“To be loved but not known is superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God.�
@KudaVanaPartnership | KudaVana.org
2019 2019 Annual Report Annual Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Managing Trustee’s Letter 2 Director’s Letter 4 Who We Are 5 Our Year in Numbers 7 What We Do 9 Why We Do It 11 What You Did 12 What’s Next? 14 Why This Matters 15 2019 Financials eans “Lov aM ing n Va
Ku da
en” in Shon a ildr Ch
KUDA VANA PARTNERSHIP EMPOWERS THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN OF ZIMBABWE TO NOT JUST SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE.
16 Major Supporters 17 Governing and Advisory Boards 18 Why This Matters (Cont.)
2019 year was a year of chaos and hardship in Zimbabwe. Government protests, fuel and food shortages, hyperinflation, drought and a devastating cyclone dominated the headlines. Our hearts broke as we heard story after story of families suffering and struggling to care for each other. It often felt like the people of Zimbabwe would never get a break. And yet, even in the chaos and heartache we know that God is there. We know it because when three-year-old Buumi lost his mother and family in Cyclone Idai, he somehow made his way to the Social Welfare office, who then sent him to Kuda Vana, where he is now loved, thriving and happy. We see God’s spirit in the incredible commitment of our staff - some of them travel up to 11 hours every two weeks to love on children who need it desperately. We see God’s hand in the life of Shamira, who only a few short months after graduating from college landed a job teaching high school. In a country with up to 95% unemployment, this is incredible! Headlines like “nearly 4 million people in Zimbabwe will starve this year unless food aid is secured” can feel completely overwhelming. But when we do for a few what we’d like to do for many, we can make a real difference in the lives of those few. Thank you for choosing these few. We are truly grateful. John and Colleen Ordelheide Managing Trustees
I want to thank all of you on behalf of the Kuda Vana family. Your donations and prayers go a long way in providing for the basic needs of orphaned and vulnerable children, and for the love in their hearts. 2019 was a very difficult year for everyone in Zimbabwe. Had it not been for you, Kuda Vana’s children and the families in our employment would have been in a worse-off situation. Despite the economy in Zimbabwe collapsing, we were able to continue to help young adults transition out of Kuda Vana Children’s Home by providing them with school fees, food, healthcare, and emotional support as they become self-sufficient adults. We also helped vulnerable families in our community by providing them with basic necessities and school fees. Your investments in our solar system leave me at a loss for words – Kuda Vana now has uninterrupted electricity 24 hours a day, which is virtually unheard of in Zimbabwe. The solar upgrade allows us to continually fill our water tanks for irrigation, washing, and drinking water. It keeps food from perishing and ensures students have more time for studying in the evenings. It is a real blessing. I also want to thank all those who visited Kuda Vana Children’s Home in 2019. You provided our children with the warmth and love they desire. They feel loved when they see you coming all the way from your homes to spend time with them. We will always be thankful to those who support us. May God bless you. William Pepukai Director 2
WHO WE ARE Children First
The children we serve come first. Always. In everything. We do for our few what we’d like to do for many. In this way, we can invest deeply in each child who comes to us.
Build Families
We provide group home structures for children, infancy through young adulthood. Each child is provided with nutrition, healthcare and educational play in a loving family environment where they can grow and thrive physically, spiritually and emotionally. In turn, one day they will model positive family behaviors to their own children.
Address the Past
We proactively seek to heal the wounds our children have experienced through group and individual therapy with an on-staff psychologist. Additionally, we provide all staff with annual trauma training.
Prepare for the Future
We are committed to ensuring each young person has the knowledge, skills and confidence to become self-sufficient adults. This means we provide personalized, quality education from pre-school through college or trade school.
Invest Locally
We believe that Zimbabweans know the needs of their country's children the best. Our local leadership team runs operations, implements initiatives and develops overall strategy, while our stateside team works to secure resources.
Christ-Centered
We introduce each child in our care to a Creator Who has designed them each with unique gifts and endowed them with intrinsic value, regardless of their family circumstances. We respect each child’s choice of belief system, but desire that when they leave us they are well-acquainted with a Father in heaven who will never harm or abandon them.
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Our Year in Numbers
14
4
years in operation
27 girls
1
nursery 5
group homes
9
23 boys
infants
50
children at Kuda Vana Children’s Home
24
children in the Kuda Vana Primary School
17
enrolled in high school
5
young adults enrolled in trade school
1+1
enrolled in university, and one graduate
51
children in Kuda Vana’s Family Assist Program
130
children empowered to not just survive, but thrive since Kuda Vana’s founding in 2006
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WHAT WE DO CHILDREN’S HOME
PRIMARY SCHOOL
Kuda Vana’s campus provides a safe, familyoriented environment for more than 50 children ages 0-18 in four family-style group homes and a nursery. Our professional staff ensure each child is raised with love, proper nutrition, a complete education and spiritual and emotional guidance.
Our on-campus primary school emotionally and academically prepares our youngest students for a successful secondary experience. Two locally trained teachers provide personalized education and love to each child.
YOUTH TRANSITION PROGRAM
We are committed to ensuring each child in our care attains healthy, self-sufficient adulthood after they are legally required to leave Kuda Vana Children’s Home at age 18. This vital program provides: • • •
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Temporary housing and adult oversight to young people 18 and up. Tuition for high school, trade school or college until completion or through the age of 23. Income-generating opportunities such as agriculture or livestock cultivation.
FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Kuda Vana believes that the best place for children to be raised is with their families. We support this belief by helping to eliminate food scarcity amongst needy families. Support includes: • • • •
Seeds for vulnerable families to plant, harvest and sell. Two meals a day for needy children and monthly groceries for vulnerable families. Clean drinking water and sanitation facilities. School fees and educational materials when necessary and possible.
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WHY WE DO IT Zimbabwe has one of the highest rates of orphans per capita of any country in the world – nearly 2 million children, 10% of the total population. Zimbabwe has the highest unemployment rate in the world – an estimated 95%. The annual inflation rate in Zimbabwe climbed to 480%, and food prices soared more than 670% in 2019. Nearly 73% of the population live below the poverty line. Zimbabwe does not allow international adoption, and cultural stigmas and economic strife prevent many Zimbabweans from adopting.
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“By doing for a few what we’d like to do for many, we hope to create lasting change.”
SH A M I SO ’ S S TORY
Young Shamiso lost her mother young and was EVERY 2.2 SECONDS... brought to Kuda Vana Children’s Home ...an orphan in the world ages out of care. (formerly Murwira Children’s Home) after her Of these: family tried to marry her to a much older man. 40% become homeless She grew to learn that she was valued, loved and safe at Kuda Vana. She worked hard in 70% commit a crime school so that one day she might provide for 60% are forced into prostitution herself. When she turned 18, Shamiso was legally required to leave the children’s home, but thanks to our donors and Kuda Vana’s Youth Transition Program, she would not become a statistic. Shamiso graduated from college in 2019 with a diploma as a high school teacher and secured a position teaching geography and Shona. She has become a role model for other children at Kuda Vana. “If it weren’t for you, I would be a nobody.”
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WHAT YOU DID
WHAT’S NEXT? If Kuda Vana is to continue God’s call to care for orphaned children in Zimbabwe, we must better utilize the resources available to us in order to be more self-sufficient. In 2020, we are launching two programs to address these needs.
Welcomed six children to the Kuda Vana Family!
The FAMily (Foster, Adopt, Mentor) Program Celebrated Kuda Vana’s first college graduate!
Increased farmable land area by 500%!
The Foster, Adopt, Mentor Ministry, or FAMily Program seeks to give children who have been left without a personal
guardian or are institutionalized the opportunity to become part of a traditional family where their physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs can be better met.
2019
The FAMily program will include a thorough interview, assessment, visitation and education process, ensuring that all will benefit from the arrangement. The program is being
Equipped caregivers to better care for children through emotional trauma training
Installed new solar, providing 24 hours of power daily. Introduced eight pre-school students to the wonders of education.
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launched in partnership with Kuda Vana staff and volunteers, local churches, and Zimbabwe Without Orphans.
Kuda Vana has already seen two of our children receive adoption, and nine more children are being fostered!
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WHAT’S NEXT? The Thrive Farming Program The Kuda Vana Thrive Farming Program will equip our organization and those who benefit from it with the essential ingredients to not just survive but thrive. The Kuda Vana Thrive Farming Program will: •
Provide enhanced nutrition and food security to
•
Foster and develop important life skills for the
•
Ensure a measure of organization self-sustainability
the children at Kuda Vana
children and staff at Kuda Vana
through possible revenue generation from the sale of excess produce, eggs and chickens
The program will be implemented on farmable land
directly adjacent to Kuda Vana Children’s Home. Utilizing low-impact, sustainable farming methods, the Thrive
Farm will sustain itself as we harvest seeds from each
year’s crop and train more young people in agriculture.
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WHY THIS MATTERS Miracle Baby (Part 1)
GoGo has been a caregiver in Kuda Vana’s nursery for several years. Her lap and her heart are always full of babies. In late 2019, GoGo sat at home, her attention riveted on every word she heard from the radio: “a baby…abandoned….banana trees…” The account that was being broadcasted made her heart drop. A woman was recounting the day she was working in the fields, and she heard a faint cry. Unable to shake off the feeling that something was wrong, she asked her children to look around. They came back, saying they had not seen or heard anything. Again, the mother heard a cry and insisted her children look once more. Their screams confirmed that something was indeed wrong. She ran to the spot, and there, under a banana tree lay a two-pound baby boy; his entire body covered with biting ants. This baby was about to die. She managed to get the ants off of the tortured body and picked the baby up. He fit perfectly in her hand. It’s a miracle that she had even been able to hear his tiny cry! God had opened her ears. With the baby pressed tightly against her chest, she raced in the direction of some women nearby. “Please help me take him to the hospital!” she pleaded. At the sight of the baby, the older women stepped back, and told her to leave it where she’d found it. Desperate, she decided to try and run for the hospital herself, shielding the tiny bundle from the hot sun. Suddenly a truck drove up, and a man asked if he could help her. Seeing their situation, he rushed them both into his vehicle and drove them to the hopsital, where he made certain the baby would be cared for. The radio commentator moved on to another topic, but his words were drowned out by Gogo’s thoughts. She clasped her hands together and pleaded with the Lord in prayer. “Father, this baby needs You and he needs loving care. Please send him to Kuda Vana.” To be continued...
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MAJOR SUPPORTERS
FINANCIALS
A sincere thank-you to everyone who contributed in 2019. You empowered the most vulnerable children of Zimbabwe to not just survive, but thrive.
2019 TOTAL EXPENSE 8% Fundrasing $45,847
2019 TOTAL REVENUE
2% General and Administrative $8,286
4% Foundations $21,000
2% In-Kind $9,057
Anonymous Boyle, Dr. William and Karen The Denney Family Haffner, Dr. Randy and Cindy Johnson, Aleta Robert R & K M Onstead Foundation
Total Revenue $574,033
$5,000 - $9,999
21% Amistad International* $120,835 61% Individuals $353,445
90% Programs $508,087
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ASSETS
Current Assets Fixed Assets
TOTAL: 15
$198,165 $599,371
$797,536
LIABILITIES & NET ASSETS Total Liabilities Net Assets
TOTAL:
The Arthur Family Missions Unlimited* Ordelheide, Dr. Walter Veluscek, Steve and Jodi
$10,000 - $24,999
12% Corporate $69,697
Total Expenses $562,222
$25,000 - $50,000
$46,638 $750,898
$797,536
*Amistad International is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds on behalf of Kuda Vana Partnership.
ASI Mid-America Anonymous Byrd, Thomas and Juanita Booyens, Graham and Ella* Baldwin, Jeff, and Debra Perry Conley, Gene* Curry, Gerald and Cheryl Cheeseman, Ian and Dorothy* Dawson, Ben and Celina* Erwin, Tami and Darrell* Hall, Carl and Brenda Huffman, Dave and Melody* Ivy, Richard and Sherry* Mulder, Harold and Merriline* Ordelheide, Dr. Franklin and Sharon Ordelheide, John and Colleen Smith, Dr. David and Janelle Thompson, Dr.Tre and Karah Wasli, Kevin and Bonnie Zimmer Family Foundation
$2,500 - $4,999
Adams, George Anonymous Brodis, Eric and Jennifer Cummings, Bob and Tamara Dixon, Linda* Gal, Jeff and Jackie Noble, Dick and Nancy* Olson, Dena Rocchio, Nickie* Sanchez, Joanie* Thurber, Carol Walters, Whitney and Nicolle Wilson, Duane and Gay* Wright, Caroline and Loren
$1,000 - $2,499
Addington, Muriel Anderson, Howard and Joanie* Bailey, John* Bellafina Chocolates Bender, Richard and Darisa Bolden, Carol Bolejack, Doug and Sue Bonjour, Sue* Cardwell, Ron and Tanya Dupper, Ron and Connie Folkenberg, Todd and Trina Freeport McMoRan Foundation Gimbel, Jere and Bonita Goetz, Doug and Carrie Grellmann, Audra Hamberger, Bruce and Diana
$1,000 - $2,499 continued Haugen, Mike and Bobi (in honor of Naledi Haugen) Haworth, Dr. John and Leslie Hoatson, Joyce Holsten, Vern and Carol* Johnson, Donnelly Mathews, Richard and Eleanor Mautz, Rick and Cheryl McArthur, Dr. Bruce and Cheryl McMurren, Lori Morse, Ron and Jeanie Muller, Oz and Sherry Narvaez, Dr. Julio Orback, Heather Owens, Nic and Joy Petersen, Erik and Tara Petersen, Margaret Peterson, Ila Price, Ina Ritsema, Scott and Cami Saracino, Kelly Schlisner, Gary and Gina Scott, Tim and Linda Sechler, John Siegel, Jerusha Thurber, Carol White, Derek and Alicia
*Support Kuda Vana through Amistad International 16
GOVERNING & ADVISORY BOARDS
WHY THIS MATTERS C HILD S P OT L I G HT
U.S. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Miracle Baby (Part 2)
Steven Veluscek, Chair Founder and CEO, Frontline Management
ZIMBABWE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Steve Veluscek, Chair Founder and CEO, Frontline Management
Colleen Ordelheide Managing Trustee and Community Member
Davis Mundirwira Administrator
Connie Dupper Corporate Controller, Frontline Management
John and Colleen Ordelheide Managaging Trustees and Community Members
Dany Herdandez Chaplain, Littleton Adventist Hospital Karen Kotoske Executive Director, Amistad International
U.S. ADVISORY BOARD
William Pepukai Director
was enjoying a regular day in the nursery when she was told social
services had contacted Kuda Vana about taking three new babies.
One was born premature, and at three months old had just reached
newborn size. The nurses at the hospital were begging for him to be
taken to a home, as they were not allowed to hold the baby except
for at feedings. Although Kuda Vana did not have the funds to take
any new children, the staff decided to take the children anyway.
Gogo prayed that hearts would be opened, and three days later, the funds to support the new children arrived.
ZIMBABWE ADVISORY BOARD
Brian and Tami Denney Community Members
Chiedza Ndhlovu Community Members
Dave and Melody Huffman Community Members
Richard Ndhlovu Community Members
Lori Hernandez Community Member
Shortly after the children’s arrival, Gogo sat cradling the tiniest baby
in her arms. He was adjusting nicely to the extra love and attention
that he had so desperately needed. Kuda Vana’s Administrator came
by for a visit, and mentioned that the nurses had given the baby boy
the surname of “Banana” because he was found abandoned under
some banana trees. GoGo’s face abruptly changed as she looked
down at the child she was holding, and her heart began to swell with
Terry and Karen Wheeler Community Members
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A few short months later, the radio story faded from her mind, Gogo
warmth. There was a sudden click in her mind as she made the
We are thankful to Amistad’s Executive Director, Karen Kotoske, and all of Amistad’s volunteers and donors whose faithful generosity helps ensure that each child at Kuda Vana not just survives, but thrives. You can learn more about Amistad International at amistadinternational.org.
connection between the radio story and this baby. The very baby she had prayed for three months ago was the exact same one that now lay in her arms. God had answered her prayers and brought him to Kuda Vana!
Baby Jasi, as he is called, is still small, but he is being given the best care possible thanks to our supporters. His future will not be defined by his past. God is so good, and we know that He has mighty plans for Jasi. May this story be a reminder that God also has a plan for every single one of us, and He is a God who answers prayers.
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