St. James' Mission and School, Zimbabwe
Friends of St James’ Mission and School, Nymandhlovu
Registered Charity No. 1017217
St James’ Mission and School is 50 miles outside the second city of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, at a place called Nymandhlovu, which means ‘elephant meat’ (hence the elephant above!) The secondary school is boarding and has around 500 girls. The primary school serves the local community and has around 200 boys and girls. There is a clinic that serves the local population as well as the schools and the pre-school. The mission is owned by the Anglican Church and the government pays teachers' salaries. Pupils at the secondary school pay fees for accommodation and food.
Fr Stephen was a volunteer teacher at St James’ Mission and School from 1986 to 1988. He returned there with his family in 1993 as chaplain and teacher and worked there until 1999.
The Friends of St James was established in the late 1980s by a group of voluntary teachers from the UK who met together after they came back from Zimbabwe and decided they could do something to support the ongoing work of St James. Fr Stephen was part of this group. The Friends raise money for scholarships for poor rural girls to attend the secondary school. They also support the work of the clinic as it serves the local rural population (who are mostly subsistance farmers) and provide funds for a feeding scheme for the primary school children. They also raise funds for special capital projects, such as sinking a new borehole and purchasing a landrover for the mission. In these difficult times for Zimbabwe the Friends make a real difference to what the mission can do for the poor. They also show the staff that they are not forgotten and have support from many in the UK.
In 2009 the Friends raised around £19,000, which was the highest figure yet achieved and very
pleasing during a recession. But the needs at St James’ get ever greater (for example it now costs £500 for one scholarship) and so the committee is increasing its efforts to extend the work.
A website with more information is at www.fsjms.org.uk/ Donations can be sent to the Treasurer, Mrs Elizabeth Wakefield, 5 Catherstone Close, Frome BA11 4HR.
St. Martin's is supporting the Friends through a Mission Donation and collections at selected events.