The residential project offering an education to disabled young people has grown from supporting 6 young people in 2011 to 22 this year. They live at the project during term time and attend a nearby school. The school is the only school in the province offering a specific education for blind and mute young people. In addition to their academic education they also learn skills to help them live and prosper with their disabilities. Thanks to the educating they are receiving and the fact that they are living in community with others, their confidence and ability to relate with others is growing. 

Of the 22 young people, 11 are deaf & unable to speak, 6 are totally blind, 4 are partially sighted and 1 is physically handicapped. Many of the young people were being looked after by a single parent or a relative, many of whom who are in poor health and living in poverty. More information about each of the young people can be found HERE.

At the moment the young people’s water supply is from a tap in the yard (see photo below). This water is used for cooking and cleaning. The tap is fed from a shared borehole 800 meters away. To date the tap has not run dry but as Zimbabwe is facing long dry spells that has caused other boreholes to dry up we think now is a good time to provide the young people with their own independent water supply for their sole use. In order to do this we need to build a borehole. The cost of the borehole is £10,800 (US$14,385 – see breakdown).