Bereavement counselling and positive parenting

Sethule offers counselling and support to orphans and foster ‘grand’mothers to cope with their grief. Children suffer from the loss of their parents not only because of death but also because of divorce or disappearance. In meetings lasting several days with 30 children, specially trained counsellors help young children to draw their hidden feelings and reactions using the Tree of Life method. For older ones, the emotional logic method is used. The impact on school and community life is extremely positive.

For foster parents and guardians, Sethule runs workshops where participants share ideas and discuss difficulties on how to raise a safe, healthy, happy and confident child.

Child Safeguarding has become a central focus that is important in all programmes. Workshops for teachers as well as parents and staff are held regularly.

Birth certificate project

One in three children in rural Zimbabwe does not have a birth certificate for a variety of reasons. For orphans, the figure is almost 90%. This has serious consequences: They cannot take national school exams and therefore cannot attend secondary schools. They do not receive an identity card and are therefore excluded from official institutions and disadvantaged in many ways. Sethule helps children and their families through the complicated process of obtaining a birth certificate.

Education: from pre-school to university

The state of Zimbabwe requires all children to pay school fees, wear a school uniform and pay for school materials and other expenses. This is often a heavy burden for rural families. Sethule Orphans' Trust provides financial support selectively so that they can attend school. Over 50 disadvantaged children and young people also receive comprehensive support. Young gifted children are further supported after they have completed their mandatory education. Sethule covers the costs of boarding schools and universities or technical colleges.

In 2006, Sethule opened EMARIKA, the first Sethule kindergarten. Currently, Sethule runs two accredited pre-schools where the children also receive a healthy daily meal.

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Hygiene programme

In Zimbabwe, as in many African countries, female menstruation has negative connotations. It is a taboo subject and menstruating girls and women are often considered 'unclean' and are marginalized. In addition, many girls simply cannot afford sanitary pads or tampons. That is why some girls miss classes every month out of distress and shame. It’s important to break this taboo and facilitate access to female hygiene articles. Only then girls and young women will be able to fully participate in everyday life. This is an important concern for Sethule.

Sethule educates and supports these girls with the necessary hygiene articles.

Sethule Skills Centre

Children and young people who have grown up in rural poverty are completely overwhelmed by “modern life“ in a boarding school or in the city. Sethule enables them to live in a simple house in a suburb of Bulawayo during annual 6 weeks holiday and teaches them practical skills according to a programme and their personal needs. In this way, the young people acquire everyday knowledge and skills.

Ride for education

Pupils in rural areas have to walk an average of 17 km per day to school, and up to 20 km for secondary school pupils. When they arrive, often late, they are tired, hungry, thirsty and have concentration problems.

Sethule lends bicycles to students from different schools. They are responsible for the care and maintenance. Where necessary, a Sethule staff member repairs the bikes.

The Sethule garden

The Sethule garden has a well and an irrigation system. Fresh vegetables are produced for the feeding programme and the local families.

REACT (Reject & Expose All Child Trauma)

One in ten children is at risk of being sexually abused before the age of 18. The awareness programme for 8-12 year olds informs and counsels children on sexual issues and how to prevent abuse. With the support of the Ministry of Health, the programme is being implemented in ten schools.

Mental Health / Stable Child Psychology as a Basis for Life

In rural areas, knowledge about mental illness is limited and signals are often overlooked or misunderstood. Children and young people with mental health problems receive neither support nor adequate treatment.

In weekly lessons, pupils learn how everyday challenges, stress and conflicts affect their health and learn how to cope with them. A trained staff member counsels children who are particularly distressed and, if necessary, refers them to professional help. Teachers and parents are sensitised in workshops.

D2BD (Dare To Be Different)

Teenagers in Zimbabwe are confronted with early pregnancy, dropping out of school, drug abuse, sexual violence and HIV/AIDS.

The school club D2BD enables young people to express their views, exchange ideas, find their own solutions and thus defend themselves against negative influences. Through activities such as playing theatre, singing and group discussions, the young people express their feelings in a wide variety of situations and learn to make responsible decisions.

ATTIC (a time to invite Christ)

During the August holidays, Sethule organises a one-week camp for teenagers to meet other children, away from the home environment and gain new perspectives. The focus is on the Christian gospel, respect for others, and moral values. Competitions in Bible quizzes, singing, drama and sports take place. Teams from more than 10 different village communities participate. This event is the most important on the annual calendar for the WAGES (We Are God's Eager Servants) is for older youths and will take place in March.

Feeding programme

Sethule brings home survival baskets to around 35 families in need. Many of these families are run either by a child or an elderly woman and have little or no income. One basket contains maize, oil, sugar, salt, beans, soap and is enough for the family to survive for a month.

Sethule gives malnourished preschool children a daily meal, promoting their health and better success in school.

Self-sufficiency

Sethule has developed a programme to show village communities how they can grow their own crops in the increasingly dry climate so that families are not dependent on these food parcels in the long term.

Two Sethule Orphans' Trust staff members are currently attending a two-year course at an agricultural training centre. They are learning organic farming methods that are adapted to climate change and use as little water as possible. They are testing this knowledge in a trial garden and taking it back to the villages. To ensure the project is successful, discussions are held with community leaders to gain their support. Then the villagers interested in a community garden get together to form a group. Once they have organised themselves, staff visit them twice a month to teach them about agriculture and chicken farming and help to finance tools, chicken runs, seedlings and laying hens.