunteer work within her church - the New Frontiers International church. She worked on several projects and also did several courses, such as pastoral care, youth leadership and pregnancy counselling, She felt strongly led to go to Africa and worked in Cape Town at the NFI Jubilee Church, nominally as PA to the principal minister there, but also did pastoral work with the women, including outreach to the townships and the women's jail. We don't know the full extent of her work, but things slip out, like she suddenly realised she was preaching the Bible to women who were murderers! Then she felt led to go to work in Zimbabwe. Everyone knows that there are problems, the first being that they won't give you a visa to do volunteer church work, so she had to enrol in a Theology College (which has the benefit of increasing her knowledge!) Her principal work is within the NFI church in Bulawayo, student ministry, pastoral work, music and assisting the minister in training new ministers. She feels its important to be accepted by the people and was very pleased to be a bridesmaid at one of the weddings.