United Methodist Church Zimbabwe Episcopal Area

1. List Zimbabwe Partnership Projects that you rejoice about

Rejoices in Partnership Project

1. Church Building
2. Parsonage
3. Clinics
   1. Drugs, medicine, equipment
4. Orphanage buildings and food/ Fin Support
5. Mosquito Nets
6. Transport for our programs (i.e.; ZOE)
7. Water  - Recirculation
8. School buildings
9. human resources – medical – personnel
10. Financial Support
    1. Pastors
    2. Retired
    3. ZOEM feeds
11. Food relief programs – UMCOR
12. Bicycles
13. Sanctuary construction
14. Improvement of water
15. System of Nyadire
16. Support of orphanage at Home of Hope in Nyadire
17. Work at AU
18. Work at Old Mutare Mission
19. Zimunya Skills Training Center
20. Nyanycdzi home of Hope Orphanage Trust
21. Support through Mushunje Orphan
22. Program / Trust
23. Work of Nyadire Connection
24. Agricultural Secondary School
25. Kensington Secondary School
26. Hanwa School
27. Nyahuke Clinic
28. Dindi Clinic Project
29. Murewa UMP
30. Bicycle project for pastors Nyadiri
31. Meeting salaries for pastors Mutoko
32. Nothing but nets project from BWC
33. Mealie Meal distribution from UMCOR
34. Workshop for servicing vehicles in CC at Mutambara sponsored by the Norwegian Board – woodwork/Carpentry workshop
35. ZOE sponsoring orphans in schools in the Episcopal area
36. Muradzikwa sanctuary Mutare District
37. Construction of parsonage at Chirorwe UMC – Masvingo district
38. Distribution of school kits Episcopal area
39. Drilling of boreholes at Clare Mission and Mufusure camping group – Makoni –Buhera
40. The joint pastor school for the Episcopal area
41. Salary retention from UMCOR for nurses and doctors at mission hospitals.
42. Home of Hope – Harvest/Outreach
43. Health
44. Revitalization of Nyadire Hospital (stayed open)
45. Church construction – Many!
46. Murewa UMP
    1. Muzimba
    2. Muradzikwa
47. Primary/Secondary School construction – Claire
48. Clinic – Dindi / Nyahuku / Munyarari
49. UMCOR – Mealie Meal
50. Africa University. – Partnership & annual conferences

List concerns you hope will be addressed during the summit

1. Short term hunger
2. Long term hunger
3. Old Mutare Mission Water System
4. Development of Leadership
5. Retention
6. Transportation (General)
7. How to move money effectively
8. Accountability
9. Partners not listening to those on the ground
10. Coordinated/Comprehensive vision & plan between all the partners
11. Developing best practices
12. Differences in leadership styles
13. Funds to support coordination and co-operation
14. Ongoing operational costs (sustainability)
15. Ongoing political context
16. Head Office – Construction
17. Women Center – Construction
18. Communication System  and center
19. Newsletters
20. Identifying and coming up with an organizational program that would oversee and coordinate all projects which gives reports on all projects
21. Improving communication systems which are smooth for speedy distribution and feedback.
22. How to improve on transfer of moneyProvision of clean and safe water at clinics and hospitals
23. Upgrade solar power needs at clinics and hospitals
24. Define new ways of creating new partnerships availability of ARV drugs
25. Training of pastors in conflict resolution and availing financial resources for that
26. The concept of the global church to be fully implemented for speedy resolution when another conference is affected by a disaster.
27. Construction of parsonages which are up to the required standards
28. Being aware of what our partners are doing and communicating.
29. Construction of new conference need offices
30. Putting in place evaluation mechanisms on all projects being done.

What have we learned through our partnerships

1. Shared Learning
2. God’s time in Zimbabwe
3. Value and potential in the UMC conventional system
4. Meeting and sharing of information
5. Trust and communication
6. Global Leader and Partners coming from behind
7. Do not be jealous to one another for projects – enough for all

What have we heard that we want to build on

Priorities of Projects

1. Multi-purpose center/conference
2. Leadership training or clergy and laity
3. Health Centers
4. Parsonages, Churches
5. Developing Farms
6. Transport
7. Schools
8. Retreat Centers

Needs

1.    Urban focus

1. Income generation

Pathways

1.   Alleviation of poverty

1. Farm equipment
2. Global health
3. Improvement of hospitals

Self-Sufficiency

1. Alleviation of poverty
2. Capital generating projects
3. Empowerment

Important cCmponents

1. communication
2. improved cooperation

Priority List

1. Health
2. Clean water provision
3. List projects
4. develop process for new starts/projects
5. status updates, lessons learned, information sharing
6. Categorization by type & criticality of need (health, water, etc.)
7. Balance immediate and long term
8. identification of partners to match with projects & priorities

What are the Human Resources needed to carry out the plan and future hopes

Human Resources

Critical Needs

1. Technical Support
2. Training
3. Leadership
4. CEO
5. Skills
6. Corporate Governance

Bishop

AEAC                          ZWAC

Health

Agriculture

Communications

Leadership Development

Education

Evangelism

How will we Communicate with Zimbabwe and among the partners

Communications

Strengths

1. trained communicators
2. point person on ground
3. technology – equipment, internet
4. missionaries
5. passion-commitment

Weaknesses

1. electricity
2. phone lines
3. transport
4. accessibility
5. decentralized comm. Facilities
6. lack of trained personnel
7. contact between partners
8. UMCOM
9. role of GBGM
10. financial support for personnel’

Threats

1. political instability
2. unpredictability
3. compassion fatigue
4. sustainability
5. turnover rate

Opportunities

1. liberalization of media
2. import
3. inter & intra communication
4. training
5. social media
6. inexpensive tools
7. face to face
8. fiber optics/broadband
9. satellite connection
10. partnerships
11. direct links
12. long term agreements
13. mentoring

Communication Needs

Tools

1. Portable Computers/network/internet/Broadband/satellite
2. website development and use
3. Digital cameras with video
4. fax/phone/ printers
5. power – solar generators

Content

1. Reports  Agree on format and consistency
2. Projects proposals/follow-up
   1. Cost
   2. Time frames
   3. M & E monitor and evaluations
3. Vision / Recommendations / Document
4. Spiritual needs / prayer requests
5. Newsletters – partners
6. computer training

Partner/Network

1. Networking among partners
   1. Central point of contact / clearing house
   2. Communicating resources
   3. Linking Partners
   4. Avoid duplication
   5. sharing resources
   6. learning from mistakes and successes (re-inventing the wheel)

How will Transportation be provided and how will costs be determined

Transportation

Critical Needs

1. Conference / EA ownership of vehicles (visitors, passenger, material/hauling, motorcycles)
2. Vehicle maintenance
3. Ambulance/emergency vehicles for health centers
4. School buses (activities and daily use)
5. Farm mechanization (tractor, etc. ind. Maintain.)
6. vehicles/transportation for evangelism
7. vehicles for site visits/project oversight
8. mileage reimbursement, maintenance
9. fuel source (discount) partner support (coupons)
10. drivers & insurance& appropriate permits/licenses
11. transportation  coordinator/director with a vision for al full fleet of vehicles

Steps / Path Forward

1. Identify/Raise funds, other resources
   1. Fundraising strategies
   2. Chabadza
2. Prioritization (what to buy first?)
3. Establish transportation
   1. Research team/task force to:
   2. Prioritization, needs assessment across EA
   3. Economic sources of fuel, maintenance
   4. Purchase arrangements
   5. Leverage partnerships
4. Equipment reuse, refurbishment, donations, etc.
5. Seek support from agencies in Zimbabwe and partner nations (expertise, training) (Agric)

What are the Financial Resources needed to carryout the plan and future hopes and how will funds be raised

Finances

Critical Needs

1. Centralized financial management
2. Segregation of duties
3. Training session for expectations of reporting
4. Reporting structure
5. Accounting requirements
6. Strategic plan budget
7. Establishment of budget costs (specific)
8. Professional accountant

Steps

1. Define human resources  (referred)

Assessment

Priorities

Needs/Vision

Action Steps

Sustain

Human Resources

Episcopal Area Financial entity

Area Projects treasurer

Two bookkeepers

What will we do to develop clergy and lay leadership

Lay –

1. developing/researching
2. Syllabus of courses laity school
3. Training to ensure qualified lay leaders
4. Shrink gap in knowledge between lay & clergy on principals
5. encourage & equip laity leaders “commissioning” – visible sending forth service
6. Identify & groom youth
7. promote available resources

Clergy –

1. recruitment – identify
   & encourage PPRC’s to be open to new clergy
2. Pastor School – continuation
3. Develop talents / spiritual gifts / specialized ministries
4. Retain compensation packages / pensions
5. Promote Self Care
6. Send clergy to theological training (AU UTC)
7. New perspectives – Pastor exchange programs – to bring back knowledge/ practices

What will we do to sustain completed projects

What do we need to do to Sustain?

1. What do we do after?
   1. Every strategic plan has an exit strategy
   2. Entry strategy to have local ownership of project
2. Agricultural Pieces
   1. One thing to send a tractor; a way to look at it differently is to help locals with what’s here
   2. Crossing denominational lines
   3. Need to provide funding for local farmers to restart after drought years (fertilizer, seeds).  Training & genetic advances (drought resistant)
3. Biggest need is income and then they can determine the next step.
4. Breaking of dependency syndrome
5. Partner Capital fund
6. Source of investment that will produce income
7. Project Manager – oversee projects
8. Establish benchmarks for project measurements
9. A comprehensive projects plan, from beginning to end
10. Launch “pilot projects” for purpose of learning curves.

What will we do to develop present and future partners

Present

1. Accountability: what is coming from different partners on the same project
2. Transparence
3. Feedback upward and downwards
4. evaluation
5. Commitment from both partners
6. using funds for intended or designated purposes
7. Round table meetings of both partners

Future Partners

1. Satisfying the present Partners as the current one can be good averters
2. Communication – web site and other IT methods
3. Good relations with current partners to influence the future
4. Getting information of potential partners
5. Develop description graphs and church to church, district to distr4ict, conference to conference, partnership to partnership
6. Define partnerships
7. To use videos and photos
8. To know other partners, where they are, what type of a partnership there are in. what do they do and how much is being put in the partnership
9. To have two or more partners linked to do a project
10. Have contacts to share information

What will we do to prioritize and coordinate projects

VOTES

Transportation Steps / Path Forward

(18)   Establish transportation research team/task force to:

• Conduct needs assessment, prioritize needs across EA
• Identify economical sources of fuel, maintenance, parts
• Research purchase agreements
• Leverage partnerships

(25) Identify resources

• Funds, gifts, talents, skills
• Chabadza!
• Equipment/vehicle reuse, refurbishing, donations
• Hiring out vehicles to generate income

Other Support

• • Agencies in Zimbabwe and partner nations (expertise, training, etc.)

Communications – Steps / Path Forward

(5) Long Term agreements, commitments & relationship building

(16) Training and technical support & mentoring

• Support team & network in Zimbabwe

(7) Equipment and infrastructure (Transport)

• Utilization of social media (radio, face book, e-mail, inexpensive ways available)

(4) Financial resources

• Internet cafes set up for income generating projects

(29) Tools – provisions to purchase, storing equipment/security, training to use / grant writing, assessment of district needs (cost, buy, use, maintain, prioritize)

            See funding (grants / foundations)

            Generators – fuel / sustainable energy, solar, parts

            User fees – public access / kiosk, non business use

            Seek commitment

(9) Content – training on project proposals – report writing

            Develop report template – start with ZIM draft

            Record keeping – post to hard copies

            Partner network

• Directory of contacts

(4) Exchanging reports and newsletters to avoid duplication

            Identify conference contact as point of contact – staff person at ZIM UMC to share

• District Coordinators / point of contact

Finance Steps Forward

(41) Develop financial plan to support strategic plan

(24) Develop Financial Management System to support Partners relationship

(11) Identify the funding to establish the financial budget

Human Resources Steps Forward

(27) Having two coordinators for the 2 conferences

            Trained experts who uphold our values

(12) Agriculture, leadership, education and Evangelism

            They need to demonstrate the technical expertise and experience

            Clear explanation of our values before person is hired

            Training for clergy and laity in capacity building to carry on the vision

            There would be need to hire outside UMC people with necessary skills

(23) Christian Education

            Education system

            Educational training

            Leadership training

            Exchange programs

            Scholarships

(17) Leadership exchange programs

            Leader to visit partners on home grown

            How do we do things at our areas

(0)CEO

Do we have the funds

Can we get a qualified volunteer

(4) Skills

Do we have the training and qualified personnel

Do we have any voluntary personnel

Do we have the money to pay them and retain them

(15) Corporate Governance

Feedback

Trust

Use funds for intended purpose

 What is one hope you have for the future

Hopes

1. Improved Economy
2. Enhancement of education standards
3. First summit is not the last
4. Zimbabwe’s Strategic Plan document is not shelved
5. Church in Zimbabwe will continue to grow and minister faithfully to the people
6. Next time to meet will be 2 times as many partners
7. With this distribution of nets the deaths will decline
8. Clean water for all
9. Completion of all projects that have been started
10. Zimbabwe EA better technology/networking

Areas of Concern for the future

1. Communication & Cooperation

2. More partnerships – ZIM & Other conferences

3. Improved administrative processes in the transfer of funds, materials, et – mosquito nets, etc.

4. Funding of programs – Clare & Kensington

5. Poverty – esp. rural areas

Needs / Ministry Areas to develop around

1. Church development needs

2. Health needs/ Health Care

3. Evangelism

4. Agriculture

5. Leadership – laity and clergy

6. Christian and public education

Partnership Project

1. Church Building
2. Parsonage
3. Clinics
4. Drugs, medicine, equipment
5. Orphanage buildings and food/ Fin Support
6. Mosquito Nets
7. Transport for our programs (ie; ZOE)
8. Water  - Recirculation
9. School buildings
10. human resources – medical – personnel
11. Financial Support
    1. Pastors
    2. Retired
12. ZOEM feeds
13. Food relief programs – UMCOR
14. Bicycles

Next Steps:

1. Get notes typed & out to people – Jo by end of Aug
2. Partners to talk with key people i.e. Bishops – by End of September
3. Identify projects to find Partners to come together
   1. East Ohio –Howard Pippin end of November
   2. Zimbabwe Financial Plan to support the Strategic Plan –end of September
4. Shannon will go back to talk to her people about training and make sure they are in agreement – end of September
5. Engage other conferences/churches

1. contact other conferences

1. South Carolina – Neil Moores, TX Fort Worth – Shannon Trilli, Mississippi – Bob Higginbotham

1. US link with European conferences – Neil Moores
2. UMCOR become official NGO – end of November Teneal (For Clarity)
3. West PA get Strategic Plan to Zim Conf end of September

Partners Commitment

East Ohio

       Kensington Area

Switzerland

    Health

BWC

• Communication infrastructure
• Pastors School
• Help with Laity School 
• Raise Funds through Hope Fund for other projects

Norway

          Continue work and projects they are involved in

Finland

• Home of Hope
•  Nyadire

Zimbabwe

•       To be accountable
•       Continue to work on Financial Plan to support the Strategic Plan

UMCOM        Training and equipment on communications

WPA              

• Laity School
• Nyadire

The curent situation in Zimbabwe and its impact to the Church

The Economic Situation

 The Zimbabwe economy has been struggling for a long time; this has made many families struggle to survive, through loss of jobs, moving to the diaspora in search of greener pastures.

The social situation has been impacted due the HIV/AIDs pandemic: many households are now child headed, children no longer are going to school, collapse of healthy facilities, etc.

The political situation was bad for a time because of pollarization and political conflicts which resulted in all out violence for a period of time,

Many people were displaced,  many becoming internally displaced families, others becoming refugees in neighboring countries and overseas.

Impact to the Church

Membership movement

We have many membeers who have moved from their local churches to neighboring countries or overseas. Statistics becomes a challenge in situations like these, others have moved from rural to urban centres.

The seasoned members in some cases move from their local churches then there is need to continue trainning new leaders.

When times are hard people turn to supernatural powers. We have seen many people coming to the church in search of solutions and support for life,  We trust more and more on God than any other institution.

As people lose their jobs, support for the church becomes a challenge as families struggle to put food on the table for the children.

Many children went out of school and turn to the church for support, needy for educational and healthy provisions as the church becomes the source of Hope for many children and families. We have over two million orphans in Zimbabwe and the Church has to see what it can do with this whole generation of the Future of the country and the Church.

It has become difficulty to support our pastors in the given environment; as a result we have pastors who go for monthes without salaries.

Many projects have come to a stand still since there is no money to carry on with our projects.

There is a challenge to the Church as more people trust Church institutions and more people come to Church hospitals we need to have facilities and medicines to care for these people, also in the education front we have had more schools wanting to be under the authoritiy of the Church but the church’s challenge is to meet the expecatations of development of these schools and communities.

The dollarisation of the economy

Since January 2009 the economy was dollarised and the dollars are not accessible especially in the rural areas

Projects are at stand still

Pastors salaries behind

Many urban churches are in rented parsonages and it has become difficulty raising funds to pay rentals we have seen our urban pastors moving every now and then from one house to another as rentals become difficulty to pay.

Operations becomes a challenge

It has been difficulty for the projects office to monitor the running projects due to lack of resources to keep the old Vehicle on the road and have the operations funds as a result some projects have slowed down.

We have the following projects under way

Educational Projects

• Kensington High school- East Ohio to pick up
• Clare Schools  - No partner yet
• Murewas CPS Domitory roofing- GBGM grant
• Han’a Schools- Crofton Community UMC-BWC
• Zimunya Skills trainning centre- CCIP Kansas

Health projects

• Munyarari Clinic- Bal Air UMC-BWC
• Nyadiri Water Project- Nyadiri Connection WPA and UMCOR
• Nyahuku Clinic still needs improvements- Nyadiri Copnnection WPA

Resource and Retreat Centres

• Berzely bridge resources and information Centre- Hope Fund BWC
• Mufusire Vacational Bible retreat centre- Water done by a Texas Church and no Partner yet

Parsonages and Churches

• Gudyanga Church- Hope fund BWC
• Nyamuzizi Parsonage- Hope Fund BWC
• Bikita Parsonage- Hope Fund BWC
• Chegutu Parsonage- Hope fund BWC

N/B There are many other projects going on in the episcopal Area we have more than 200 churches and parsonages under construction in the episcopal area done by local churches initiative I can not list all of these here.

Ready Projects

• Mupandawana Church
• Dziwarasekwa Church roofing
• Munyarari Hospital Project
• Kensington High school
• Clare Schools

Future Projects

• Mufusire vocational Bible Camp
• The  Kensington and Clare Schools project
• Kensington Clinic/ Hospital
• Develop the Kingeroy Women’s Centre into a productive centre
• The Kadoma unrburn centre Clinic
• Development of Conference centres 
• Zimbabwe East’s 133-134 Herbert Chitepo street Mutare
• Zimbabwe west 163 &165 Chinhoi Street Harare

Communication establishmanets

Need for communications having Broad band at the Conference centres and District centres to facilitate communications and management of the Area web page

It is imporant to note that it is impossible to be exostive in the given time and space all the above are examples of what we are doing and the situation in Zimbabwe United Methodist Church.

All these will be done in the Spirit of Chabadza

Prepared by

Rev Lloyd Nyarota

Projects and Communications Coordinatior

Zimbabwe UMC