During the October Harvest 2017, we raised £304.35 for the Toilet Twinning project. Your generous donations raised enough money to twin our toilets with a toilet block, built to provide a safe, sanitised facility for a community in desperate need of our support. We are delighted to be able to give you details of this incredible venture:

Jessie' House, Zimbabwe is a project which aims to give better life chances and permanent educational opportunities for orphans and children at risk in Muzondo village, Zimbabwe. Muzondo village has a population of 4,100. It has a high number of child-headed families, mainly due to HIV/AIDS and political and economic instability. The village has very poor infrastructure with no schools and only one small clinic. 

The centre (Jessie's House) aims to establish a primary school within the next 4 years; beginning with a Day Care Centre which opened in 2016. The centre provides basic nutrition, medical care and preschool education, for children 6 years and under in addition to a new water supply which serves the entire community.

The centre is named after Jessica Smith, who passed away in 2007, aged just 22. Jessica had previously visited Zimbabwe and was deeply inspired by the spirit of the people and the need that she saw there. It was her greatest desire to do something to make a difference for the people she had grown to love.

Zimbabwe is facing its worst malnutrition rates in 15 years and Muzondo is one of the rural areas in a state of disaster. Jessie's House is currently providing a feeding programme to over 70 children.

Now, with our support, the centre will receive funding to build a toilet block (forever twinned with Walkley Primary School) which will greatly enhance the centre, ready for its growth into the vision inspired by Jessica Smith.

We will of course update you on the venture as we establish links with the Muzondo community and our support of Jessie's House.

Many thanks.