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| News directly from Zimbabwe, 7 July 2007 |
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Sebastiano Bazzoni shares news on our projects following his site inspection
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detailed report.
June 30th
After leaving home this morning at 09:00 we had an uneventful flight to Heathrow where we are patiently waiting for time to pass before we can board the Harare flight.
Weather in London is very British, with lots of rain, grey skies and fresh.
We discussed the problems our people and projects have to face in Zimbabwe. The task looks a difficult one but achievable. Let's hope and proceed.
July 1st
We land in Harare just one hour late and it takes slightly more than two hours to reach the exit door of the airport, thanks to queues for paying for the required visa, queues for issuing it, getting the luggage, presenting the claim for one lost suitcase etc. Very encouraging.
The first visit is at the S.Marcellino Village, to see how they are coping with the situation and discuss, in detail, the idea of fish farming, which could provide a very good source of protein for the growing population of the village. Extensive visit to the vegetable garden, where water (through borehole) is abundant. Norman confirms the project is feasible.
Eighty children growing to ninety are lovingly taken care of here.
We pay visit to other friends, whose support is paramount for our projects.
July 2nd
Monday. Blackout starts at 05:55 in Chinhoyi.
Visit at Barr’s. Stewart, Robert and Belinda load food and medicines for the hospital from the containers left in their compound.
Next, a meeting with Bakers Best. Agreed fuel against food and running costs.
Visited Bakers Best’s flower mill, bakery and seeds mill for production of oil out of soya beans and cotton. Impressive. In the current diffitulties they remain our providers of some basic foodstuffs.
Visit to Pondoro, our fuel supplier. Agreed to contact providers for shipment of fuel in three months. The fuel has become an essential means og exchange since, in addition of satisfying our projects’ needs, we use it as a barter against food or support for the G. Spagnolli Centre in Harare.
Visit to Clinic in Chinhoyi. Dr. Nyamayaro is also our “supervisor” for the HIV/AIDS activities in the St. Michael’s Hospital. There are some problems, and we discussed how to fix them.
G. Spagnolli Centre in Harare. Meeting with mothers producing handcrafts. Visit to the Centre which now looks finished and efficient. Very orderly and clean.
Discussion with the Centre Director about new needs, like paying for the transport of mothers in need, and the general situation which is becoming more and more difficult. Agreed to increase the flow of information, and to support as much as possible the action in the Centre.
Then we move from Harare to Mutoko, to the L.Guidotti Hospital, some 200 Km.
On our way, we met, along the road, many oxen carts funding their way in darkness without any lights. It was the same for a few people walking alone in darkness. We met very few cars.
On arrival, no light, no water, no phone lines.
Discussed questions and ideas about solar pumps and panels ahead of tomorrow's meetings.
July 3rd
Wake up in the Hospital. Happily we have power but no water. It is true that slowly but surely people get accustomed to gradually increasing discomfort.
After delivering the foodstuffs and medicines brought by Carlo the staff improvised a singing and dancing treat for us.
Visit with Dixon to the site where the two new boreholes which have been “sited” should be drilled, plus inspection of the existing ones. The security level of the boreholes must be improved because at present a thieves’ task would be an easy one. In fact, a few days ago thieves stole 12 mt. of Zesa cable, which is now like gold, considering the price of copper.
On our way back we struck up a conversation with the Hospital employee, Dixon. He gets Zim$ 200,000 per month, with which he can buy nine loavess of bread at Zim$ 22,000 each. That’s all. So he, like all others, has to make every possible effort to make ends met, like growing some vegetables and small works. In italiano sarebbe “dei lavoretti”, i.e. something not regular, but which can be done occasionally.
Back to Harare by 15:00 to meet Werner (a technician, expert in electricity, water supply, water research etc.) to discuss our projects, as follows:
Boreholes
Agreed price of the drilling, company and terms, after discussing two quotes. Work to start next week. Discussed pipeline. This is to be separated from the old one and just for the staff houses.
Confirmed that we need new tanks for storing water and a booster pump to ensure pressure.
Solar lighting for the Staff houses.
The quote from the Italian supplier Elektra was discussed in detail. We welcomed his technical and agreed to accept one of the two proposals in the quote and to start things moving immediately, with the aim of shipping the equipment by container in September, receiving it by end October and eventually installing it in November. Of course, we received a second quote but the company looks unprepared to peruse a project outside of Italy.
Discussed also pipelines (from the boreholes to the Hospital, approx 1,100 metres) and other details.
Werner will be available to act as consultant for us on both projects.
We had the opportunity of visiting John Binda’s factory. He has provided, in the last two years, two statues for the Golf Charity Day auction, and it was very good to meet him personally.
Dinner at Gino's, who is the owner of the construction Company which built for us the enlargements of the G. Spagnolli Centre in Harare.
July 4th
We get to the airport at 5:30am to discover that there is no plane. A 16 hour delay has me home at 3pm tomorrow instead of 11pm today.
July 5th
Finally home after a long journey.
To note that yesterday Gino, before bringing me to airport, went to buy some things he needed like eggs and bread. He returned empty-handed, after visiting four supermarkets. All shelves are empty, as a consequence of the crackdown on prices decided by the government who imposed to half the prices. Shops were assaulted by crowds who bought everything at a bargain. The owners are no longer able to replace their stocks and face shutting down.
General situation in the Country (as at July 7th 2007)
The ongoing government campaign to monitor prices and arrest those who do
not comply has resulted in thousands of workers being laid off as businesses
shut down around the country. After being forced by the authorities to
reduce their prices by 50% last week, many businesses ran out of stock
within days. They have not reordered fearing further losses and this has
meant nothing to do for the workers.
In the week since the government ordered sweeping price cuts most shops have
run out of the cornmeal staple, bread, meat, salt, sugar and other basic
foodstuffs. Some smaller shops have closed. Shelves were bare of basic foods
across the capital
The government on Thursday banned bulk storage of foodstuffs and extended
price cuts to consumer goods, mobile phone charges, fares on the state
airline and car spares.
President Mugabe has ordered petrol stations to slash the price of fuel by 70 per cent in a desperate bid to bring down the world’s highest rate of inflation. Mr Mugabe ordered the price of fuel to be cut to 18p per litre, as his politburo announced plans to "tighten and intensify" price controls. Shops have already been ordered to reduce prices as the President seeks to beat hyper-inflation that he fears may spark civil unrest and drive him from power.
Shortly after dawn, hundreds of cars began queuing at service stations in the city, after state radio announced that fuel would have to be sold at Z$ 55,000 (about 18p) per litre. It had been selling for Z$ 180,000 per litre.
Supermarkets, shops and warehouses are being forced to sell produce at prices far below the cost of replacing stock. The operation has been accompanied by state-approved looting as hungry Zimbabweans, impoverished by Mr Mugabe’s ruinous economic policies, loaded cheap goods - which were often resold on the black market the same day at far higher prices.
“It is legalised looting and legalised theft." , say the Lawyers’ association.
Health care situation
The majority of the clinics in Harare are temporarily closed and only
helpful to those coming for maternity and chronic illnesses. Municipal
health staff is on strike and there are no drugs.
Despite the fact that municipal clinics are under-staffed and under-equipped
in terms of medicinal drugs and machinery, health charges have increased by
more than 400% and most residents in Harare cannot afford to pay the new
charges.
Conclusion
It has been important to be able to see directly the situation on the ground, so that we can work in strict co-operation with our people there and find ways to alleviate the hardships of the people who are involved in our projects. As it is well known, our help is just a tiny fraction of what the needs are, but we have to do our best anyway. We are assisting directly some 1400 AIDS patients plus the Hospital staff and families, providing foodstuff, medicines and holistic help. Their life is directly affected by what we can do and, so far, results are encouraging, thanks to the unwavering support our Charity continues to receive.
Sebastiano
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| © 2007 Roberto Bazzoni Onlus is a charitable or non-profit association. |
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