On the Monday morning I was able to meet the students on Friends’ scholarships – currently 19, including the three Form 1 girls just added to the list (when I left Carole was just about to pay the money to the school for their Term 2 fees). A number of them gave me lovely thank you letters to the Friends for this support. I encouraged the management committee the previous evening to let us know about all the girls who needed support as we could find more money if need be. When I met Bishop Wilson Sitshebo later in the week he said that in these straightened times some families were no longer sending their daughters to school and putting all their money into their son’s education. Schools like St James were therefore more necessary than ever to give girls a fair chance in life.
Just before leaving the mission I was able to call in to the pre-school to see Margaret and Lingiwe teaching the children (who were joined by the Grade 1 children from the Primary School for some combined teaching). Some of them were wearing the new jumpers knitted by Jane Campbell’s group and looking very warm and smart in them. Amon then dropped me back at Carole Williams’ home and I was left marvelling at the miracle of St James – that through so many challenges over the years so much had been and is being achieved. Despite the current hardships the place is still recognisably the same, with church, clinic, pre-school secondary and primary schools functioning well. There is so much to be done, especially to the fabric of the place, which is looking distinctly tatty. With the tractor out of action the grass has not been cut and the risk from fire grows every day (though the spare parts for the tractor have now arrived in Bulawayo). But if the Friends can help with keeping the water supply going, providing scholarships for poor families and financial support for clinic medicines, help with the vehicles and with other equipment, the place will survive and be ready for the new Zimbabwe whenever it arrives. Everyone I met and especially the Management Committee were extremely grateful to the Friends for the support that we send, and so let us continue our efforts in the months and years ahead.
