The Mains’l Mission Team delivered medical supplies and medications to a local clinic for expecting mothers in the Matopos area.
Thank you to everyone who donated such critical supplies, including a fetal heart monitor!
Caption: The team helps unload the generous donations (Left). Sign for the nurses’ clinic and cottages (Top Right). The team learns more about the clinic’s services and the challenges faced with limited water supply and electricity (Bottom left).
Constructing another lion proof boma!
Our next community project was to put up a lion proof boma. This year, the type of boma constructed is meant to be portable, with the ability to move the structure to various homesteads within the community. This allows for cattle to be kept enclosed at night, preventing lions from attacking the priceless livestock, as well as fertilizing the soil for future vegetable planting.
The team, with the assistance of local community members, were able to construct the boma in record time – 50 minutes! This was the fastest boma we’ve completed over the last 7 years! Way to go team!
Caption: Anne and Lucky work to dig holes for the boma post (Top left); The team measures out the distances between posts (Bottom left); Project Manager Willz hoists the canvas for the enclosure (Right). The whole team inside the new boma (Center left).
Basketweaving with the local Ilala plant
The team was also able to visit a local women’s group, who have created a sustainable means of income crafting beautiful woven baskets. The baskets are made from the local Ilala plant, which the women currently need to walk 3 kilometers to harvest.
Supported by the last Mains’l Solutions group, the women have planted many new ilala plants near their local garden, which will save them much time and energy. Hopefully the new plants will be ready to harvest in the next few years.
Caption (Left to right): Some of the members of the local women’s group; The team had an opportunity to choose from a large variety of baskets made by the women; The team holds up the chosen baskets that they purchased.
Until then, the women will continue the long journey in order to sell their craft, with the baskets being sold in local markets across the country.