Gumare Project 29 June - 23 July 2008

Who We Are

We are team of volunteers giving ourselves in service for God’s ministry.  We recognize that God has given each one of us different talents and capabilities to varying degrees.   

In doing so, we hope to discover the joy that comes from giving ourselves in service to God and to others, living and operating as God desires us to.  We enthusiastically look for creative ways to inspire and challenge people to seek a relationship with God.

We operate in a non-profit fashion with whatever money raised going towards covering expenses or going towards projects.

Our Aim

1. Our aim is to construct educational and day care centre facilities to a basic yet functional level.  The day care centre plans include a hall, kitchen area, classrooms and toilet block.
2. A further aspect of the service project is to distribute goods to the needy in villages.  In addition to this it is also our aim to supply hospital and medical supplies donated and to ship these and distribute amongst needy hospitals and clinics.
3. As part of the mission project, our aim is also to experience the culture and environment that makes Botswana. 

Project Rationale

HIV Aids remains the biggest crisis in Botswana being one of the countries hardest hit with AIDS. In a UNAIDS 2003 report it was estimated that 330,000 adults (15-49)   were living with AIDS. With a population of only 1,785 000 it is extremely disheartening. Women in the age group of 15-49 in a study done in 2003 showed 190,000 living with aids. The same study done found that we had over 120 000 AIDS orphans. Life expectancy fell from 65 years in 1990-1995 to less than 40 years in 2000-2005.President Festus Mogae, the president of Botswana summed up the situation, by saying the following: “We are threatened with extinction. People are dying in chilling high numbers. It is a crisis of the first magnitude.”

The orphan centre is intended to:
• Assess the needs of the orphans and vulnerable children.
• Provide counseling service for the orphans and vulnerable children.
• Serve as a link between the children, guardians, and Social Welfare and community organizations providing support to HIV/AIDS affected groups.
• Provide skills training to “out of school “orphans and vulnerable children.
• Provide pre-school education to pre-school orphans and children living in difficult circumstances.
• Provide recreational services to the children to prevent them from roaming the streets.
• Provide a conducive environment for in-school orphans and to do homework after school especially primary school orphans and vulnerable children.
• Provide a reading place including materials for them, especially books and magazines on character building and other educational subjects.
• Provide meals on a daily basis and clothing and toiletries as needed to the orphans and vulnerable children.
• Provide information, educational and spiritual support to the orphans and their guardians. 

Location: Botswana
• Weather: Similar to Perth and Brisbane at this time of the year, minus the rain.  Expect it to be very dry.
• Language: English and Setswana
• People: Generally relaxed and friendly.  It’s the culture to greet everybody, shake hands, and address everybody in the older generation as Mr, Mrs unless otherwise specified.