
In September of 2003,
we (Sheri Saltzberg and Mark Grashow) had an opportunity to visit a number
of schools and orphanages in Southern Africa. There we met hundreds of
children eager to learn and resolute in the belief that school held the
key to their future. At every turn we found remarkable and committed
teachers, eager to do anything and everything in their power to provide a
more meaningful education to their students. Long meetings were held with
principals, teachers, parents, and local leaders to provide a greater
insight into the needs of local communities and schools. In all our
discussions there was always a sense of inspiration, hope and vision for
the future of the children of Southern Africa. Parents and educators stood
ready to build their nation’s future through their children. They can do
it, one step and one brick at a time, but they will do it. But they cannot
do it alone. They need our help.
The obstacles are
huge. We visited schools that had six pens for six hundred students and
met children who slept on concrete floors when it was too late or too far
to travel home. We found schools libraries with no books and children with
HIV disease who received no medication. In one school, 700 students went
with no breakfast or lunch every school day. In another, eight teachers
shared a small outdoor toilet and cooked their meals under a dilapidated
lean-to.

… Mark meeting with faculty
There were science
labs with no chemicals or test tubes. We watched kids playing soccer after
school using a paper ball wrapped in tape because the school did not
possess a single piece of sports equipment. With each school and orphanage
we visited, one thing became crystal clear. By rallying American friends
and institutions, we could play a significant
role in expanding and enhancing the learning environment. We came home
with a new mission. The USACF, a non-for-profit organization, was founded.

. . . learning new skills…
Recognizing the needs of these schools and
having the capacity to raise money and amass materials is only a
beginning. What is crucial to the success of any such undertaking is
having locally established trusted agencies organize and oversee this
comprehensive effort. We found one such an organization in Zimbabwe called
the Organization of Rural Associations for Progress, (ORAP). In Tanzania
we helped create such an organization through the efforts of Beston
Mwakinga.
ORAP was founded in 1980 in Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe. ORAP is a grassroots organization dedicated to helping local
residents and communities develop small businesses, viable agricultural
and comprehensive educational systems. USACF and ORAP have been partners
now for five years. We have accomplished some amazing things.
Working with ORAP, school leaders and
elected officials, we formulated a plan to link dozens of schools in New
York with their African counterparts. The partnerships were have three
components:
1. The students of
each school will share histories, personal as well as historical, through
books, letters, photos and e-mails. Students will attempt to learn as much
as possible about each other’s culture and seek ways to link their worlds
together.

. . . a class room in need of help
2. Four times a
year 40-foot containers are shipped to Tanzania and Zimbabwe loaded with
40,000 lbs of requested materials. Shipments include tens of thousands of
textbooks, children's books, schools supplies, toys, games, toiletries,
art supplies, sports equipment, medical supplies, maps, sewing machines,
bicycles, blackboards, seeds and tools. Meeting specific needs of
individual schools is a priority. Local trucks are used to transport
donations from the containers to local schools.
3. Funds are raised
to not only pay for the shipment of goods and the purchase of specifically
requested materials such as brick molds and sewing machines, but also for
school uniforms and individual scholarships. USACF looks forward to the
day when all students will have at their disposal the books and materials
they need for a quality education. It is our hope that one day a child's
future will be limited only by the size of their dreams
We look forward to the day when all students will have at their disposal
the books and materials they need for a quality education and when the
children of our sister schools will be able to follow the educational path
that their minds and hearts want to take them.
Recent Successes
Over the last five
years, ten USACF shipments have reached Africa. Eight were sent to
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Two were sent to Mbeya, Tanzania. Two more containers
will be sent in May 2009. Contained in those shipments were hundreds of
thousands of books, schools supplies, sports equipment, toys, and other
needed materials. The effects of these shipments have been profound.
1. Over 100 schools
now have functioning libraries. Students, teachers and parents all utilize
the libraries. For the first time children can take books home to read.
This may seem like a simple thing, but it is an amazing change. Some
classrooms have established mini-libraries.
2. Some teachers
now have complete sets of textbooks from which to work. We walked into one
classroom and every child had a story book. When asked if they could read
the book, they all read aloud. Our goal is for all teachers to have sets
of textbooks from which to work.
3. Attendance is
up. Punctuality is up. Teacher retention is our sister schools is much
higher than other public schools. Student enrollment in the zero-grade
classes (kindergarten) has soared largely due to the arrival of toys. One
box of toys can triple or quadruple the number of students attending
class.
4. A tutorial was
set up to better prepare 50 of the secondary students for their "A" level
exams in Zimbabwe. Before the tutorial program was established, the number
of students qualifying for university was only 3%; now it’s 20%. In one
district, no one had qualified for university in five years. Last year 34
students qualified.
5. Art classes are
being organized. It is now possible because of the arrival of paper,
crayons, markers and paint. Some students had never seen a crayon in their
life.
6. Mangubeni
Secondary was selected to develop a comprehensive agriculture program.
USACF sent two wheelbarrows, 100 meters of hose, fencing, seed, hand
rakes, a pick axe, shovels, pails and watering cans. We hope to expand
this program into other schools.
7. We have
delivered fifteen sewing machines - some manual and some electric. Parents
use the machines to make school uniforms. Schools have started fashion and
design classes.
8. USACF focuses on
the needs of orphans. Over 20% of our students are orphans. We try to
ensure that all orphans have the school supplies, shoes and clothing they
need to attend school. In winter many cannot get to school because they
have no shoes and it is too cold to walk.
9. USACF has
established extensive pen pal programs in Zimbabwe and Tanzania. We have
also given sister schools disposal cameras to photograph their schools and
students. We are working to develop better communication between sister
schools through websites such as Facebook and Youtube.
10. Schools have
begun to excel in sports. We have provided some schools with team
uniforms. All schools have received soccer balls. One school came in first
place out of 35 in a gymnastics competition. Another school came in 2nd
place in a soccer competition. Before getting team uniforms they never won
a game. (Without sports uniforms many students are not able to compete
because they are afraid to dirty the only clothing they have.) Because we
have sent extra soccer ball, the girls are allowed to play soccer for the
first time. We sent 300 soccer balls and 600 soccer uniforms in the 6th
shipment.
11. We supply a
local hospice in Zimbabwe with medical supplies and wheelchairs for their
HIV patients.
12. Our first
micro-economic venture is in Tanzania. We have purchased six high quality
breeding pigs. We hope that in time we will have hundreds of pigs. Funds
raised from the sale of pigs will go directly to the schools.
13. USACF has
secured two dental stations and dental equipment. These will be sent to
Zimbabwe. One station will be used at the University of Zimbabwe and the
second to establish a clinic in Bulawayo.
14. From August 13,
2009 until August 27, 2009, USACF will be bringing 14 teachers and program
supporters to Tanzania. They will spend most of their time visiting our
sister schools and looking for elephants and zebra while on tent safaris.
We hope this to be an annual event.
15. USACF has
established a scholarship program for Zimbabwean students who have
qualified for University and cannot afford to go. USACF will fund their
“Distance Learning Degrees” provided each candidate agrees to teach at one
of our sister schools.
To date (May 2009) USACF has funded 40 scholarships.
Thank you!

Mark Grashow and Sheri Saltzberg