Dear friends,
After the appeal in July 2010, am happy to give you all the feedback. I would like to thank you all for the quick response. May the Lord reward you a hundred fold!
Guest Flats: The house is almost complete. Only final touches are to be done. The Italian friends of Rock No War did arrive at St Albert’s, a group of 9 people. Another faithful friend representing the Luisa Guidotti Missionary Group was also present. She had to postpone her departure in order to sort out the goods, which had arrived late. These precious friends did all sorts of works at the hospital: repairs, painting, refitting of the solar water heating systems that were mounted wrongly, and putting order in the stores. The main work of finishing one flat of the guest house could not be accomplished because the container with all the needed materials and tools arrived late due to a strike of workers at the port of Durban, rough sea for the container to get to Beira, and the go-slow of the port workers as well there. We were forced to change the mode of travel of the container to Zimbabwe using a camion instead of the train. This also took time but finally it did arrive and our local staff continued with the work at the flats.
Water Tank: A 5,000 liter tank has been installed for the new flats. Now you can come and stay in a comfortable house with water and electricity. The most difficult experience for our guests for years was not to have water. Electricity could be easily changed for romantic evenings using candle lights.
Outstanding electricity bill: This has been settled by the courtesy of the International Medical Association. The debt was no more 17,000 US dollars but [had increased to] US$34,000. This has since been cleared.
Servicing of the tractor: The tractor was serviced by the friends from Rock No War. New front tyres were fitted, but we were advised that a new engine is needed.
The Bien Marie for the kitchen was purchased though a bit small.
Centrifuge and Vortex Mixer for the laboratory has been pledged for by the Better Health for Africa. This NGO is going to purchase these items for the Hospital.
Running Costs: The government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Health managed to give salaries to all the staff on the payroll. Medicines were very little. The Hospital and District relied on donated drugs from Luisa Guidotti Missionary Group, HELP-Germany and CESVI-Italian. Towards the running costs of the Hospital we received 11,500US dollars; respect the 9,900 US dollars we had received in the year 2009. The running of the hospital remains a challenge, though the income from the services rendered staggers around 15,000 US dollars a month.
For the year 2010 the Hospital and the District used a sum of money amounting to 1,193,546.00 US Dollars. This was in form of various projects being implemented in the District, collected user fees and cash in kind valued into monetary value.
Still Outstanding purchases and works
- The diesel tank will be sourced in Italy. In the next containers this will arrive.
- Lab Selector this has still to be purchased. Most probably Rock Nor War together Luisa Guidotti can meet these expenses.
- Extension of the mothers’ shelter, through CESVI, the Italian Radio Deejay promised to try and raise funds for this project. This week we had 182 women at the Shelter which means 36 women had to sleep in a room of 5 x 5 meters! Horrendous indeed!
- The Tread Mill for the rehabilitation department.
Addendum
- Drugs and sutures for the year 2011
- Construction of a functional incinerator
- Some running costs
- The Orphan adoption at a long distance is still on-going 625 ORPHANS GOING TO SCHOOL (ITALIAN FRIENDS, FAMILIES, PARISHES- ROME, FERRARA, MODENA)
For you to appreciate what I am talking about, let me just give you what the Hospital has used from Jan-Dec 2010. Detailed expenditures will be in the annual report.
ANNUAL BUDGET 2010
| Funding Source | Income Projections (US Dollars) | Amount Actually received | |
| Government Grants | $540,000.00 | $11,000.00 | |
| Hospital Fees | 170,000.00 | 149,000.00 | |
| Partners | 208,000.00 | 1,028,546.00* | |
| Others | 22,000.00 | 5,000.00 | |
| TOTAL | $940,000.00 | $1,193,546.00 |
*If partners had not provided so much, how could we have managed? (BHA note: donor contributions made up 86 percent of the hospital’s 2010 budget.)
Short summary (US Dollars)
| Donated drugs: Total cost | $134,866.00 (CESVI, LUISA GUIDOTTI/ROCK NO WAR) |
| Donated equipment: Total cost | 164,159.00 (CESVI, BHA) |
| Civil works: Total Cost | 58,487.00 (CESVI) |
| Staff Accommodation built: Total Cost | 60,000.00 (LUISA GUIDOTTI MISSIONARY GROUP) |
| CHBC Program: Total Cost | 45,600.00 (CAFOD) |
| Food Packages PLWAs | 44,947.00 (CESVI) |
| District and Hospital Capital works | 460,000 .00 refurbishing of buildings, solar lightening, radios, water supply, furniture for the 11 clinics, Anesthetic machine and ablution block needs for the hospital (HELP- GERMANY) |
| Running Costs for consumables etc (Total) | 60,487.00 (IMA* AND LUISA GUIDOTTI MISSIONARY GROUP) |
| September 2010 – September 2011 | IMA shall be topping up the salary of a young Zimbabwean doctor working at the Hospital. Total Cost: $13,000 |
* The IMA (International Medical Association) is the English name for the Associazione Sanitaria Internazionale.
In addition, many other things which arrived in the container were not given a monetary value.
May I take the opportunity of wishing you all a HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR!
Thanking you again for your unfailing support. We still need your care! The work goes on ahead because you are there with a helping hand.
Elizabeth Tarira and Staff