Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country, sitting between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers. Zimbabwe is mostly savanna, but mountainous in the east, with the highest point being Mount Nyangani. To the west is Matopos National Park known for the granite rocks and the tropical evergreen and hardwood forests. Zimbabwe is in the southern hemisphere, which means the seasons are opposite of the United States. They have a tropic climate with dry and wet months. The dry months (winter) are from around May to October and range from 55 degrees to 68 degrees during the day and can get below freezing at night. The hotter and wetter months (summer) are from November to April and range from 77 degrees and 95 degrees.
English is the main language of Zimbabwe, with Shona and Sindelbele being principle languages. Total, in all, Zimbabwe has 16 official languages. The population is around 12.97 million people. The life expectancy is 56 for men and 60 for women.
Nhowe Mission
Nhowe Mission was founded in 1939 and now consists of a church, fully-functioning hospital, a highly-respected school, and an orphan program that serves hundreds of orphans.
HOSPITAL
The hospital at Nhowe Mission was named for Brian Lemons, who is the son of Dr. Stephen and Loretta Lemons of Andover, Kansas. In 1996, Brian traveled to Nhowe Mission where he fell in love with the country and the people. He planned to return as a missionary after graduation from college, but his life was cut short when he died in a car accident while returning to York College after Christmas break in February of 1997. Erik joined the Lemons family in Zimbabwe in 2002 when the hospital was opened in Brian’s honor. Now the hospital serves about 5,000 patients each month and has over 70 beds. It is equipped to meet the needs of rural Zimbabwe and provide care for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, obstetrics, various surgeries (most common are Cesarean section, appendectomy, skin grafts, biopsies, and laparotomy for gallbladder and bowel disease), and many outpatient health issues.
 |
| source |
The school was built in 1939 and currently serves around 1,500 students who receive one of the highest quality educations that one can receive in Zimbabwe. In addition to the academic classes, students also attend Bible classes and chapel. Some of the students walk to and from school everyday (which can be several miles away) and other students are housed at the school in dormitories while the school is in session.
ORPHANAGE
In 2007 the orphan program at Nhowe Mission began. It started with just 17 children and has now expanded to hundreds. Zimbabwe has the highest number of orphans in proportion to its population than any other country in the world. As high as one in four children are orphaned as a result of parents dying from AIDS. Nhowe Mission has recently started building an orphanage on site close to the hospital where medical care is available to address the needs of the orphans who are infected with HIV/AIDS and require daily care.
No comments:
Post a Comment