Kudzi

Kudzanai Mundicha, age 10

Oh, Kudzi. This boy has so much joy. (That rhymed. Fancy.) To read about where he's coming from, you can scroll down and read my post about his brother, Future. Or click here. 


Because Kudzi spent so much time being a cattle herder, he is very behind in school. He's in a class with kids his own age (he is 10), but he can't even write his name. It's impossible to know for sure after spending just three weeks with him, but I am pretty sure that he is dyslexic. While dyslexia is relatively easily dealt with in America, there are not many resources for it in rural Zimbabwe. Right now, Rejoice does all of Kudzi's homework for him. His school has a student:teacher ratio of about 40:1, which means that he doesn't get any specialized help there. Siam (a lovely lady who went to Zim with me in May) was Kudzi's unofficial tutor while we were there, and trying to work with him was so frustrating for her. It seems that he simply cannot process things the way that the other kids do. I intend to educate myself about different learning disabilities before heading back to Peniel Centre so that I can help him progress in school. The wonderful staff at Peniel are also hoping to get him into a better school - pray that this happens! Also, if you have any book recommendations or have worked with kids with learning disabilities, please let me know!


Moving on. I wish you all could know Kudzi. He has such a beautiful heart, filled with joy and gratefulness. He is always smiling and dancing. He lights up the room. Here's a little video of him dancing! :) He's the smallest one, not wearing red.

Pray for Kudzi. Pray that his joy would bring joy to others. Pray that someone would take the time to figure out how he learns. Pray that his learning disability wouldn't run his life. Pray that he feels the arms of God wrapped around him. Pray that he knows he is loved.

Future

Future Mundicha, age 13

Future's dad died when he and his brother Kudzanai were still young. Their mother remarried a man who didn't want to care for children who were not his, so they were sent to live with their neighbor, since they had no family able to care for them. However, the neighbor didn't send them to school, but turned them into cattle herders. Eventually, their paternal grandmother heard about their situation and wanted to do something, but she was just a maid in Bulawayo and didn't have a home of her own to take them in to. The grandmother did the only thing she could think of - talked to her employer about it. He happened to have heard of Peniel Centre, and they set up a meeting right away. Future and Kudzi moved in to Peniel Centre in June 2009 and have excelled ever since.

Future is funny, timid, and brilliant. Last year, he was the smartest kid in his class, and he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Instead of writing about who Future is, I'll just post this fabulous video that the kids recorded one day when they stole my camera...he is such a ham. A bunch of the kids made little music videos, and in most of them they are wearing Rick's sunglasses. :)

Pray for Future. Pray that he feels at home at Peniel Centre. Pray that he and Kudzi stay close. Pray that he will know what he can achieve. Pray that he keeps his joy. Pray for his heart.

Arnold

Arnold Mugumigwa, age 16

Arnold's dad died when Arnold was very young. His mother soon remarried, but his new step-father didn't want anything to do with a child that wasn't his. So Arnold was sent to live with his homeless grandmother. She worked on a farm, but this was not enough money to send Arnold to school, much less buy food for an extra mouth. Fountain of Hope found out about Arnold and was able to pay for his school fees through grade 7, but then his granny informed him that he would not be able to go to high school because there wasn't one nearby and the fees increase dramatically. He had to drop out of school and began working. Luckily, Arnold was able to move to Peniel Centre, have a home, and attend a nearby high school. This kid has a bright future now, thanks to Fountain of Hope.


Arnold is so funny. Honestly...even this picture. So great. The little girl in the picture is Lindsey, the daughter of Kaiysz and Lydia, the "parents" at Peniel Centre. She absolutely loves Arnold and can quite often be found in his arms. Arnold can also often be found in the kitchen, wearing an oh-so-fashionable apron. :) He is spirited, hilarious, caring, and kind. Arnold wants to be a doctor, and I think he would be the best doctor Zimbabwe has ever seen.


Pray for Arnold. Pray that he would never be afraid to be Arnold. Pray that he will have a strong desire to know God more and more each day. Pray that he will realize his potential and achieve his goals. Pray that he will never lose his joy. 

Mandla

Mandlaenkosi Ndlovu, age 15

Mandla doesn't remember his parents. He was raised by his older sister, and she was able to keep him in school until 3rd grade. After that, she couldn't afford both school and food (and was having trouble providing food), so Mandla sought employment. He ended up working in a garden. During this time, a Peniel Centre staff person found him and began the process of rescuing him from this lifestyle. He moved to Peniel in June 2009 and took several months to adjust back to schooling. He is now in 7th grade and is doing well. However, Mandla doesn't have a birth certificate, and will therefore be unable to take the grade 7 exams, which allow admittance to high school. Because of not having a birth certificate, he also hasn't been able to participate in school sports, which has been really discouraging to him. 

Mandla was very quiet with us. I don't blame him - we were a little crazy, not to mention white. And weird. But that's beside the point. It is pretty obvious, however, that the younger kids really look up to Mandla. He is a quiet strength for them. 


Pray for Mandla. Pray that he wouldn't be afraid to speak his mind. Pray that they would be able to get him a birth certificate so that he can continue his education with high school and college. Pray that no matter what happens with the birth certificate situation, he would know that his value isn't found in a legal document.  Pray that he would have a strong relationship with the Lord. Pray that he will know he is loved.

Muzi

Muziwandile Mangena, age 17

Muzi lost his father in June 2003, when he was nine years old. His mother then passed away in February 2006. However, his mother had been sick for a while, so he and his younger brother had already been staying with an uncle - a war veteran who lives in a resettlement camp outside of Bulawayo. Since his uncle realized that these boys' future was bleak without attending school or having a home, he forced them into child labor. They were subjected to physical abuse on a daily basis as they herded cattle without any pay. Thankfully, Muzi's sister found out about Peniel Centre and started working on a plan to get Muzi and his brother there. She was able to steal Muzi away from the abusive uncle in the night, but sadly wasn't able to get their younger brother. Muzi arrived at Peniel in January, 2009. He was immediately re-enrolled in school, but unfortunately he failed his exams last year and is repeating Form 3 (much like junior year of high school) this year. 

Muzi is a quiet leader. He is caring, strong, and smart. A protector. He would translate for us, but only if we asked. One of my favorite times with Muzi was doing Sunday School at the church on our last Sunday. He had come out to translate for us, and I was about to begin the Bible story. The kids were, of course, talking loudly and not paying attention. I said something to the effect of, "Okay, we're going to begin! Let's be quiet," and Muzi translated, "SHUT UP!" Oh dear. Showing the love of Jesus, right? :)

Pray for Muzi. Pray that he wouldn't doubt his leadership at Peniel Centre. Pray that he will do well in school. Pray that he won't find his worth in school. Pray that he will know just how valuable he is. Pray that he will listen to the Lord in all aspects of life.

Nkosi

Nkosiphile Lusinga, age 16

Nkosi's parents both died when he was young, so he and his younger brother were left in the care of an aunt. However, this aunt had no desire to raise these boys, and so Nkosi escaped and ran away to another aunt in Bulawayo - but this aunt was homeless and therefore unable to support him. So Nkosi set out to find a job in the farming industry, and along his path he met a friend of Gideon and Jennifer, who then told them about Nkosi. He was then taken to Peniel Centre in June of 2009 and has since begun attending school again.

This kid is full of spirit, intellect, leadership skills, and joy. He often translated for us with hardly any help from the staff. His leadership amongst the kids is so obvious...in the profile that Gideon wrote up for each kid, he says about Nkosi, "We are already seeing a leader in Nkosi and we do not doubt that one day he will be one of the leaders of this nation." Being a doctor is what he really wants to do, but he's not sure if he can actually achieve it because of school requirements.

Pray for Nkosi. Pray that he will believe in his potential. Pray that he will begin to see his impact. Pray that he knows that he is loved for who he is, not for who he can come across as. Pray that he will use all of his positive attributes for the glory of God. Pray that he continues to seek knowledge in every area of life, learning not only from books and school, but also from the people around him. Pray he keeps seeking God's plan for his life.