Family Parkkonen visiting Dziwarasekva after 10 years of sponsoring

Being on our first ever trip to Africa and Zimbabwe everything feels exciting. Colors, sounds, fragrances, people… the sentiment of Africa. No wonder people fall in love with this country and its wonderful climate.

 On the first day after arrival Seppo took us to Dzivarasekwa. We met the two children we had sponsored since their school start and whom we had been corresponding regularly during the years. The moment of meeting them was very emotional. There are no words to explain the feeling you have when you finally can hold them in your arms.

Now being able to see the poverty and endless needs of all the children makes one feel hopeless. But at the same time understanding what such a good and meaningful work Dzikwa Trust performs, gives you faith. You may contribute by giving a chance for better life even for one child. Enabling him/her to study and get a profession through which he/she can help building Zimbabwe’s way out of poverty.

One of our missions in our trip is to make Dzikwa Trust a presentation video. We have carried with us cameras, stands, microphones, wires, laptops with editing programs etc. Our daughter Linnea (17 yrs) has video editing as a hobby. She is now shooting a film based on a pre-made script approved by Seppo. Our son Luukas (14 yrs), who has theatre as a hobby, is playing one of the main roles in the film. The target is to collect material to make a 25 minute film to present the project at schools and partnering organizations. A short video clip will be available at the Zim-orphans web pages too.

Being a volunteer everybody can contribute according to their skills. We have been helping with project´s data processing as well as learning use of excel. We´ll do some training and assist with communication in the days to come. Even small things can help the project to proceed.

Whole family has been looking forward to this trip for years. We have been part of the volunteers in Finland since 2001 and now the dream comes true. Seeing Zimbabwe, getting to know our sponsored children, learning and participating to the Dzikwa Trust work stays in our heart.  I think, this will change our thinking for life. There is not an act too small that you can do for these children. Each step leads towards a better future!

Annika