How We've Grown
One Thing Leads to Another
Christ United Methodist Church, Bethel Park, Pa commissioned an 18-member mission team to visit the Nyadire United Methodist Mission in rural Zimbabwe in July 2006. Zimbabwe, once known as the “breadbasket of Africa” was suffering from an economic collapse, widespread unemployment, famine, and an increase in HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. The team’s goal was to work with the once well functioning Nyadire UM Hospital with its well-qualified staff who had little to work with – broken equipment and empty medication shelves. Deficiencies and staffing problems were also seen at the Home of Hope (HOH) Orphanage housing 20+ needy children.
However, the people of the mission were warm, welcoming, and full of faith. Their worship services were full of joyful singing, dancing, and drumming.
Returning home, the team met and decided the mission trip was just the beginning. They wanted to build a long-term, ongoing relationship with Nyadire. From the start, the organization set guidelines toward sustainability, relationships, and root cause. It is a long-term commitment focused specifically on Nyadire Mission, it is relationship and a partnership based on people knowing and helping each other. Enabling health care, orphan support, education, and some level of economic opportunity are at the heart of “root cause”. Relationship became the reason for our name - “The Nyadire Connection”.
Donated medical equipment, supplies, medications, and food were sent. Sponsorships for the HOH children began. Today some sponsors are now seeing their “children” go on to college or post-secondary educations. Orphans in the rural schools surrounding Nyadire now have sponsors who pay their school fees and provide a backpack of school supplies. Sponsorships are also available for the Hearing Impaired children for hearing evaluations and hearing aids. One of the blessings that come with the sponsorships is the creation of a bond as letters and pictures go back and forth. “What’s App?” is used to catch up with one another.
Christ United Methodist Church, Bethel Park, Pa commissioned an 18-member mission team to visit the Nyadire United Methodist Mission in rural Zimbabwe in July 2006. Zimbabwe, once known as the “breadbasket of Africa” was suffering from an economic collapse, widespread unemployment, famine, and an increase in HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. The team’s goal was to work with the once well functioning Nyadire UM Hospital with its well-qualified staff who had little to work with – broken equipment and empty medication shelves. Deficiencies and staffing problems were also seen at the Home of Hope (HOH) Orphanage housing 20+ needy children.
However, the people of the mission were warm, welcoming, and full of faith. Their worship services were full of joyful singing, dancing, and drumming.
Returning home, the team met and decided the mission trip was just the beginning. They wanted to build a long-term, ongoing relationship with Nyadire. From the start, the organization set guidelines toward sustainability, relationships, and root cause. It is a long-term commitment focused specifically on Nyadire Mission, it is relationship and a partnership based on people knowing and helping each other. Enabling health care, orphan support, education, and some level of economic opportunity are at the heart of “root cause”. Relationship became the reason for our name - “The Nyadire Connection”.
Donated medical equipment, supplies, medications, and food were sent. Sponsorships for the HOH children began. Today some sponsors are now seeing their “children” go on to college or post-secondary educations. Orphans in the rural schools surrounding Nyadire now have sponsors who pay their school fees and provide a backpack of school supplies. Sponsorships are also available for the Hearing Impaired children for hearing evaluations and hearing aids. One of the blessings that come with the sponsorships is the creation of a bond as letters and pictures go back and forth. “What’s App?” is used to catch up with one another.
Nyadire Asks. TNC Listens.
When TNC learned that the six rural clinics around Nyadire that treat thousands of folks in nearby villages needed extensive help to bring them up to clinical standards, TNC and the communities took on this awesome task. TNC raised funds and the villages hand made the bricks (400,000 per clinic!), and provided much of the labor. To date, five clinics have been refurbished. When it was revealed that girls could not attend school during their monthly cycle, the Empowerment Pad Program was launched. Nyadire girls now make their own sanitary products as enabled by TNC. When it was known that Nyadire folks had never had an eye exam, TNC trained teams of young adults from Nyadire to conduct eye exams in Nyadire and in surrounding villages. Eyeglasses provided by another Pittsburgh non-profit, Mission Vision are dispensed. The same about textbooks and computers. TNC answered the call.
When TNC learned that the six rural clinics around Nyadire that treat thousands of folks in nearby villages needed extensive help to bring them up to clinical standards, TNC and the communities took on this awesome task. TNC raised funds and the villages hand made the bricks (400,000 per clinic!), and provided much of the labor. To date, five clinics have been refurbished. When it was revealed that girls could not attend school during their monthly cycle, the Empowerment Pad Program was launched. Nyadire girls now make their own sanitary products as enabled by TNC. When it was known that Nyadire folks had never had an eye exam, TNC trained teams of young adults from Nyadire to conduct eye exams in Nyadire and in surrounding villages. Eyeglasses provided by another Pittsburgh non-profit, Mission Vision are dispensed. The same about textbooks and computers. TNC answered the call.
This relationship has morphed with TNC teams visiting Nyadire regularly and the shipment of needed medical equipment, supplies, textbooks, sewing machines, hygiene kits, sport uniforms, and seeds. TNC works with Brothers Brother Foundation to provide the shipping in ocean going containers and strives to send only what is requested. On future visits, teams confirm that items are truly needed and effectively used.
TNC has sponsored events to educate ourselves and more deeply understand the culture of Zimbabwe. Most members have read books such as Toxic Charity, When Helping Hurts, etc., and one leader has the task of working with each program to organize around sustainability and equal benefits to each. For example, TNC now has 20 programs, each with a leader in the USA and a co-leader of the program in Nyadire. If it becomes “one sided,” TNC cancels or modifies the program.
TNC has provided a lot of needed commodities. More than that, TNC has learned a great deal about giving but more about receiving. We have long-term relationships that span the 8,400 miles cherished out of love. Just ask a TNC person how his/her life has been blessed.
TNC has sponsored events to educate ourselves and more deeply understand the culture of Zimbabwe. Most members have read books such as Toxic Charity, When Helping Hurts, etc., and one leader has the task of working with each program to organize around sustainability and equal benefits to each. For example, TNC now has 20 programs, each with a leader in the USA and a co-leader of the program in Nyadire. If it becomes “one sided,” TNC cancels or modifies the program.
TNC has provided a lot of needed commodities. More than that, TNC has learned a great deal about giving but more about receiving. We have long-term relationships that span the 8,400 miles cherished out of love. Just ask a TNC person how his/her life has been blessed.