Greetings friends, we hope you continue to be safe and well. Thank you all once again for your generous donations and for sharing this campaign so widely. We have again surpassed our intended target and are so grateful for the compassion you have shown. UNICEF Zimbabwe recently reported on the effect of COVID-19 on Zimbabwe’s hunger crisis. They stated that about 7.7 million people are facing food insecurity and are in need of immediate food assistance. The population of Zimbabwe is only about 15 million people, which gives an indication of the enormity of this crisis.
By way of update, the team of people working alongside me on this effort are all based in Zimbabwe and include the founder of I AM MBARE, Edward Tsango, my mother Kumbirai Kasambira, and a local business owner. We are all in communication multiple times a day to discuss our process and ensure a smooth and streamlined operation.
For those who may be unfamiliar with how GoFundMe works, funds are released in increments based upon daily totals. As soon as I receive the funds, I transfer them to my mother who is able to collect them quickly via MoneyGram. To date, I have transferred $2000 and will transfer another $600 tomorrow. Thus far, $1000 has been used to pay for enough maize meal and oil to feed over 300 families. The oil and maize meal will be picked up directly from the manufacturer on Monday, May 4th. We will then put additional funds towards the purchase of the sugar.
Mr. Tsango and a team of I AM MBARE members will assemble and distribute the food parcels. The organization already has a record keeping system in place where families are required to sign for any items received. This will help us with determining the exact number of families we have helped. Once the first round of food parcels has been distributed, we will use the remaining funds to engage in the same process All receipts will be kept on file at I AM MBARE.
I will continue to post updates (including pictures once the food is picked up and distributed) as we progress with our efforts. Thank you again for making all of possible.
