The International Relief Friendship Foundation Zimbabwe Chapter is doing very well considering difficulties the country is going through, politically, economically as well as the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

One difficulty is that non-governmental organizations may carry out microfinance programs to help people who start business projects, but they may not charge interest. We talked to the authorities and reached some kind of understanding; we then started our program.

After offering character education and business education to twenty women from a poor area of Epworth in the capital, Harare, on October 27, 2007, we then gave US$45 to each of the fifteen women who qualified to start businesses of selling vegetables.

At the end of the workshop, women filled out an application for a loan and signed an agreement form; the loan money was then distributed. These recipients are selling vegetable and fruits at the market place. They are willing to work hard and be successful in life and express their appreciation to IRFF for opening the way for them to achieve success.

The second phase is to give money to about ten women who are doing well as well as some newcomers. However, because of high inflation rate, the money will not be sufficient to give to all the fifteen women, as we had planned.

There is so much to be done in Zimbabwe because of many programs the government is undertaking. One of the programs we think is important is resettlement. People are being resettled in new areas around the country, but in some areas there are no schools or hospitals. These areas could benefit from IRFF’s help.