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About
The story of the starfish (Loren Eisley) is that while it is not
possible to help all those in need, it makes a difference to those we
are able to help. Operation Starfish Africa is dedicated to helping
establish sustainability to those people in Africa (especially widows
and orphans), particularly in Zimbabwe at this time, who have suffered
greatly through disease (AIDS, malaria, cholera, among others),
political and economic hardship. Distributed often in cooperation with
local churches, the food, clothing and relief supplies sent by container
(as well as food purchased in bulk when available locally), are helping
many people who are at risk. Drip irrigation kits, seed, and garden supplies are
being provided to help them care for themselves as quickly as possible.
There is a will to work among the people, but they often lack the means
to help themselves in a once prospering, but now troubled land.
Operation Starfish will not involve itself in political concerns or
statements; its only purpose is to assist those in need, without regard
to politics or religion. Where there is a need, we will help as many as
possible with the means available to us.
History
A SHORT HISTORY
OF THE ORPHAN FEEDING PROGRAM
IN ZIMBABWE
Trying to imagine a million of anything sometimes is
an overwhelming task, but to visualize 1,000,000 orphans in a country of
12 million people is staggering.
Visualize, if you will, an 87 year old man taking care of 4
children or a 65 year old man with 10 children, remembering there are no
jobs and food is not easy to find. That is the situation of
Zimbabwe
and at the present time is not improving any.
Why so many orphans and widows?
It is a combination of AIDS, severe unemployment, malnutrition,
malignant inflation and lack of adequate medical care.
The orphans are being cared for by aunts, uncles, grandparents
and friends and in many cases an older sibling.
There has been very little help from the government and not near
enough from the outside world.
This was the picture in November 2001 when the first
effort to feed the orphans in
Zimbabwe
started. A Christian lady from
California
was visiting in the Mutare area, staying with the Alvaro Dos Santos
family. . She visited several villages, but one especially caught her
eye, Rukweza. With Alvaro’s help they enrolled the local preacher, Enoch
Mupimbira, to aid them and started feeding a few children...
This lady stayed in
Zimbabwe
for about 6 months working with the feeding of the children.
She returned home to California with a promise to send more money
and to return in the very near future.
We have no information about her since she left there in 2001.
This lady saw the
opportunity to help these victims of AIDS, but for reasons unknown she
was not able to continue the work. Deborah and Alvaro Dos Santos were
struck with the need to continue the work and have been the driving
force behind the program.
This has not been as easy as you would think.
Alvaro has been in jail once because of the program.
After this they began to discuss having to leave
Zimbabwe
and move to the USA
because it was not safe for them to live there.
In spite of financial difficulties they continued and
began to expand the program.
At times they also had to bear the expense of the feedings when
there was not enough funds available to meet the needs.
Feeding stations were established at Denza, and Pehhalonga in Zimbabwe and at Manica in Mozambique.
The local preacher and his wife would take turns teaching the
children bible lessons and women from the church prepared the meals.
Through the
efforts of Maurice and Glynetta Callan, the
Rotan
Church of Christ, started
“Operation Starfish” in September of 2003.
The idea was we would feed one orphan at a time, based on the
story by Loren Elsely, “The Starfish Thrower”.
The church at Rotan had an original goal to send $300 per month
to help, but in reality the church has been sending over $1,000 each
month.
By 2005 the
pressure on the Dos Santos’ family became so great they left
Zimbabwe
and moved to Texas.
At first they lived in Amarillo
but in July of 2006 they moved to Abilene,
where Alvaro has completed his GED and Debbie is enrolled in Abilene Christian
University.
Moving away from the orphans has made the project difficult, but
due to the tenacity of the Dos Santos family the feeding continues and
has even grown. When the
Dos Santos family was living in Zimbabwe
they delivered the food to the individual sites, but after moving to Texas they started just
giving the sites money to purchase the food.
Because food was not always available to purchase, the food is
now being distributed again, by Chris Dos Santos, Alvaro’s brother.
The
project needed more structure, a secure foundation, so in the spring of
2008 a meeting with representatives of Hillcrest Church of Christ (Abilene)
and the Rotan
Church
of Christ with the Dos Santos family was arranged.
It was the concern of all who attended that the project should be
under the supervision of the elders of one of the congregations.
Hillcrest decided to take on this responsibility, Rotan was to
act in an advisory capacity and remain as a collecting site and have
access to all meetings concerning the project.
Hillcrest banks the donations and oversees the distribution of
the funds. The committee is
composed of Cam Hurst, John Tyson, Jack Stewart, Star Ferguson and
Alvaro Dos Santos.
A 40’
shipping container was sent in February of 2008.
It contained blankets, clothing, computers, bibles and other
teaching materials. Another
shipping container was sent in March of 2009 from Portland Oregon.
This container held 400 drip irrigation units, plus clothing,
literature and computers.
The Dos Santos family
went back to Zimbabwe in June
(08) to help distribute the goods in the container.
Another shipping container is now on the way with much of the
above plus 400 drip irrigations units to help the sites raise veggies.
Plans are for Alvaro to be there for the distribution.
The
feedings stations that we were supplying funds up to December 2008 where
29 congregations and 6 family based stations.. Due to difficulty
(obtaining food locally) and circumstances (inflation problems) we had
no choice but to pull back, and restart with 10 congregations that food
is being provided to feed the children and the elderly and 3 family
based stations at the present. We are feeding, per month, an average
1540 per day and 270 elderly one meal a day. And they are already
producing some of the vegetables and we hope to confirm that this is
increasing when we go back in June of 09.
As
a result of a survey of the feeding sites done last year, a new rule was
adopted for feeding. There
has to be at least an attempt to grow vegetables.
We will teach them the drip irrigation system and supply them
with the necessary seed and equipment.
There is a need for the adults to see that they need to
contribute and not just stand with their hand out, all of which will be
a good example for the children.
Operation
Starfish is now in the process of being registered in
Zimbabwe as a charitable organization and we hope
to soon have the same designation in Texas.
Opportunities are almost endless and we now have the experience
to go forward with an enlarged program.
It will depend on the Lord’s blessings and the generosity of our
donors.
C.M.Callan 5/09
HEALING
THE WOUND
BIBLES FOR ZIMBABWE
June, 2008
We serve such a gracious God to whom we give thanks
in everything and in whom we find the He will work everything together
for good to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom.
8:28-29).
A
wound was opened when Francis and Muchaneta Mandavengerei suddenly and
unexpectedly lost their only son Bethel in December, 2006.
The minister for the church in Morris, Zimbabwe and his wife had
been told they could have no more children.
When a small congregation in Damascus, Oregon (Kingswood, some 30
members) learned of their loss the determination was made to send 1000
NKJV Bibles in Bethel’s memory.
These are the Bibles distributed in 2007 with the memorial label
at the Mutare School of Preaching lectureship.
When word came back that people had
stood in line for 2-4 hours to sign that their congregation had received
the gift of 5 or 10 Bibles, the need for more Bibles was apparent.
A woman at the Kingswood congregation said, “We can send more Bibles.”
The congregation pledged themselves to send 2600 additional
Bibles in the Operation Starfish Container that was being prepared to
ship from Texas.
As word of that need and opportunity
became known through other congregations, God gave the increase and that
initial commitment grew to 20,671 Bibles sent and now in Zimbabwe being
freely distributed. Many
people and congregations shared in responding to this gracious work of
service.
Through the sorrow in the loss of a
son, a great need became known to the people of God half a world away.
In their response to that need, God has used this sorrow to work
for the good of a great people.
Now
we have word that God has sought to heal the wound in the loss of Bethel
with the salve of a new son, Bethel Jnr. Desmond Zorodzai Mandavengerei
born May 14, 2008. The
scars on our hearts from Bethel’s death will remain; those scars are now
covered with the joy of life and hope, the joy of family and faith and
future.
As the people of Zimbabwe reflect on
their heritage of faith, may this story live a hundred years.
The gracious nature of a loving God gives us confidence that is
seen in His hand at work in the lives of His people.
We count it a privilege to be part of
this work of God, On behalf of those who have shared in this work.
John Fewkes,
Minister of the Word