For 20 years, Glenn Memorial UMC has supported two schools at the Methodist Mission in the rural Munyarari region of Zimbabwe. The region suffers from drought, poverty, and the ravages of disease, including malaria and HIV-AIDS. These diseases have stretched the community’s resources in caring for orphaned children. In addition, food insufficiency and inadequate water supply are widespread concerns for families.
Currently, Glenn’s annual budget sponsors scholarships for 61 students at the schools; eight additional ones hold Glenn-supported 12-year scholarships established in 2015.
Three Glenn scholars at the Munyarari Primary School, Zimbabwe
Through proceeds of its Alternative Giving Catalog, Glenn provides uniforms, schools fees, and supplies for all 69 students. The Glenn catalog also helps fund schoolwide projects that enhance overall school quality. These projects have included classroom construction and repair, technology for teaching labs including access to Wi-Fi, laboratory construction with basic science equipment – and a subsequent upgrade to support chemistry instruction. More recently, fish ponds and beehives were installed to promote instruction in agriculture, improve community food sufficiency and support small business. Last year, Glenn funded the boring of a well to supply fresh water for the schools and fish ponds.
The United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries does not support missionaries in the Munyarari region. Therefore, Glenn partners with PLAN International, a worldwide charity that aids vulnerable children around the world. PLAN administers the Glenn funding, ensuring that it is used as intended and augmented when needed with other support – all making the projects possible. PLAN provides Glenn reports on student progress, budget appropriations, and overall school success several times a year. With the help of the Glenn-PLAN partnership, the school children in the area have a connection to a wider world and hope for a better future.
This week Glenn received exceptionally heartening news from PLAN. Here is the story of Samantha.
A Budding Chemist:
Samantha lives in the Munyarari community with her parents who are subsistence farmers. She is aged 15 and would want to be a research scientist. Before enrollment in the Glenn Memorial scholarship programme, she had challenges in her overall school attandance. Although Samantha is educationally gifted, she missed lessons because her family faced economic challenges on a day to day basis in affording her fees. The family failed to pay annual school fees of US$165 and to provide complete uniform and stationery [fees]. .
Samantha with teacher and fellow student in Glenn-funded, renovated chemistry lab.
Teaching and learning of science, technology enginering and [advanced] mathematics was never possible at her school -- until Plan International and [Zimbabwe’s] Ministry of Primary and Secondary Educattion with support from Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church, partnered to build a science laborartory there. Now, with a Glenn scholarship and updated labs, Samantha has great passion in biology and chemistry and often conducts experiements with assistance from her teacher and classmates in the lab. She also uses the internet to access information that helps in her experiments.
Ninety percent of the rural secondary schools do not [offer] STEM subjects because of inadequate laboratories and equipment. Before the renovation of the science lab, learners including those under GMUMC scholarship, transferred to urban schools that offered a STEM curriculum. That would increase child protection risks and affect their dreams when they move away from their community to attend schools offering STEM subjects. In most cases, without the [local] option for STEM, these students would drop out of school. Today, Samantha’s story is different because she has access to Wi-Fi and the science lab which has helped in improving the learning environment for her and her peers.
Samantha studying reaction rates of various metals to acid.
In Samantha’s own words:
“In these times where STEM and technology set the pace in our lives, I appreciate the support of the science lab and computer labs we got from Plan International Zimbabwe and Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. I now have a unique learning experience as I have the opportunity to learn practical skills. I am in a science club and often attend educational seminars, networking and exchanging information with peers from other school offering STEM subjects. My teacher gives me the opportunity to share with my classmates and lead them in experiements. I have developed confidence in the way I learn biology and chemistry. I am interested in this field of study because I want to develop chemicals that kill pests. We experience plenty of pests that destroy our crops. I also want to inspire other girls in my community to enroll in STEM subjects.”
—Submitted by Joan Lord on behalf of the Justice Team