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Welcome

Welcome to the web pages of the Zimbabwe AIDS Orphans Society (Zimbabwen AIDS-Orvot ry). The society's purpose is to collect funds and provide resources to poor Zimbabwean orphans in the Harare township of Dzivaresekwa for their basic education and welfare.

Our core principles include that the support payments are directed in their entirety for the benefit of the individual orphan in Zimbabwe and that the administrative costs in Finland are funded from other sources, such as membership fees and sales revenues.

In 2005 we received economic support from the Finnish embassy mission in Mupoto and for the period 20062008 we have been granted support under the Finnish Foreign Ministry's NGO Development Cooperation.

With the help of the individual annual support fees we pay the government school fees (three terms per year), school levies, uniforms, sportswear, schoolbooks and accessories, as well as support the orphans' sports, cultural and recreational activities.

 Since 2002 we have introduced, among other things:

    • one warm daily meal of maize meal with vegetables and meat or fish
    • basic health care for our orphans
    • a library with every required book at primary school and secondary school levels, as well as novels
    • extra lessons in English and Mathematics
    • an annual friendly sports competition for our children
    • visits to the theatre, cinema, animal parks etc.
    • music and drama lessons

The supportive society in Finland was founded in April 2003 on the initiative of the project founders and coordinators Seppo Ainamo and Oili Wuolle. It continues to act as the more formal tool of the original orphans' project initiated back in 1992. To read more about the background of the activity and how it all started click here.

The Executive Committee for the society meets approximately at 2 months' intervals to monitor the Trust's activities. The society was officially registered in April 2004 and we shall keep you informed about developments. All our sponsors and other interested people are invited to join as members. Click here to join and become a member. Click here to read news or about current activities.

Since September 2002 the legal vehicle of the project in Zimbabwe has been the Dzikwa Trust Fund. The Dzikwa Trust was established to plan, monitor and supervise the education project for AIDS orphans in the township of Dzivaresekwa, Harare. To read more about the Dzikwa Trust click here.

From June 2005, the Trust has also maintained a shelter home for 16 children otherwise-homeless orphans.

Our Mission

The fundamental purpose of the project
is to create prerequisites for poor and talented Dzivaresekwa orphans for their
sustainable education and welfare.

With the help of the individual annual support fees we pay the government school fees (three terms per year) school levies, uniforms, sportswear, schoolbooks and accessories, as well as occasional medical fees.

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Our Vision

The children chosen in the programme have better prerequisites to advance their own lives as well as to participate in building the welfare of their home country.

Our vision is that in the year 2010 we still have about 120 children from Dzivaresekwa attending various primary and secondary schools. A number of the children are attending a boarding school.  In addition, we have a few children in University or other tertiary education in Zimbabwe.

In Dzivaresekwa we have our own community centre, where the children can

  • have their daily meals
  • do their homework
  • participate in extra lessons
  • visit the library
  • get counselling and guidance

The staff in Zimbabwe consists of a local project manager, a project accountant as well as 3-4 people helping with educational and social support.

Our Strategy

The strategy of the programme is to collect funds and find sponsors to support the basic education and welfare of the enrolled poor and talented orphans in the Dzivaresekwa township of Harare.

The payments by individual sponsors are used in their entirely for the benefit of the children.

Children without a Sponsor

Occasionally we have some children for whom we are seeking a sponsor.  If you would like to become a sponsor, please visit our pages of Children without a Sponsor, there you might find someone to become “your child”.

Annual Report

To read our annual reports click on the links

Operational Plan

You can see our operational plan and budget for the year 2007 by clicking here.

DVD

At the turn of 20052006 a 26 minute DVD documentary film was made of our activities. It is available with commentary in Finnish by the renowned veteran of film and stage Matti Ranin and in English by theatre director Neil Hardwick. The DVD can be ordered for €20 + p&p €2,70 from Oili and Seppo.

At the turn of 20062007 another two short DVD films were made, one showing the arrival of the container of goods donated from Finland in Harare and the other about the visit to Dzivaresekwa by a group of teachers from Nurmijärvi in Finland in 2007.These are both about 1517 minutes long and are sold for €10 each.

News cuttings

The activities of the Zimbabwen AIDS Orphans Society has also received press coverage. See, for example, the report (in Finnish) from Kirkkonummen Sanomat, 21.08.2003, Tsilari 03/2004 (frontpage ja page two) or the Eeva magazine article December 2004.

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Brochures

With the kind help of Wellprint in Espoo, Finland we have been able to produce small leaflets presenting our activities.  They can be read also by clicking to page 1 and page 2.

Zimbabwe AIDS Orphans Registered Society, Siuntio, Finland

Copyright Zimbabwe AIDS Orphans Registered Society 2004-2006