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Why Vanavevhu?
There are very few opportunities for youth to be employed in Bulawayo. This is due to a high unemployment rate and a lack of sufficient skills. This unfortunate situation is critical for youth who are under educated, orphaned Child Heads. Yet because of their very challenging circumstances, Child Heads represent survivors who find creative ways to make ends meet and provide for their families. They are resilient and possess survival skills and qualities of leadership that should be encouraged and nurtured. Vanavevhu is dedicated to the development and economic empowerment of Child Headed Households (CHH) in the Matabeleland area. Vanavevhu provides CHH with the resources, training and support to become self-sufficient and independent. Support includes engaging youth in their own active social, economic and emotional development, there-by ensuring a sustainable improvement in their own lives and the lives of their families.
 
Ramping up candle production and sales!
We begin the year with a big THANK YOU to all our donors. It is your generosity that helps our youth to become economically self-sufficient in the years during and after they leave Vanavevhu. We appreciate your continued support and we look forward to a fruitful 2014.
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   A selection of our products for sale. |
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Note from Lizz
Vanavevhu has grown so much from the idea I had when I started this journey. I'm so grateful for all the support that I have received over the years and I hope that the Vanavevhu programs will continue to enhance the lives of childheads in Matebeleland, Zimbabwe. Working with these remarkable youth is a life changing experience that l think everyone ideally needs. They have inspired me to never give up, to try harder and to think outside the box. Despite very challenging circumstances, the youth find ways to create a safe home and sustenance for their siblings. They start their own small businesses without any knowledge or training and work hard to make a living and provide for their families. I believe that childheads show incredible and inspiring survival instincts that deserve to be nurtured and supported. It is my hope that 2014 will bring greater success, growth and additional resources for the youth of Vanavevhu!
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Rotary Grants 
We would not be able to do our work without the help and support from Rotary. Last year Rotary clubs and Districts considered our wish list; and took it upon themselves to help out with a generous grant. We managed to get our Douglas Dale property fence and now we have a truck to make all permaculture activities possible. Thanks to this grant, our youth are able to enjoy the practical side of permaculture. This makes our food security programs run much more smoothly and will go a long way in making a measurable difference in the livelihood of child-headed households. The Vanavevhu family is truly grateful and appreciates the support! Thank you for believing in our Youth.
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Food Security
One of Vanavevhu's goals is to stabilize Child Headed Households through food security. Vanavevhu not only hopes to ensure that each household has access to food and sustenance, but also that the value and access to nutritious foods is understood. Our focus on food security is one which maximizes the welfare and necessary fundamental rights of the CCH.
 
Article 24 of the UN convention on the Rights of the child states:
"You have the right to the best health care possible, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment and information
to help you stay well."
In November 2013, we invited the director of "e'Pap Zimbabwe", Shelly Lasker, to spend some time with the youth, to talk about e'Pap and to have a discussion about the benefits of a healthy diet. e'Pap is a pre-cooked porridge which is a blend of maize, soya, vitamins and minerals in a highly absorbable form. It contains 28 micro nutrients and a great economical substitute for highly processed foods. The youth were excited about making healthy changes in their diets at home and making sure their siblings eat good food.
After the e'Pap workshop, Shelly was inspired to include our youth in the e'Pap promotional program. She offered our interns, Gugulethu, Brighton, Jeffery and Siphamandla, the opportunity to promote e'Pap in local grocery stores. This helped them to hone salesmanship skills and get work experience. We are grateful for Shelly's continued support and we are so proud of our youth for doing such a great job!
 
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End of 2013 Celebration
2013 was a great year for Vanavevhu. We increased our cohort enrollment by 10 youth.
V2 Enterprise sales improved. A successful oyster mushroom training weekend was accomplished and the first group of youth completed their internship year. In December, to celebrate a successful year of hard work and to celebrate Christmas, our youth heads and their siblings gathered at Douglasdale for a tour of the garden and workshops, a Christmas feast of rice, chicken, and a fresh green salad with all our garden produce. The youth also invited some friends of Vanavevhu who had provided support in 2013 to come and enjoy a day of delicious food and great music. A tour was given by the youth to all the guests and siblings and provided a demonstration of the workshops. An achievements awards ceremony was also part of the day's festivities and the youth received certificates, as well as gift packs, in recognition of their accomplishments in 2013. The youth and staff also enjoyed Secret Santa gift exchanges and great dancing. It was a fun day filled with shared smiles, laughs and hugs.
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Global Entrepreneurship Week - 2013
Empretec is a United Nations program that was established by the (UNCTAD) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Division of Investment and Enterprise. Its aim is to promote the creation and building of sustainable support structures to help promising entrepreneurs build innovative and internationally competitive businesses. In celebration of the Global Entrepreneurship Week 2013 in November, our interns all qualified and attended the Bulawayo Empretec Entrepreneurship Development Workshop (EDW). This workshop enhanced our interns' knowledge and gave them a chance to meet and interact with other aspiring entrepreneurs from Bulawayo. We are so proud of our youth!
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DamXtreme Bulawayo Sports Festival - 2013
The interns had the opportunity to showcase products, put entrepreneurial skills to the test, sharpen communication skills and put on their salesmanship caps at the DamXtreme Bulawayo Sports festival. This is a festive weekend for all families for adventurous sporting activities, and games, and a celebration of local music and local arts. People came from all corners of Zimbabwe, including tourists from abroad. The youth were able to showcase their products and share their inspirational stories. They delighted in the compliments they received and got excited when they made sales. It was a wonderful experience and we can't wait for the festival in 2014!
 
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2014 Skills Transfer Initiative We began the year with a visit from Sally Winstanley-Burridge, an advocate for child development in the United Kingdom. Sally was moved by our story and planned a skills share trip aimed at further arming our youth with survival tools. Through crowdfunding on her site, Jam Pots And Purls, Sally was able to raise money to fund a skill share trip to Zimbabwe. The purpose of her trip was to share jam and chutney making skills, create saleable products and teach sales related skills. Sally also shared her talents for knitting and quilting, activities which served to further develop Vanavevhu youth memory boxes in a fun and meaningful way.   
 
  
Fabulous Jams!
The time spent with Sally will forever be cherished by our youth. This wonderful woman went above and beyond to raise money for a generator which will be extremely helpful due to the constant power cuts faced in Zimbabwe. Sally's generosity was not just of material value, but it was also about the emotional kindness and the strength she gave our youth by believing in them. The knowledge she imparted will always be appreciated and well used. The smiles and laughter that accompanied each of her classes will always be treasured. Thanks to Sally, Vanavevhu started the year 2014 on a high note!!
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2014 Appeal
All of our achievements this year come largely in part to the support we receive from donors like you. Because of the donations that come in as cash and kind, the expertise shared by many, the 'likes' on Facebook, and the myriad of other ways help is offered, we would not be celebrating! It is truly an exciting time for us as we approach our first milestone: the first graduating youth of Vanavevhu. These young men and women will go out into the world armed with skills, knowledge, and self-confidence learned from Vanavevhu. The livelihood of Vanavevhu depends on your continued support. We are grateful.
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