125 rural women are now able to harvest crops throughout the year in Zimbabwe, thanks to the home drip irrigation kits and training they have received through ASAP Africa. Nutritious fresh vegetables are being enjoyed, even now in August – four months into the cold, dry winter season! To state that these home drip irrigation kits have improved the quality of life is an understatement – they are actually a lifeline; a means for survival in a country that is experiencing unprecedented economic hardships. Please help strengthen this lifeline by contributing today.

Pictures:

• Training by ASAP is essential for success (JPG)

The rains in Zimbabwe arrived in late November. Let's hope they continue and the country enjoys a bumper harvest in 2008. Inflation is now over 1,500% and life is increasingly difficult with each passing day. Please take the time to enjoy our newsletter and to contribute to this worthwhile project.

Pictures:

• Granny fills her drip irrigation kit (JPG)

Attachments:

• ASAP Winter newsletter 2007/8 (PDF)
  

ASAP in Zimbabwe has received 35 drip irrigation kits, thanks to the funding received from the Rural Family Health Initiative project so far. Regai Tsunga, Zimbabwe Country Director, is happy to report that these kits are now installed and dripping! 35 community leaders have received training in use and maintenance of the kits and are busy establishing demonstration gardens to help gain acceptance and understanding in their village. Each of these women have identified ten of the neediest families in their area to receive a drip irrigation kit soon.

These are the families caring for the greatest number of orphans or plagued by unusually difficult circumstances. Commonly, the selected recipient will be a granny or “go go” living in rural Zimbabwe. As middle-aged working parents, once resident in the cities, die from HIV/AIDS related illness, surviving children are commonly sent to distant relatives in the rural areas. Life is less expensive here. Survival depends on crop production.

By the end of September, if further funding is received for this project, these extremely needy families will be in a position to not only feed these orphans, but have surplus crops to fund school fees and other needs. Your donation is appreciated…

ASAP would like to share our latest endeavors with our friends. Please take the opportunity to read our Summer Newsletter and see what ASAP has been up to.

Links:

• http://www.asapafrica.org/07%20Summer%20Newsletter%20Final.pdf

At ASAP we are thrilled to see our vision beginning to truly unfold, knowing that we will be able to provide the neediest families with an opportunity to not just survive, but to prosper during these challenging times in Zimbabwe. 120 home drip irrigation kits have arrived and will be used to educate one leader in each of 120 communities. These women have been selected by her neighbors, and will receive the drip irrigation kit and training in permaculture techniques from ASAP. After establishing a demonstration garden in her area, to share this new technology and gain acceptance, she will work with ASAP to identify the families most in need - those caring for orphans and those living in particularly difficult circumstances in her villages.

In order to increase the number of families we are able to help through this project ASAP has partnered with Gems of Africa Art Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia to hold an “Experience the Soul of Africa through the Heart of Art fundraiser”. This event will be held on July 13, 2007 at 6:30pm. The location will be the Gems of Africa Gallery. ASAP is looking for someone to match the funds raised during this special evening. Please contact ASAP (asapafrica@bellsouth.net) if you would be interested in making a matching donation to this special project.

For more information on the fundraising event visit:

Links:

• http://www.gemsofafricagallery.com/events/index.html

With the $4,433 received to date, ASAP Africa will provide a home drip irrigation kit to one community leader in each of the 55 villages in Nyanga East district. This is where ASAP currently is carrying out a Village Savings and Lending project. This women will learn to install and maintain the kit as well as attend training in home nutritional gardening, perma-culture and sustainable agriculture techniques. This woman will establish a demonstration garden for her village and help ASAP Africa to identify the families affected by HIV/AIDS and those most in need, to receive the drip irrigation kit once we receive the remaining project funds.

March 22 is World Water Day! A great way to celebrate is to provide a rural family caring for orphans with the gift of household security and enhanced nutrition all year. Your $70 donation WILL change the life of one of the neediest families in rural Africa today. There is no life without water!

Links:

• Please visit the ASAPAfrica website now

With 20 days left in 2006, ASAP has received a $25,000 contribution from an anonymous foundation. The total amount needed to achieve our funding goal for the Rural Family Health Initiative in Zimbabwe is now within reach – only $23,952.

With this new funding – the project training and transportation costs are now funded This means that 100% of the contribution you make to the project right now will go directly to benefit a rural family in Zimbabwe. There is no place in the world where the need is greater today.

Please help ASAP Africa to achieve our goal before 2007! Your contribution will truly put food on the table and improve the health and nutrition of one of the least fortunate families in rural Africa today.

Happy Holidays from all of us at ASAP Africa and may you be privileged throughout your life to serve those less fortunate.

ASAP Africa is eager to get started on The Rural Family Nutrition Initiative in Zimbabwe. Right now it is rainy season in Zimbabwe, and we are all praying for good rains and bumper harvests. Our goal is to have the 300 irrigation kits in place by the time the “skies close” in March 2007. To achieve this - the time to contribute to this worthwhile project is NOW.

The families that will receive training in agriculture, drip irrigation use and maintenance are located in remote, difficult to access rural homesteads. Due to high transport costs and fuel shortages in Zimbabwe, all 300 of these kits must be delivered at one time. We are pleased to have raised $1,718 thus far, but in order for the project to have the maximum benefits with minimum overhead costs, we must deliver all 300 drip irrigation kits to the families at one time - so please consider contributing today.

Your $70 Christmas gift today will bring a family food security all year long.

Happy Holidays from all of us at ASAP Africa and may you be privileged throughout your life to serve those less fortunate.

ASAP Africa has received over $1,500 toward the Rural Family Nutrition Initiative in Zimbabwe project in September. In preparation for project implementation, we have embarked on a follow-up of the 416 drip kits that were issued to households caring for orphans in remote areas 2003.

Of those assessed so far, it has been determined the over 85% of these kits continue to be in use. Families are growing vegetables mainly rape, cabbage, carrots, peas, tomatoes, and a wide variety of medicinal herbs (knowledge and skills gained from a previous ASAP Africa project.).

The most common problem is with clogging – which can be easily addressed with more training. In the few cases where replacement parts are required, ASAP is looking into the cost and availability of acquiring these parts in order to get all irrigation kits fully functional and benefiting these families in need.