Malawi Passes Child Protection Bill

The bill outlines responsibilities and roles of parents on how to raise their children in their respective homes, addresses issues of child abduction, trafficking, harmful cultural practices, and it recognizes principles that are in the best interest of children. There are 1.4 million child workers in Malawi, mainly in tea plantations and domestic servitude. Some criticize the bill for conflicting with cultural norms and being too "western". To read more click here.

Former President Bill Clinton Visits Malawi

All work and no play? For many Americans this is not an expression that we associate with the former President. His visit to Malawi yesterday to follow-up on development projects funded by his Foundation was combined with attending the World Cup. He decided to stay for today's match between Ghana and the US - and to pitch the US as a future World Cup venue to FIFA. To read more click here.

Thank You to the Flora Family Foundation

Collins Mutsvairo, ASAP Zimbabwe's Bridge the Gap Project Manager, was honored to attend the Teacher Education and Development Trainees Conference held in Kampala, Uganda last week. Funded by the Flora Family Foundation, the conference brought together practitioners working to improve education from throughout Africa. ASAP is thankful for the opportunity to share experiences and collaborate with colleagues. To read ASAP's Bridge the Gap Project Report click here.
To watch the video overview of the BTG project click here.

Growing Global Citizens

UNICEF has launched Teach UNICEF - a fantastic website that provides resources such as lesson plans, stories, and multimedia to cover topics and encourage the exploration of critical global issues that impact children worldwide. Materials on the site can be downloaded for free. The goal is to offer interested youth an opportunity to take action and create a new generation of well-informed global citizens.

Click here to learn more.

Zimbabwe Takes Step Toward New Constitution

President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party have finally allowed the process of crafting a new constitution to begin, nearly a year behind schedule. To read more click here.

To download the 2005 amended Zimbabwe constitution click here.

Micro-Light Visitors fly in to ASAP Malawi

With a mission to raise awareness of and secure funding for microfinance initiatives in Africa, micro light pilots Thom de Wit and Merle Pijlman, are flying across Africa to learn more about microfinance. On 7 June 2010, they arrived in Malawi as guests of ASAP Malawi and are pictured below with Victor Katchika-Jere, ASAP's Country Director in Malawi.
They were driven to Ndakwera and Nyampemba communities where ASAP is currently implementing village savings and lending projects (VSL). The couple met with more than 100 club members in two separate community meetings.
Senior Group Village Headman Singano, also an active VSL club member, said: “This methodology has shown us that our money can grow and make profit from it through lending. If we were to go to a bank we would have to pay some deposit and then also have bank charges deducted from our own money.”
ASAP’s Country Director, Mr. Victor Katchika-Jere emphasized the vision of ASAP Malawi: “This organization is committed to eradicating poverty. ASAP believes that this starts when the people have a stable capital base to start their Income Generating Activities (IGAs) and have the right training to help them in making informed decisions about what business to engage in. The Chimvano pa Chuma Project through VSL builds community capacity to embrace a savings culture.”
Mission accomplished, the couple left Malawi on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 on their way to Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt enroute to Holland. To learn more about their journey click here.

Special Malawi Graduation

People attending a recent graduation of ASAP Internal Savings and Lending (IS&L) members got a real treat. Traditional dancers performed at this graduation making it a very special event. The people graduating are members of ASAP’s IS&L program who have reached the stage of independence when they no longer need ASAP field officer monitoring and training. These graduation ceremonies are normally quite a festive time with singing, dancing and handing out of certificates to the graduating group. But this celebration became even better with the performance of traditional dancers.

Each of these masked dancers represent a different kind of animal as they dance in a manner that depicts the nature of that animal. The tree leaves in each “animal’s” hands are used for signaling to the drummers, other dancers and people leading the way when the animals are walking.

As ASAP's IS&L program has grown in Malawi, graduations have become a more common event but these traditional dancers made this graduation truly a very special graduation.

An Opportunity to Learn and Share

Collins Mutsvairo, ASAP Africa's Bridge the Gap Project Manager is looking forward to attending a conference on learning outcomes this month. The meeting, to be held in Kampala, Uganda, is funded by the Flora Family Foundation.

Collins is eager to share the results and findings from ASAP's 5 year math teacher training project that ended in December 2009, which was partially funded the Flora Family Foundation. To watch a video overview of the BTG project click here.

Happy Africa Day - May 25th

May 25th is Africa Day. Take this opportunity to celebrate African unity diversity and success and join Africans around the world in highlighting the cultural and social energy of the continent. To read more about Africa Day click here.

Pay It Forward

Pictured above is Helen Kaufman, Taylor Smeback and Steph Fraiser of Bay Port High School in Howard/Suamico Wisconsin. Their group, Alms For Africa, is working together with ASAP Africa on their Pay It Forward project to provide text books for Tsvito school in rural Zimbabwe.

This small rural school, where up to 40 children share one textbook, will benefit greatly from the work of these students. Providing textbooks is like planting a seed along a path; we may never see that seed reach fruition, it is the faith in our intentions that guarantee that these children will benefit greatly from the kindness and hard work of Alms For Africa. What better way to Pay It Forward !

Don't miss "Music by Prudence" Tomorrow Night

Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Prudence Mabhena is the central figure in the Oscar-winning documentary short Music by Prudence, premiering on HBO on May 12.

To read more about this inspiring story of great hope click here.

This summer, in Asheville NC, Matt Siegel will be sharing this movie as part of his Summer Harvest of Hope benefit event for ASAP Africa. Click here to read more about how you can get involved.

Food Security is The Focus

In an interview with the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi, said he planned to work with other African leaders to devise a program on food security that was sustainable "regardless of who is looking at it". He plans to set up what he called an African compact on food security to act as an independent advisory body to the African Union (AU) on agriculture and food issues.
"I'll invite about eight, nine heads of states that are committed to this [food security] program and I'll invite international organizations, the Africa Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union... and some of the countries in the G8, and say here's a program, here's what we want to do, and sustain this within the context of the African green revolution," said the president.
The comments of Mutharika come as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launches a paper highlighting the risks to food security posed by climate change. The FAO report, Climate change implications for food security and natural resources management in Africa, published today, urges African governments to "prioritize and implement measures" to develop agriculture and sustainable resource management.
ASAP has programs that address food security in both Malawi and Zimbabwe. The Malawi office works closely with Total Land Care a large organization working in agriculture. The ZImbabwe program is currently working with the FAO and other organizations to address sustainable food security.

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY

Happy Earth Day! Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in held on April 22, 1970. Earth Day is now celebrated annually on April 22 in virtually every country on Earth.
In honor of Earth Day ASAP is launching "The Summer Harvest of Hope". People all across the country will be conducting local fundraisers for ASAP during the summer, from May to September. We are looking for people to sign up by Africa Day May 25th all planned events will be listed on the website.
It is also noteworthy that ASAP directors recently met with University of Georgia Agriculture experts, Jason Governo and Ryan Adolphson to discuss ASAP's developing an Organic Composting and Soil Renewal project in Zimbabwe and Malawi. We look forward to working in partnership with U of G and these gentlemen on this project as it matures.

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The entire ASAP family is proud of Country Director Regai Tsunga as he was chosen to speak at the commencement ceremony of Zimbabwe Outreach University yesterday. For Regai it seemed like a normal experience speaking before renowned academics, captains of commerce and industry, senior civil servants, religious leaders, university students and alumni.
At ASAP we agree that ZOU made a great selection!

World-Wide Golfers Shift Focus from Augusta to Zimbabwe

As golf fans world-wide congratulate Phil Michelson on his victory at the Master's in Augusta GA last week-end, Zimbabwe is preparing for golfers to shift their attention later this month for the Africom Zimbabwe Open. To read more click here.

Many are hopeful that the revival of the Africom Zimbabwe Open will help to change the perception of the world towards Zimbabwe. Players from all over the world and the region will come and play, where the good image of Zimbabwe as a safe business, sporting and tourism destination may also be revitalized.

The visit by South Africa's Julius Malema, the ANC Youth Leader, to Zimbabwe over Easter did not help bolster this cause. Although President Zuma of South Africa has been quick to reign in the outspoken young man, many fear that irreversible damage has already been done. To read more, click here.

Summer Harvest of Hope for ASAP Africa

Become actively involved by holding an event for ASAP this summer.
Register your Summer Harvest of Hope event by Africa Day, May 25th and help ASAP improve agriculture skills in Zimbabwe & Malawi.
Start planning your event today - click here for details & registration form.
Do Good! Have Fun! Educate! Invite everyone!

Enoch Katchika-Jere Goes Home for the Week-end

Victor Katchika-Jere, ASAP Malawi's Country Director,is pleased to report that Enoch spent the week-end resting at home for the first time since his birth on March 16th. On Wednesday Victor explained:

"My wife fell sick in the middle of the night on Tuesday. We rushed to the hospital and was told by doctors that her blood pressure was precariously high. The doctors were left with no option but to prematurely terminate the pregnancy through Cesarean section in order to save lives of both the mother and the unborn baby. She was operated on yesterday afternoon at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital and gave birth to a baby boy! The mother’s condition is now stable and the baby is in the Intensive Care Unit"

The story has a happy ending and we are happy to welcome Enoch into the world!!

Pre-schoolers Benefit from Micro-finance

In Mutasa District of rural Zimbabwe, Anah Muganiwa, Gladys Murinda and Jesimine Gawaza have recently teamed up to open a creche using their Internal Savings and Lending (ISL)proceeds. ISL is a hugely successful rural micro-finance methodology that ASAP has been implementing in Zimbabwe since 2001 and in Malawi since 2008. The 3 women have secured a license to operate a creche from the Ministry of Education. The capital realized from group savings shares was used for logistical purposes and paying of initial rent of the premises. They now realise profit by end of each month and currently have an enrollment of 65 children.

To read more about ASAP's ISL projects click here.

Jestina Mukoko of Zimbabwe

On March 10th U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced this year's recipients of the International Women of Courage Award. These women have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights and women’s equality. From Zimbabwe, Jestina Mukoko was selected for her exemplary and steadfast dedication to human rights.

To watch a short video clip of the awards click here.

To read more Jestina Mukoko's story click here.