A New Global Forum for Teachers

Teachers Without Borders has announced a new social network, a global community of teachers working to connect education and human welfare. A place to connect, share experiences and resources, and support colleagues from around the world. The good news is membership is FREE. Click here to join and gain access to colleagues, information and resources you can use for your professional needs and goals, and to support education initiatives in your schools and communities.

Help on the Way for Girls in East Africa

Education for Girls Benefits Society

Girls in East Africa will receive a boost from a new initiative to provide learning opportunities, life and livelihood skills for under-served youth. It has been well documented that more education for girls translates into later marriage, smaller families, increased child survival and reduced incidence of HIV/AIDS. In other words, it benefits the whole society. To learn more about this exciting new initiative click here.

At ASAP we know that students' merely attending school is not enough. When teachers are unskilled, unmotivated and schools are under-resourced, the need to improve the quality of education is as urgent as assisting girls to attend school. This is why, in addition to funding school fees since 1994,  our work to improve math education in primary school has been ongoing in Zimbabwe since 2000. Click here to support this important work today.

Elections and Education in Zimbabwe

Students in Zimbabwe inspire ASAP's 1st annual Circle Our World With Love campaign

Yesterday Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe told the UN High Commissioner that presidential elections will be held in 2012, although no exact date has been set for this process. Click here to read more.

You may be surprised to learn what impact elections may have on education in Zimbabwe in the coming year.

According to UNESCO "Parts of the world are becoming a deadly place to be a student, teacher or education official.... Accurate global figures do not exist for the number of teachers, students or officials killed each year, or for the other types of attack such as abductions, torture and threats of violence..."  To read more about the proposed actions being taken to prevent violence in schools in the upcoming year in Zimbabwe click here.

During 2012 ASAP has suspended our Bridge the Gap- Improving Math Education in Primary School project. Choosing instead to use these uncertain and potentially dangerous times to strengthen our ongoing work in 141 rural schools in rural Zimbabwe. Our hearts, prayers and compassion are with these teachers and students and are the motivation for our 1st annual Circle Our World With Love campaign. To learn more click here.

Schools Opened This Week in Zimbabwe

The new school term opened this week in Zimbabwe with teachers threatening to strike, if the government fails to meet their demands by June.“Teachers returned to work for the new term very angry and apprehensive, because the government still has not reviewed salaries and conditions of service. Also,violence against teachers has once again been on the rise and there has been no attempt to secure the working environment,” Zhou told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday. To read more click here.

There's a presidential election being planned in Zimbabwe in 2012 and rural education suffers when politics prevail.  The unpredictable and often dangerous environment demoralizes teachers. In 2008 all humanitarian organizations (including ASAP) were forbidden to operate. This is why ASAP has decided to temporarily suspend our ongoing Improving Math Education Primary School Project during 2012, using the time to examine what has worked during the past 7 years and bringing in new expertise to increase learning outcomes and results in the future.

If you struggle to find information from Zimbabwe, an excellent source of independent news is SW Radio Africa.

Rethinking Humanitarianism & Youth

According the IRIN, almost 40 percent of the global population is under 24; over one billion people - one in five people - are aged 15-24; in one third of the world’s countries, more than 60 percent of the population is under 30; and 85 percent of the world’s youth live in the developing world.

As Ross Mountain, of Development Assistance Research Associates stated at the recent Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference & Exhibition, “Without investments early on, youth remain trapped in situations of poverty and dependency, and are easily co-opted into criminality, social conflict, and patterns of inter-generational violence.”

The education and development needs of these children must be given the highest priority and their role in development reexamined as vulnerable countries face increasing food prices, urbanization, migration, the impact of climate change and population growth. To read more click here.

Thanks to the Meriwether County Rotary Club

ASAP is proud that the The Meriwether County Rotary Club has chosen to contribute to our work to cultivate self-reliance again this year. We enjoyed sharing a little bit about our work with the club and look forward to staying in contact with the delightful members that welcomed us so warmly and made us feel at home. Pictured here are ASAP's Executive Director, Elizabeth Bara, Rotary President Jon Hale and President elect Aaron Mabon. The support of the Rotary means so much.

Child Labor on the Rise in Zimbabwe

A 2010 UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report states that 13 percent of Zimbabwean children are engaged in child labor. Of the 1.3 million orphans living in Zimbabwe today it is estimated that 100,000 are living on their own in child headed households. To read more go to http://www.irinnews.org/Report/94939/ZIMBABWE-Child-labour-on-the-rise

Click here to learn more about ASAP's efforts to help these orphans and vulnerable children. Remember, one of the best ways to nurture and support these isolated children is to keep them in school.

Congratulations to Nyanga High School

The Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council has released a report on 2011 secondary school examination performances showing urban schools fell far behind rural schools1 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations. Nyanga High School, in Manicaland Province, came out on top! Manicaland is the province where ASAP has been working to help improve education since 1995, and the report indicates schools here performed very well overall. To read more click here.
To read more about ASAP's work to improve education click here.

Follow the Leeder - Pat Bannon

Pat Bannon, of Leeds England will take a 5-day cycle challenge this September for ASAP Africa.

We challenge you to follow Pat's lead and help us circle the world with our compassion for Africa in 2012. You can register a walk, jog, run, swim, crawl,bike-ride, horse-ride....you name it. Our goal is to cover 24,860 miles (40,008 km); circling the world with compassion, while having fun and raising funds to help families in Zimbabwe. To register your event for ASAP Africa on Razoo, just click here. It is easy to get started:
1. For "Nonprofit" select "A Self-help Assistance Program"
2. Name your event
3. Select "Create a page"
Upload pictures, videos and tell your story. Your supporters can easily contribute directly to your event. You can even download an iPhone App to track your event. In January 2013 prizes will be awarded to all participants.

Pat has taken the first step. We challenge others to follow his lead. Pat's ride will take him through the heart of the French Alps, tackling the toughest mountain climbs made famous by the Tour de France. To read more about this exciting adventure click here.
To donate to Pat's effort click here.
Where will your compassion take you? It's up to you. If you have any questions please call ASAP (770)632-7451.

1.5 Million Zimbabwean Refugees in South Africa

IRIN’s latest film, Out of Sight, explores the lives of blind undocumented migrants from Zimbabwe as they try and eke out a living begging on the streets of Johannesburg.
Watch the Film
Read the Report Film
Inside Zimbabwe, the work of 29 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Masvingo province, including Care International, were suspended by the government on Wednesday, raising worries of a crackdown similar to one that preceded elections in 2008.
Click here to read more.

Happy Valentines Day!

What better day than Valentine's Day to say thanks again to all our donors. With your help, as we work together, our labor of love continues to empower women and their families in Zimbabwe.

Typhoid Hits Zimbabwe

With the warm rains falling in Zimbabwe, highly contagious diseases are increasing. This week a typhoid outbreak has been reported near the capital, Harare. At least 90 people were admitted to hospital and over 600 affected.To learn more about the signs and symptoms of this disease click here.

Today, especially in rural Zimbabwe, many are still ignorant of how many common diseases are spread. "Snake oil salesmen" are a global phenomenon. Click here to read more. In Africa, here disinformation can be deadly, your support for ASAP's disease prevention training through rural Health clubs is desperately needed now. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - and saves lives!

Quotation from Martin Luther King Jr.

Throughout the year, Regai Tsunga, ASAP's Country Director in Zimbabwe, includes the following quotation from Martin Luther King Jr. on his email messages.

"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice"

To read an interview the Regai Tsunga, click here.

Taking a moment to reflect on MLK's inspiring "I have a dream speech" is a great way to commemorate and honor this truly great man.

Growing risk of Cholera in Zimbabwe

With the onset of the rains in Zimbabwe, the risk of waterborne diseases is on the rise. The inability of vulnerable rural populations to access safe water and basic sanitation exacerbates the risk. To read more click here. The 2008/9 Cholera outbreak infected nearly 100,000 and 4,000 people died. Today, especially in rural Zimbabwe, many are still ignorant of how waterborne diseases are spread. Your support for ASAP's disease prevention training through rural Health clubs is desperately needed now. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" - and saves lives!

New Year's Greeting

All of us at ASAP Africa look forward to being part of the the positive changes in the year ahead. Click Here. Happy 2012!

North Korea & Zimbabwe

Like the Democrats and Republicans here in the US, the major political parties in Zimbabwe, the MDC and ZanuPF, rarely agree. The perspective on the passing of Kim Jong-il is no exception; North Korea provided training in the 1980's to the Zimbabwean military, which contributed to the Gukurahundi conflict.

Nhlanla Dube, spokesman for the MDC, said it is sad when someone dies before making any reparation or public apology for crimes against humanity. While Zanu-PF activist Goodson Nguni said the North Koreans did not kill any Zimbabweans and that Kim Jong-il deserved a kindly thought.

To read more click here.

Historic "Hanging Tree" in Zimbabwe Falls

The 200 year old Msasa tree came down on the same day that President Robert Mugabe planted a tree to launch the country's national tree planting and reforestation campaign. Dubbed the "Hanging tree", icons of the first uprising against white settlers, including the ancestral grandmother of the nation Mbuya Nehanda, were said to have been hanged from the tree in 1898. Some believe this to be an omen that the tree represented "powerful forces" and this may signal the dawn of a new era. To read more click here.

Getting to Zero

Today, World AIDS Day, is an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to remember those who have died of the disease and to celebrate accomplishments. Despite worldwide efforts, 33.3 million people are living with the disease today.
The goal of the 2011 "Getting to Zero" campaign is Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination,Zero AIDS-related deaths by 2015. To learn more click here.

In Zimbabwe, ASAP works to strengthen communities to support rural Home Base Care Centers where the needs of those suffering from HIV/AIDS and other diseases are cared for in a supportive environment. ASAP also provides training to community leaders to share disease prevention strategies with others in her village. Your support for this training, on World Aids Day, is a wonderful way to have a grassroots impact and commemorate World AIDS Day.

Happy Thanksgiving

In the USA, on Thursday we stop to reflect and give thanks for all our blessings great and small. At ASAP we are grateful to you because you make our work possible. Thank you for your continued support! We wish you a safe and happy festive season.