Without education the children are condemned to a future of poverty, ill health and an early death. Education gives them the opportunity to take a step up the ladder of life and bring their family and community with them.

Tim Martindale Project Leader, Zimbabwe.

What persuaded you that Mission Direct should become involved with a project in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the last 10 years, with terrible stories of deprivation, starvation, suffering and killing of innocent people. It was just too dangerous to do anything to help. But more recently it has become safe again for us to go into the country to help some of them.

Ndiadzo village is on the very edge of the country in a mountainous region. How have they been affected by the last few years of conflict in the country?

Ndiadzo is not a main centre and very much out of sight. So it has been totally neglected by any government assistance and services, and has had very little aid. The population survives by subsistence farming, but there is very little commercial income to provide cash for medical, education or social services. So they have become poorer and even needier.

How much do you hope the volunteers can achieve in the fortnight?

Our plan is to build some classrooms for the local school. We will not complete the construction ourselves in 2 weeks, but we will provide the funds for the classrooms. The local community will start building the classrooms before we arrive and I hope we shall see the main structure completed before we leave. It will then be left to them to make the final touches after we have gone.

This is going to be a rather more taxing fortnight than some of the other trips. Who will this be suitable for?

We will be staying with the local community, some in mud huts with long drop latrines. We will also be involved in the household chores, maybe carrying water or preparing food. So volunteers need to be very fit and well. It will not be suitable for children. Any one on this trip needs to be happy to “rough it” a bit. However we will be “celebrity” guests and they will look after us to the very best of their ability, it’s just that they don’t have the comfy beds and en-suite bathrooms that we are used to at home !

You are satisfied that this is a safe trip though?

Yes, absolutlely. We are going at the invitation of the United Baptist Church of Zimbabwe. They have many overseas visitors and the past leader of the church is a British missionary, who has lived in Zimbabwe for over 40 years. They assure us that we will be completely safe as their guests. Of course there is still trouble in some areas and amongst certain sections of the population, white farmers in particular, but we shall not be involved in any areas where there is any possibility of trouble.

What sort of welcome should volunteers expect from the Ndiadzo villagers?

We expect a very warm, happy, hospitable and noisy African welcome from the people of Ndiadzo. It should be great fun !

There is extreme poverty and mass unemployment in Zimbabwe. What sort of difference is a school building really going to make to the children’s future?

Education is the only way out of poverty. Without education the children are condemned to a future of poverty, starvation, ill health and an early death. Through education they learn many life skills that help them live much healthier and happier lives, even if they never leave their village. Also it gives them the opportunity to take a step up the ladder of life and bring their family and community with them.

How do you expect an experience like this will affect people who volunteer?

I expect that the volunteers will be profoundly touched by this trip. They will meet people in abject poverty that smile and want to help them. They will see Christians thank God for the meagre lot that they have. It will be humbling and challenging, but also hugely rewarding to see what a difference the trip will make to the community, family and individuals whose life will intertwine with theirs for a few brief days. They will not be the same again.

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All About Mission Direct

Mission Direct gives ordinary people the chance to do extraordinary things around the world. In two weeks you will change the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. You can help to build a house, classroom or clinic. We discover people and groups doing remarkable things in their own countries. Then we provide them the people and resources that they need. We do this by enabling people like you, with two or more weeks to join our life-altering trips.

Choose a country and find the trip that is right for you by clicking below to see all the options :

Tim Martindale

Planting Seeds for a Forgotten People

When Zimbabwe declared independence in 1979 it was a nation full of hope. It was known as “the breadbasket of Africa” due to its fertile productive land.

Sadly, as history records, things turned out very differently: civil war, drought, political turmoil and HIV/AIDS have left Zimbabwe’s infrastructure and economy in tatters. The “breadbasket” nation has been relying on overseas aid, with millions close to starvation at times.

Meanwhile on the mountainous outskirts, the people of Nidiadzo have been all-but-forgotten, scratching out a living in a mountain valley. Like the rest of Zimbabwe they dream of a better future.

You can offer the people of Nidiadzo that hope by building them a school. Join them in the village for a fortnight. Share their hopes and dreams – and work with us to make some of them a reality.

Contribution: £1,495

Apply now

Mission Direct - Volunteers helping the world's poor

My Story - Ndiadzo

Without education the children are condemned to a future of poverty, ill health and an early death. Education gives them the opportunity to take a step up the ladder of life and bring their family and community with them.

Tim Martindale Project Leader, Zimbabwe.

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All About Mission Direct

Planting Seeds for a Forgotten People

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