Amazing Grace

Today, our last full day in Monze, we returned to see Grace and collect the shirt and skirt she had made for us. Last Thursday she kindly took our measurements, and today we were very excited to collect our new garments. She was waiting for us and had our items ready. She initially declined payment, but we persuaded her that as a businesswoman she must consider buying her next lot of material and working on making some more items. She finally accepted our K150 (£9), and she sang to us a lovely song thanking God for all his gifts. How amazing is that!!

Grace receiving her new pair of scissors, and Jute in her new skirt.

Grace with Alun in his new shirt

We noted that Grace does not have a ramp to facilitate her wheelchair to come out of her home with ease. We reported this to the HHZ staff who will organise cement and chippings to be brought from the HHZ compound and a ramp will be made. Grace has a self-propelling wheelchair and should be able to enter the home unaided very soon.

Grace’s front step which will be replaced with a ramp

The remainder or our day was taken up with a HHZ board meeting in which everything was discussed from income generation and refurbishment of the compound, to staffing, HHZ constitution and funding.
The main problem is that the pound is falling, and the Kwacha is rising. In the three days between transferring the September allocation to HHZ the amount they received today was £170 less than it should have been. Thankfully we have Kwacha with us from our hard-working Strathaven team and a loyal supporter, and that helped us to bridge the gap.