A Season of Giving

‘Tis the season to be merry, and we wish you a festive, healthy and safe holiday period.

I visit areas all over Bulawayo -women’s groups, churches, factories and more, but there are some places where tragedy and need are far greater than others.  

Last week I visited Emthunzini Wethemba – Shelter of Hope for street childre, to donate e’Pap to the children and staff.  These children are typical victims of donor fatigue in our country as overseas donors are generally pulling away from funding these days.  I remember when the late Rev Ndoda set it up and it was a model home.  But now, it is battling to stay afloat and the staff there soldier on in their commitment to keeping the doors open.  I meet a lot of children, and Emthunzini Wethemba’s orphans are amongst the most horribly affected by our economic problems. Remember this season they have no home to go to.

If you would like to donate e'Pap high nutrition porridge, one which is now recognised by the Johannesburg City Council as “miracle food”, to Emthunzini Wethemba or any charity of your choice in Bulawayo at this season of giving, we are happy to do this on your behalf – we will deliver to your charity and ensure the process is transparent and accountable.  

Working on a school or work week of 20 days a month, to provide 29 vitamins and minerals a day to anyone over the age of 6 years will cost $5 a month

and for children under 6 years just $2.50 a month.

We are all reeling from economic hardship, but just a small donation will go a long way to help our community to rise above challenges.

The e'Pap warehouse in Bulawayo (behind Archer Clothing) is closed from the 19 December and reopens on 5 January. In Harare the warehouse is closed from 12 December to 12 January. e'Pap makes a great filler for a Christmas stocking for anyone in the family and also is a fabulous gift for your staff. 

e'Pap is not just porridge, it is health in a packet. 

For less than $10 a month for anyone over 6 years and less than $5 a month for children aged 8 months to 6 years you get a whopping 29 vitamins and minerals a day.

Congratulations Ntunungwe School!!!!

 It's just common sense that good nutrition can go so far to change a child's life.

Great news in from Ntunungwe School, one which has been distributing e'Pap to the Grade 7 classes since 2013. The school is supported by Gill Dudman, a local farmer in the area who has for many years dedicated her time and love to the children in this impoverished area.  She wrote.....

"Ntunungwe School achieved a 76,3% pass rate in the  National Grade 7 exams.  Thank you e'Pap, good teachers and able Children!"

The e'Pap is purchased through donations from many sources including the pupils at Carmel School
in Bulawayo, as well as Bredon School in the UK.  A recent newsletter sent to Bredon reads... 

"We also spent some money on Epap, as our supplies were getting rather low.
The Grade 7s are busy writing their national exams. We have been able to feed all 40 of them once a day since the first term in January on Epap. The porridge has made them all look so healthy.
The porridge is also called ‘Clever porridge’ as the children’s work improves when they get good nutrition. Your donation has also meant that we are able to feed some of the pre-school children who were looking rather thin."

 

e'Pap Cares for the Environment

The e’Pap team joined forces with rhino conservationist and activist, Sam Nkomo and his fellow walkers on Saturday 22 November to clean Bulawayo’s filthy streets.  Sam jumped around at the last minute to get his walkers to work with us and it is living proof that he is a man of action, rather than words.  His commitment to the environment is total.  Thanks Sam and team for working with us.

Organised by the City of Bulawayo,  under the Bulawayo Solid Waste Improvement Platform (BSWIP) this multi-stakeholder initiative is determined to help restore the city to its former glory of being the cleanest city in the country and beyond.

Before we left to clean “our” street, we were entertained by some great dancers and we got to meet the mascot for the African Youth Games about to start here.  Our team cleaned 5^th Ave, including the noxious market and we were proud to do our bit for our environment. 

e’Pap Zimbabwe is committed to, “reduce, reuse, recycle” and our “Gogo” project to reuse our bags is gaining popularity.  We also no longer have to buy bags for our seedlings.  

 In the Eastern Cape the e'Pap feeding scheme uses the bags for carpet protection and as "raincoats" for the little ones!

e'Pap is Growing in the Corporate Sector

Today was great... 

The team was given the opportunity to meet with and have a lunchtime chat about the awesome nutrition in e'Pap with some 1 000 workers at a local Bulawayo factory.  The best thing is when you see the "lights go on", when people really "get" what e'Pap is all about.  More corporates are understanding that a work force on e'Pap is a turbo boost to the business and with the health benefits come improved productivity and decreased absenteeism.  

 

Zambia Civil Society Organizations Scaling up Nutrition (CSO SUN) Alliance

Dr Basil Kransdorff has just returned from Zambia.  e'Pap was invited to a Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Conference, to make presentations and to share the e'Pap journey. It was a great opportunity to engage with mainstream nutritional interventions including senior management in the World Food program (WFP) and many other International organizations. There was great interest in our work that could create opportunities for us to take e'Pap and nutrient repleteness to its next level.

An article from the Zambia Post

Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance (CSO-SUN) works towards a Zambia where every mother and child is assured of sufficient nutrition.

The e'Pap stand was popular with all and the Zambian e'Pap team served smoothies, 

a firm favourite for the delegates.

e’Pap is ISO 22000 accredited

“The consequences of unsafe food can be serious and ISO’s food safety management standards help organizations identify and control food safety hazards. As many of today's food products repeatedly cross national boundaries, International Standards are needed to ensure the safety of the global food supply chain.”

About ISO

With headquarters in Switzerland, “ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is an independent, non-governmental membership organization and the world's largest developer of voluntary International Standards.”

About ISO

e'Pap in the news!

Two pieces about e'Pap have hit the news this week, one local, one international.  

The Sunday News ran an article about Sam Nkomo from the 500km Rhino Awareness Walk... 

 

  BASF is a global leader and their mandate is to " create chemistry for a sustainable future" and this article has just been published in their newsletter "Micronutrient News"

“None of this is inherited from our grandparents, it is all on loan from our children.”

Sam Nkomo and the team powered by e'Pap

 Today was the launch of the 500km Awareness Walk and e’Pap is proud to be turbo boosting Sam Nkomo and his team on their journey to bring awareness to the plight of our endangered rhino.  

National Parks

REPS school looking great!

Sam started his journey with an emotional rendition of the national anthem, led by REPS school.  The massive significance of his walk from Matobo to Victoria Falls was marked by a series of tributes   The Chief of the area reminisced over the way it used to be and Sam’s mentor from the start in his career in the world of conservation wished he could join Sam, but his legs just cannot do it any more!  
from a host of dignitaries including the Mayor of Bulawayo, an emissary from the Ministry of the Environment, Oscar Nyathi from

Gail Amyot and some of the dignitaries

National Parks representing the scouts whose challenging task is to preserve our natural heritage.

The Scouts

We were treated to a “Rhino Traditional Dance” and a drill from a rank of National Parks Scouts.  Gail Amyot, long term environmental activist presided over the ceremony with her hard working and committed committee who have put heart and soul into this momentous event.  Mrs B Mguni, the Provincial    
Education Director for Matabeleland North, which is the area that will host most of the walk, promised that no less than 13 schools will be waiting to share in Sam’s journey and learn about the importance of protecting our wildlife.

Mrs Mguni Provincial Education Director, Sam Nkomo and the Children

The words which summed up today’s launch could not be better expressed than by Sam himself, who shared with us what his grandfather once told him, “None of this is inherited from our grandparents, it is all on loan from our children.”

It's all about the future...