New ASAP Project Manager in Malawi

Michael Mainje joined the ASAP Africa team in Malawi last week as the Chivuma Pa Chuma (CCP) Project Manager. CCP mean "Unity for Economic Growth" in the Chichewa language of southern Malawi. Michael holds a BSc in Agriculture and is a certified secondary school teacher, skills that will surely benefit the communities and staff members currently working to improve livelihoods and agricultural skills in rural Malawi with ASAP.

Relocation of ASAP Malawi

ASAP's office in Malawi is moving from Chikwawa to Blantyre. After only 9 months of actively working in rural Chikwawa, the expansion and demand for ASAP's Chimvano pa Chuma (CCP) "Unity for Economic Growth" project has been so positive that there is need to move to a more central location. Blantyre is the second largest city in Malawi, second to the capital, Lilongwe. The move will actually decrease ASAP's operating costs in Malawi. Because of limited road access in this area, field staff were often required to travel a long way around and through Blantyre to access communities which are actually adjacent "as the crow flies". This move makes expansion in the area much more workable.

Important Health Advice

If you wake up looking like this:

Don't go to work!

Thanks to The Jewish Funders Network

During the past few months ASAP has received valuable assistance from the Jewish Funders Network's Pro Bono Resource Bank. The consultant that has been working with ASAP to develop a clear strategy and vision as we move forward and grow. The experience has been fantastic. To read more about this program click here.

One Year Ago Today

On September 15 2008 a power sharing agreement was signed between Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change(MDC) in Zimbabwe. It's been a year of politic posturing, and working together to heal the nation has not yet been realized.

Creatively Working Together

Click here

U.S lawmakers support Zimbabwe's unity government

Monday, September 7, 2009 5:45 PM EDT
The largest delegation of U.S. lawmakers to visit Zimbabwe in a decade is calling on the country's leaders to ensure the success of the unity government.
The delegation concluded a two-day visit Thursday to monitor the progress of the government formed in February. The visit included meetings with President Robert Mugabe and other government leaders.

The delegation included Gregory Meeks (D-New York), Jack Kingston (R-Georgia), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Melvin Watt (D-North Carolina) and Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio).

The U.S. has criticized Mugabe's 29-year-rule but the Obama administration has thrown support behind the coalition government

Meeks said only the unity government had a "reasonable prospect of delivering benefits to the Zimbabwean people."

Binyavanga Wainaina

Krista Tippet's thought provoking interview with Binyavanga Wainaina this morning explored the morality and efficacy behind many Western initiatives to abolish poverty and speed development in Africa.

Wainaina is the founding editor of Kwani? literary journal and the director of Bard College's Chinua Achebe Center for African Languages and Literature. During the in-depth interview he states "Where things work is where people do them themselves."
To listen to the interview click here.

How Robert Mugabe defies old age

Comment from The Times (UK), 23 February 2009
by Jan Raath
To the naked eye, Mr Mugabe looks the very picture of health, even for a much younger man let alone someone in their ninth decade. "He is in very good shape for 85," said a Harare doctor, requesting anonymity. "I would be very happy to look like that when I'm 85." In an interview on local television at the weekend, Mr Mugabe attributed his apparent health to a lifelong regimen of daily exercise. He said that he jogs each morning and maintains his weight between 75kg and 80kg. "This ensures my body is full of muscles, and not fat," he said. He also works out in the gym in his new mansion in Harare's exclusive suburb of Borrowdale Brooke and has a personal trainer. He has always eaten carefully, has never smoked and admits to only "an occasional glass of sweet white wine".

Nutritional Gardening - Timing is Everything

The two gardens featured in the photos above belong to Rinnet Gotekote (top) and Janet Chikodo(below), ASAP cluster facilitators in rural Zimbabwe. It is fantastic that these photos were taken at the end of October in 2008 - the onset of the annual rainy season. Such a successful and productive garden would be virtually impossible without ASAP's Health and Nutrition Development Initiative. The HANDEI Project increases food security through conservation farming skills, drip irrigation and nutritional gardening.Click here to read more about the HANDEI project.

Send Your Congratulations to Dr. Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad Yunus will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama this month. For more than 33 years Dr. Yunus has been committed to fighting poverty and giving the world's poorest people, mostly women, the resources they need to start their journey from poverty. Click Here if you wish to leave a congratulatory message for Professor Yunus.

We Are All Connected

Back in 2001, when the Internal Savings and Lending (ISL) was the newest micro-finance innovation, proving to be very effective at increasing household income and food security in rural Africa, ASAP contracted CARE in Zimbabwe to build our capacity and learn more about this innovative and promising program. After ASAP successfully launched our first ISL pilot project funded by The McKnight Foundation, CARE in Zimbabwe extended ASAP’s capacity building partnership, assigning Mr. Christopher Nyamandi to work with ASAP for a full year under the guidance of Mr. Alfred Hamadziripi.

As is the trend in Zimbabwe today, both Mr. Nyamandi and Mr. Hamadziripi have moved from Zimbabwe and have taken positions with other organizations. In this case they are in Sudan and Kenya. And it is through these long-lasting connections and friendships that ASAP successfully helped to build the capacity of the delegation from the Norwegian Church Aid program in Darfur, last month. Recently, Mr. Mohammed Abdelkarim Elsafi expresses his thanks to Regai Tsunga, ASAP’s Country Director in Zimbabwe, writing:

"Dear, Regai
…. let me thank all ASAP family who contributed highly to make our visit succeed, it starts from the bottom from the friendly drivers up the Director who all supported and facilitated our visit.
Be assured that the knowledge that the team acquired while in Zimbabwe will be put for the benefit of our beneficiaries in Darfur. Once again thank you very much for the hot and sincere hospitality. Let me emphasize that the visit is marked as a beginning of an ever lasting cooperation for the sake of our people here and over there, we will keep the good attitudes of Zimbabwean people in our hearts as it marks an unprecedented visit of it is kind to a Sudanese to interact with their peers in a brotherly country in West Africa, borders separated Africans from one another but by such activities we hope to be linked up and cooperate. Eventually let me also take this opportunity thank the architect behind this work, our friend Christopher Nyamandi who make it real.

Best regards

Mohammed Abdelkarim Elsafi
Protection, Psychosocial and Peacebuilding Coordinator
NCA Darfur Programme - Nyala"

Picture here, Mohammed Elsafi and Chris Nyamandi

ASAP expresses thanks to CARE in Zimbabwe, The McKnight Foundation and ALL of our donors that make our work possible each and every day. Together we will succeed and make poverty history.

Seeing Is Believing!

Dignitaries, journalists and community members were taken on a walk-around of two irrigation sites last Friday, as part of ASAP Malawi’s first field day for the “Chimvano pa Chuma” project ( CCP) “Unity for Economic Growth” project in Chikwawa district of southern Malawi. Above, the group including journalists listens attentively to ASAP’s Senior Field Officer, Lingstone Ganamba, during a visit to one of the irrigation plots.
The event, which was attended by close to four hundred community members from different villages, was a great success. Click here to view the newspaper article that appeared in The Nation in Malawi on Sunday August 2nd.

The field day had two main areas of focus – village savings and lending (VS&L) and small scale irrigation. VS&L is an internal rural savings club project that teaches communities how to pool their resources and become financially self reliant. To read more and see a short video about this project, click here.
Currently ASAP is working with 42 VS&L groups in Malawi and together, they have mobilized over MK 421000 ($ 3000) in savings. The event also served as a medium to enhance the spirit of self-reliance and promote the spirit of learning from one another among community members. Thus, the day gave ASAP the much-needed opportunity and publicity to showcase what had been accomplished within the first four months of its community level operations in Chikwawa. In the picture below the gathering listens to the VS&L success story.
Through the small scale irrigation component of the project 83 community members received farm inputs and treadle pumps at subsidized price and are irrigating over 18 hectares of land. Pictured here is Lingstone Ganamba explaining how vast the irrigation sites are, with a proud community member explaining how ASAP efforts had helped to improve food and economic security at household level.
The event was attended by, among other dignitaries, the District Commissioner, the District Agricultural Development Officer, Total Land Care Officials, representatives of other non-governmental organizations, Chief Ndakwera and other local leaders. In the picture above Sub-Traditional Authority Ndakwera makes a speech, thanking ASAP for empowering a community which was previously synonymous with free hand outs. He requested ASAP to consider scaling up to other villages within his area. Taking his turn, ASAP Malawi Country Director encouraged community members to continue working hard so that their economic status should continue to improve. He expressed thanks and appreciation for the support ASAP was receiving from the local leadership, government departments and development partners.

In addition to the speeches made by different individuals and traditional dances performed by communities, participating communities showcased how VS&L had improved their economic status in only a few short months.

Text books Help Children in 132 Schools in Zimbabwe

ASAP through the Bridge The Gap In Mathematics (BTG) project has headed to the call by Manicaland Provincial Educational Director (PED) Mr. Peter Muzawazi for the donation of textbooks to schools. The donation of approximately 2000 textbooks to 132 primary schools that participate in the BTG project in Chipinge, Mutasa, and Nyanga is expected to reduce the pupil textbook ration to at least 1:4 down from a maximum ratio of 1:40 in some badly affected schools. ASAP will deliver the books to all the beneficiary schools through their cluster centers.Above, the PED Mr. Peter Muzawazi officially receives the donated textbooks from the BTG project manager Collins Mutsvairo (left) on behalf of the beneficiary schools.

The PED thanked ASAP for the donation. “After the teacher textbooks are the next most important and indispensable resource for effective teaching and learning” he said. He expressed the hope that beneficiary schools would provide grade 7 results to ASAP so as to document the improvement that is expected.Pictured here (right) Mr. Mhembere an Educational Officer at the Manicaland Educational Regional office scrutinizes the books after receiving them from the BTG project manager Collins Mutsvairo on the left prior to presentation to the PED.

Summer Newsletter

ASAP Africa is delighted to share our summer newsletter - Click here
and read our latest news.

ASAP is pleased to announce the receipt of an additional $3,000 toward ASAP's "Help 100 Families Grow Food in Zimbabwe " from A Harvest of Hope, a Home and Garden Fundraising Event to Help the Hungry by Irene Dunlap and Stacey Robbins.

According to Mrs. Dunlap, Co-author in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

“One of the things I love most about ASAP Africa is that they teach people how to utilize their soil, which is sometimes the only resource that the people they serve have. The strategy of training people to learn a skill that will help them gain some self-sufficiency is by far more effective than feeding them for the short term."

This project is featured on the Global Giving web site. Click here. Our goal, to raise $9,950 by October 1st, is now within reach - please help us by donating today! Click here to make a secure donation online today

Ms. Mashava Shares Her Success Story

Pictured above, Plaxedes Mashava is making a testimonial to the benefits of ASAP’s Kufusa Mari Urban project, part of the Joint Initiative (JI). Project ongoing since 2006. “I reside at Block 9, Room 4 OTS, Sakubva Mutare. I joined the JI Internal Savings & Lending (IS&L) in October 2008. As a widow, I used to face many money related challenges until a friend advised me to join IS&L clubs in Sakubva. I realized that the food donation would sooner or later be a thing of the past so I joined the Kubudirira IS&L group in OTS, Sakubva. To date, I have managed to raise money to meet part of my family electricity bills, monthly rentals and food. My daughter no longer feels the absence of her father because I can now manage to meet her basic needs from the profits I am realizing out of IS&L activities.”

The goal of the Joint Initiative Project is to restore dignity and reduce suffering for the most vulnerable people in urban and peri-urban areas of Zimbabwe. This is a collaborative project between Mercy Corps, Save the Children, Practical Action, CARE and Africare. ASAP’s role in this project is to adapt the Kufusa Mari village savings and lending model, which we have been implement since 2001, to the urban area outside of Mutare.

ASAP is proud to bring our ethos of long term economic strengthening to improve the households’ resilience to promote self-reliance. Working as part of this large, holistic, collaborative project, which also fills immediate urgent needs such as food and health care, the results and response have been spectacular.

ASAP Zimbabwe Shares Knowledge to Benefit Darfur

It is said there is no better way to test your knowledge than by teaching. This last week ASAP Zimbabwe had the opportunity to do just that - with over 8 years of experience implementing the Internal Savings & Lending project, the Zimbabwe team was delighted to share their insight and experience with a delegation from Norwegian Church Aid-Darfur Program (NCA-DP). Pictured above, Joseph Miti (ASAP's Program Manager) explains the ISL methodology on-sight in rural Zimbabwe to Farhat Abaker Osman Sead of NCA-DP.

Mohammed Abdelkarim Elsafi led his delegation, which departed from Zimbabwe today after a fruitful week of learning. Through the expertise gained from ASAP Africa in Zimbabwe, the NCA-DP will return home and work to build the income and food security of internally displaced persons in the South and West Darfur region.
Pictured here from left to right, Regai Tsunga (ASAP Zimbabwe Country Director) shakes hand with Mohammed Abdelkarim Elsafi (Head of NCA-DP Delegation), Mohammed Adam Brima Hamad, Farhat Abaker Osman Sead and Christopher Nyamandi, all from NCA-DP.

To learn more about ASAP’s ISL projects, and how this successful project is improving lives all over the world, click here.

JB Bids Farewell to ASAP Malawi After 1 1/2 Years of Selfless Service

On Thursday, June 25, ASAP Malawi held a farewell party in honor of one of its dedicated team members, Jeanette Batiste, whose contract with ASAP in Malawi came to an end. The farewell party, which was held in the evening at Matechanga Conference Center in Chikwawa district, was patronized by ASAP staff, district and community level partners and stakeholders. In the picture below Jeanette takes to the dance flow and is joined by some of the invited guests.
Jeanette, popularly known as JB within ASAP circles, joined ASAP Malawi in February 2008 as Program Coordinator to help with institutional development and establishing the organization in Malawi. In her brief but touching and moving speech, Jeanette expressed her thanks and appreciation to the ASAP Malawi team, now being led Victor Katchika-Jere.

“ASAP is still in its infancy, but it is in the hands of a great and capable team led by Victor and with the support of our partners, I believe and know that Chikwawa and other districts where we will be expanding to, will see what ASAP is doing,” she said.

A representative of the District commissioner for Chikwawa District Assembly said the district will remember Jeanette for introducing to the district an organization which had transformed the thinking and mindset of many people at the grassroots. “In a few months ASAP has been operating in the two project sites, we have seen community members who were previously dependent on relief aid and free handouts mobilizing themselves into functional groups to do something about their socio-economic situation,” he recounted.

He also added that the assembly and local leaders were pleased with ASAP’s community mobilization and development approaches and strategies which emphasize on community empowerment and ownership.

Speaking on behalf of the ASAP Malawi team, Victor Katchika-Jere, ASAP Malawi Country Director, wished Jeanette all the best as she was leaving ASAP and all the success in her future endevors.
Pictured here is Victor presenting a gift to Jeanette as her smiling husband looks on.

“I, on behalf of the ASAP Malawi team and indeed on my own behalf, would like to congratulate you tonight on your unstinting and selfless service to ASAP. You were a hard working, friendly, collegial, smart, down to earth, and "one to learn from" individual. I can safely say "We" are proud of you and what you did for the organization and those it serves,” concluded Katchika-Jere.

In addition to speeches, the party had drinks, snacks and a disco to add colour and pomp to the occasion.

Jeanette, who was in the company of her husband, received curios as symbolic gifts from the ASAP Malawi team presented to her by Katchika-Jere. Pictured here is Jeanette acknowledging and showing off her presents.

One Name One Child Campaign

ASAP is happy to be a part of the Life and Help Foundation's new One Name One Child Campaign. This is nothing less than the biggest world internet charitable record
Add your name = you set a record + you save a child
To read more click here
To view ASAP's Bridge the Gap-Kufusa Mari Junior project, and other worthwhile initiatives to help children click here.