August 6, 2009

CHICAGO – Monetary donations to buy food, seed and medical supplies from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) last year are helping the people of Zimbabwe now, said the Rev. Benyam A. Kassahun.

"As a result of that support many were able to survive," he said.

Kassahun is the program director for Southern Africa, ELCA Global Mission. He traveled to Zimbabwe recently to gauge the progress of the aid.

The ELCA is in the process of giving a total of $600,000 to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) to keep its four hospitals afloat. In December 2008 the ELCA gave $405,000 to purchase and deliver food for today and seed for long-term needs, and $260,000 to help the hospitals. The remaining $340,000 will be given in the amounts of $170,000 in 2009 and 2010.

Supply shelves at the four ELCZ hospitals were bare when Kassuhun visited in October 2008. They are now filled with supplies and medications, he said.

"Compared to last year and the year before, this was just a luxury," he said.

The hospitals are able to feed patients and medical staff, a feat that was not possible nine months ago. The money from the ELCA was used to purchase three to four months of food for the hospitals. Nurses and nurses' aides passed out while working because of malnutrition, and patients had to provide food for themselves, Kassahun said.

According to the CIA's World Factbook, inflation is 11.2 million percent in Zimbabwe, which makes the Zimbawean dollar useless. Patients are paying hospital fees with maize, goats and chickens. Kassahun said that this is a good sign.

"They are able to pay, and last year that wasn't the case," he said.

The maize, goats and chickens that patients pay with are going full circle. They are slaughtered and used in meals for patients and staff, adding more nutrients to everyone's diet.

Donations from other sources funded the reopening of the Mnene Hospital Nursing School in Mberengwa, Zimbabwe. Students danced and sang together in celebration before their final exams, Kassahun said.

"I never saw students dancing and singing for an exam (before)," he said. "They were so pleased to be able to complete their studies."

Employment opportunities are opening up for Zimbabweans in South Africa because of the 2010 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup soccer match in Johannesburg. South Africa has opened its border with Zimbabwe, giving its occupants 90-day work visas to be able to staff the international event.

Despite the change, much work remains in the next 18 months for Zimbabwe, when the country's next elections are to begin. Many are calling for the government to draft a new constitution and church groups are playing a large role because of their ability to reach people at the grassroots level, Kassahun said.

"The people are hopeful, but still hanging in the air," he said. "We have a long way to go."

An audio news story on ELCA Global Mission in Zimbabwe can be found at http://media.ELCA.org/audionews/ZimbabweJul09.mrc.MP3, on the Web.

More information on ELCA Global Mission in Zimbabwe can be found at http://tinyurl.com/mqafj2, on the Web.

ELCA News Service
Carrie L. Draeger is a senior communication major with a concentration in journalism at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash. This summer she is an intern with the ELCA News Service.