Dear CCN Readers,
My
name is Ziyaad Mahomed
I am in Year 11 at the Queensland Academy
of Science, Maths and Technology in Toowong and am
interested in the health sciences. I am doing the
International Baccalaureate Diploma and as part of my
diploma I want to raise funds for a special cause.
This is an appeal for used items,
primarily books and toys of any sort, to be sold to
raise funds for a home for handicapped children in
Zimbabwe that is desperate for assistance.
During a recent trip to Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe’s second largest city, I went to Mpilo Hospital
with my uncle, Mr. Moosa Hassan Esat. Within its grounds
it has the St. Francis Home which was set up many years
ago to care for the severe to profoundly mentally and
physically handicapped children between the ages of 5-16
years. I was very touched by the plight of the children
in St. Francis Home and really would like to make a
difference to the quality of life of the children in the
home.
The St. Francis Home Vision
is to be the home from home choice of institution for
the severely retarded child and ensuring achievement of
the highest possible level of functioning and quality of
life for its children
The St. Francis Home Mission Statement:
To provide individualised quality care to
all children
To assist each child to attain maximum
capability through training
To train children to acquire the skills
for daily living
To maintain exciting skills and prevent
regression
Conditions at the Home have reached
crisis levels. Funding by Government has been
steadily getting worse and as the business community has
struggled in Zimbabwe’s tough economic times it has not
been able to help as much as it used to. The dedicated
staff are struggling to achieve the mission goals. The
children are in such great need of any decent food that
they are just skin and bones. The only food they receive
is 1 bowl of soup for breakfast (10am), and 1 bowl of
soup for supper (4pm) when they are put to bed.
The conditions at the Home are at the
point where sanitation is of huge concern to the nurses.
The beds are small with 1 thin old worn blanket and some
of the children are in bed the whole day. The risk of
disease is high in such poor conditions. Some of these
children are abandoned at the Home by their parents, the
parents never to be seen again. For other parents this
Home is the only place that they can turn to for help.
It is for their case that I wish to raise
money, through the sale of books and toys donated by
kind folk as yourselves. Towards this end I will have a
stall at the Australian International Islamic College
fete to be held on 17th August 2009 to sell
the donated items. InshaAllah, I hope to do the same at
the Indian Bazaar and at EidFest later this year.
My uncle is on the board of St. Francis
Home and the funds will be forwarded to him so that they
can be put to best use. In return I will provide you
with feedback on how this project progresses.
I can be contacted at
zmaho5@eq.edu.au
or phone me at home on 3273 2786 (if I am at school or
out please leave a message with anyone who is home) so
that I can arrange to collect your items.
May Allah reward you. JazakAllah.
Yours sincerely,
Ziyaad Mahomed