http://www.restoredrelationships.org

Tomorrow is yet another special day for me when I meet fellow trustees and our team of staff who are working hard to ensure RESTORED UK  is a strong International Alliance working to end violence against women by targeting churches in UK and across the world.

Today I share what we do at Restored and invite you all to support. Girl Child Network Worldwide networks in Africa are joining as members and this amplifies our voices.

There is no way we can keep silent about violence that happens in churches and is less talked about.

Please read about Restored and feel welcome to take part, donate or support in any way.

About

Restored is an International Christian Alliance to transform relationships and end violence against women

Mission

To end violence against women and transform relationships

Description

We work to raise awareness & end of all forms of violence against women and to see relationships transformed. We believe the church can be a part of the answer. We want to see men and women working in partnership together to see violence against women ended.

http://www.restoredrelationships.org

I would like to thank  Dereck Chisora who made a single 2k donation to all the charities.  As for Girl Child Network Worldwide  our funds have been sent to Zimbabwe to help sexually abused girls with their income generating project in bread making.  We believe a donation should empower and so we will do everything for the donation to multiply.

Congratulations  to all  winners and nominees. Below is a special poem I wrote for you all.  No one can take away an achievement and so we can  only  join and celebrate

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Betty Makoni poetically endorsing the Zimbabwe Achievers award
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards –Building a New Dzimbahwe

When a whole community gathers to celebrate
When achievers one by name and all by achievements
Build with modern achievers stones-the new Dzimbabwe
Each inspired and with inspiration and aspiring
Appreciated, anointed and uplifted
In a Five Star Grange Hotel, Heart of great city
Top Hill where Queen peeps and pampers
With jubilee jubilations from afar in physic and so near in heart
To citizens of one great colony who amidst odds more achievers come
A nation of geniuses with own Guinness book of records
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards –Building New Dzimbabwe

Amongst them achievers come each in a Five star
Nominated from many and named winner of Five star
Musicians who sing for community coherence
Journalists who journey with news only truth and more truth
DJs who Dhigong our dances with their radios stationed in our souls
Community crusaders of noble causes for marginalised and invisible
Personalities never taking things personally
Inspiring, inspired Zimbabwe Achievers of Five star
Hovering like eagles, proud of them like peacocks
In glamour, grandeur and greatness
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards-Building New Dzimbabwe

Celebrating achievers anchors Zimbabwe
Celebrating achievements cultured Zimbabweans
Whatever achievement ends with Maita, Tatenda, Siyabonga Khakulu
Life hunters with a big feast, women pour out a totem
Maita Shumba, Maita Mhofu, Maita Nyati, Maita Simboti
Maita Shava, Maita Nzou, Maita Dziva, Maita Soko
In totem lie the award to uplift achiever
To anchor and to uplift even to greater heights
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards –Building a New Dzimbahwe

Ever seen female power in achievers turned male
Maita VaMaDube, VaMuzvare, AmaMoyo
Zimbabwean woman carrying totem and male title
Tilting honour and accolades left right and centre
With Dzimbahwe a house of granite stone
Whose big house achieved without falling
Now Zimbabwe Achievers Awards here our modern Dzimbahwe
Embracing women who don’t fall and never failures
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards –Building a New Dzimbahwe

Zimbabwe Achievers Awards-Building New Dzimbahwe
Taking once forgotten modern stones of building civilisation
Seeing them who did it best with awards to do even more
Not with negativity, waste of energy never an award
Never you gather for negativity when positivity energy brings
With Five star honour each shining so bright and so wise
Where Achievers gather, let energy rejuvenate
A community once punched with negativity
Here then pamper with positivity, achievements of achievers
Anything you can rub off, but not an achievement of an achiever
Zimbabwe Achievers Awards –Building a New Dzimbahwe

The countdown is finally over TONIGHT Friday 20 April 2012 we gather together to CELEBRATE and PRAY for our beloved mother land ZIMBABWE and also raise money to Give A Future to some children by paying school fees for them. 6PM till 10PM, Forward In Faith Ministries International, Swindon Assembly, Park South Community Centre, Cranmore Avenue, Swindon, SN3 2EE. United Kingdom. SEE YOU THERE!!!

THE CONCERT IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY THE 20TH OF APRIL 2012, 6pm till 10pm, Forward In Faith Ministries International, Swindon Assembly, Cranmore Avenue, Swindon, SN3 2EE

Leading in Worship that night will be a number of seasoned worshippers from Zimbabwe

HERE IS THE FINAL LINE UP OF THOSE MINISTERING ON THE NIGHT

Guest Speaker Forward In Faith Ministries Int North London Provincial Overseers Gerald Vhevha (Prophet Simba)

Guest Speaker: Betty Makoni. Chief Executive Officer at Girl Child Network Worldwide
Obert Mazivisa
Mantongande
Khamani Crew
Rutendo
Anotida Nduna
Emily Changa
Pelagia Mutake aka Miss Dynamite
The Concert will be Hosted by Stephanie Chiyangwa founder of Help Us Help Ourselves Charity Organization.
Make your donation to “Give A Future Charity Concert 2012” at www.trumpetechoesmusic.ticketsource.co.uk, but if you want to donate more than £10 contact us.
Contact Obert Mazivisa
Trumpet Echoes Music
www.obertmazivisa.webs.com
www.trumpetechoesmusic.webs.com
Tel: 0208 133 1157, 07966701141
Email: trumpetechoes@yahoo.co.uk

`Muzvare are you aware I am one man who was deprived as a child. I had the brains but no money to pursue education. One day I want to do something to help children in my rural Gokwe school`, said Obert.

I know rural Gokwe and it might be one place which is in deep valleys of Zimbabwe and very deprived. It is in a remote place which made my back ache each time I went to rescue a girl from rape. One girl was raped and had her blood sucked out by a witch doctor.

I have sad memories of children of Gokwe and my support to Obert comes whole heartedly because if he can help them to come out of abject poverty then in future we have a new chapter.

What I saw in rural Gokwe moved me so much and I am going to be there at the charity concert to say thank you and if only more Oberts could come up and help.

I asked my son Mukudzeishe who collects coins for his big Christian organisation to give me so that I donate on his behalf to Give a Future tonight. He gave me 4 pounds and said that’s what he has given he is not in work hahhaha this child talks like an adult. He told me he wishes Obert Mazivisa II well and that he will keep collecting coins and send to him. He will tell other boys to do so…Muku said since am targeting the girls he will target the boys…fair enough my son and when do you start working

Give A Future Charity Concert” was founded by Obert Mazivisa in September 2011.

This charity was birthed from the dreams and passion to see every child getting an opportunity to learn. Initially this charity will support children with great potential at Nyamhara Primary School, Gokwe, in Zimbabwe by paying their school fees. Obert did his primary school at that local village school and his parents struggled to pay for his school fees, so he understands the difficulty for both children and their parents.

For this good cause, Trumpet Echoes Music has organised an Annual Gospel Music Concert (Praise & Worship), where Obert Mazivisa will be joined by his friends in music industry. As they lead us into some Zimbabwean style Praise & Worship with songs in 3 main languages in Zimbabwe Shona, Ndebele, and English. We will also have some UK based Zimbabwean Leading Spiritual personalities leading us into prayers and some encouraging and inspiring speeches for our beloved country, as we Celebrate the Zimbabwean Independence Day.
Please come to Dance, Praise, and Worship to Give A Child A Future.
£10 donation is the entry fee, enough to pay school fees for one child per term. Any donations of more than £10 and other educational materials for primary school children e.g. papers, pencils, pens, paints and puzzles are more than welcome. With your support and generous donations, it would be possible to give some children a future through their education.

THE CONCERT IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY THE 20TH OF APRIL 2012, 6pm till 10pm, Forward In Faith Ministries International, Swindon Assembly, Cranmore Avenue, Swindon, SN3 2EE

Leading in Worship that night will be a number of seasoned worshippers from Zimbabwe

HERE IS THE FINAL LINE UP OF THOSE MINISTERING ON THE NIGHT

Guest Speaker Forward In Faith Ministries Int North London Provincial Overseers Gerald Vhevha (Prophet Simba)

Guest Speaker: Betty Makoni. Chief Executive Officer at Girl Child Network Worldwide
Obert Mazivisa
Mantongande
Khamani Crew
Rutendo
Anotida Nduna
Emily Changa
Pelagia Mutake aka Miss Dynamite
The Concert will be Hosted by Stephanie Chiyangwa founder of Help Us Help Ourselves Charity Organization.
Make your donation to “Give A Future Charity Concert 2012” at www.trumpetechoesmusic.ticketsource.co.uk, but if you want to donate more than £10 contact us.
Contact Obert Mazivisa
Trumpet Echoes Music
www.obertmazivisa.webs.com
www.trumpetechoesmusic.webs.com
Tel: 0208 133 1157, 07966701141
Email: trumpetechoes@yahoo.co.uk

The countdown is finally over TONIGHT Friday 20 April 2012 we gather together to CELEBRATE and PRAY for our beloved mother land ZIMBABWE and also raise money to Give A Future to some children by paying school fees for them. 6PM till 10PM, Forward In Faith Ministries International, Swindon Assembly, Park South Community Centre, Cranmore Avenue, Swindon, SN3 2EE. United Kingdom. SEE YOU THERE!!!

I wake up  as early as 6 am to just go through my news feeds on Facebook because it is easier these days to get an overview of what is going on. The first status update that made sense to me today is by Gloria Ndoro. The woman has a mature approach to life, she is a think tank and keeps in touch with Zimbabwe at grass roots level. I have never met Gloria in person but when she writes or shares her thoughts you would think she is seated right next to you. Just wondering why government of Zimbabwe has not noticed think tanks like Gloria to take country forward. Below I share what I feel is something every woman and girl should read. Read it more than once and you will get one straight message , yes an organisation up there can do everything to empower women and girls  but it is an individual woman who must do more to empower herself. Read on and start an empowerment journey. My website selects the best ideas from women and present them. In life know who to follow and learn  from and Gloria has my strongest recommendation on issues around women`s empowerment. Also visit her business in Zimbabwe  and you will see that she walks the talk.

Article below is by Gloria Ndoro- a successful Zimbabwean  Business and one of the few women role models in Zimbabwe and world over. She is on Facebook as Gloria Ndoro and learn more about her business and how as a woman she empowered herself.

The truth is that women do not run the world in any real sense. Out of every 100 government Ministers around the world, only 6 are women. Women do around 66 percent of the world’s work in exchange for less than 5 percent of it’s income. When Forbes published it’s first list of Africa’s richest people in 2010, none were women. Women own less than than 1 percent of the World’s property. 70 percent of the World’s children not attending school are girls.

If women were equal to men in many African countries, why do we have separate government Ministries focusing on women alone. But women are not living alone on an island. How do you meaningfully target women and girls alone who are part of families in which there are boys and men?

My point is that the feminist pioneers’ struggles have helped to secure women the rights they enjoy today in many – though not all societies. Yet nowadays, whilst many women acknowledge the significant strides made by the feminist movement, they find the notion of “feminism” alienating. They find feminism radical. But then again, are they expecting feminists to carry sticks to a gun battle. It’s a war zone out there.

I have fought for the equality of the sexes for as long as I can remember, but I am one of those reluctant to be called a feminist. Why? Because women like men are not a homogeneous group. This lack of homogeneity, makes it difficult to fight this struggle as a collective as I discovered many years ago. You can not fight for ALL women to have rights and equal access when there is no readiness and preparedness for many of these women to participate when these rights and access are granted.

Besides the fact that women, African women, have been my most critics, ” a woman does not do that”…”a woman does not fight with high profile men occupying positions in the judiciary and the legislature…wall a wall a”, I believe that when women are not economically empowered, they make different choices, low road choices, even if there is a high road choice for them to take right in front of them. Women need to go to school and be educated side by side with men, which is already happening but at a snail’s pace. When there are economic hardships in the family, it is the girl child who is first to drop out. Most importantly, entrepreneurship curricula ought to be enshrined within the school system from Grade 0.

I tell my daughters not to wish for my iPhone 4 because they cannot afford it, period. My ability to buy it for them does not matter. They must only wish for things that they are able to buy themselves, from savings or holiday job income. Why? Because if a man comes along and showers you with little gifts like, an iPhone, iPad, Mac Book Pro etc, etc, when he now wants to have his pound of flesh by wanting to sleep with you without a condom, your negotiating capacity has already been compromised. There is no free lunch. Those who are quick to shower you with gifts and presents, always, without fail, end up taking more away from you than they gave to you. It is a simple fact of life which many women, young and old, still need to learn. This message is also applicable in a matrimonial setting!

Whilst quality schooling helps, it is the socialization at household level that creates sustainable readiness and preparedness for our young girls and women. Education alone, as I have since found out, is not enough.

So what is my point? The struggle for women’s empowerment has to be two-pronged. The feminists must carry on with the necessary fights at macro level. However, the real fight for a woman’s empowerment will be won at micro level, at the individual level. Women are not homogenous. We are fragmented and come from different socializations, socializations which ultimately determine how we respond when presented with life situations. It is at the individual woman’s level where the battle of the sexes is yet to be won by women. Need I say more!

Read more

http://allthingsbrightandbeautiful-sharon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/churches-together-at-stanford-le-op.html?spref=fb

But one friend asked how I make such networks in a community where you are a minority  and manage to integrate so quickly and so easily? No easy answer either but I always think people connect better in spirit than in physical make up say of their skin or other things. Take for example my children who made friends with boys they never grew up with and when you see them you see boys more than their skin colour. There is something about being human beings we always overlook when we approach issues of race . We see skin of colour more than our humanity. There are many ways human beings connect spiritually.

Our community here in Stanford Le Hope has many amazing things going on that bring different people together. Of course, Africans and other ethnic minority groups are few   here in Stanford Le Hope but that does not mean we should stay in our minority communities. There are many churches and organisations we should work together with and help build this community and our communities back home. I believe in being a Citizen Ambassador –one who stands for her country as an ordinary person without demanding a reward back for it.

Today I have an opportunity to share about my work in Africa and present what I can do for my community. I believe that no matter what skin of my colour is wherever there are people who love and appreciate my work, then that is my home. Home is not where I was born only, home is where I live in love and harmony with others. No wonder many other people have made streets their homes. We may think otherwise about such homes but for any street person, home is there because other street people live there and they appreciate each other and help each other. To me home is not a physical building only. It is also one`s wellbeing.

In 2008 I left Zimbabwe to be in self-imposed exile and I found myself in UK where my husband got an engineering job. I did not stop my work as an activist for girls’ rights. I want to share my story and bring many people to support girls in Africa and also girls in their communities where teen pregnancies are a big challenge.

I am hoping to work closely with everyone and to keep the world as a peaceful global village. I have seen many events where Africans do their own thing and Europeans do their own thing which is great. But what is greatest is magic of difference where some events we have to pull every colour, language, religion, gender and just everyone in one room. There is power in diversity. Nothing in the world even the best scientists will change skin colour but certainly anyone can help change attitudes, practices and beliefs. The belief I have is that I go to every human being and I mingle and mix. I greet and I speak and hug and love and the list can go on simple things I can do.

I have shared with you an interesting conversation I had with a friend on being in a minority in a community. My idea is that physically one can be minority but spiritually we are in the majority.Our humanity and not skin colour give meaning to our very existence.

I know everyone of us say we come from such and such a place or we bought such an such a house but the reality is that no matter what place you own or buy, when you die one day you return the spirit where it came from and people take  the body where it belongs. So it is important whilst on earth to ensure we unite humanity to live together and value everything that connects us spiritually.

Our facebook chat

Aldrin Makotore What i like about you auntie is you explore in new areas . Ur not intimidated by anything in this world . Having known this area for a while its not like an everyday Zim populated area or known to be a black people’s area .This shows how determined you’re in what you are doing . Some people will choose to go and talk to a Zimbabwe crowd in Luton where they are already known and respected

Betty Makoni ?Aldrin Makotore I can see you are quite close where I live. This is a beautiful community, small and peaceful. I love living and working here. I love some time I reflect and that’s why writing books has been very easy go. Yes blacks are minority physically when we see skin but really I found that everything am working on affects white communities too. I think my work is very special in that it touches on universal issues. I love meeting people of all languages and colours and I think studying sociolinguistics and literature, film and drama did not leave me doing this work but it helps me strengthen my relations. Physically I see colour of our different skin but spiritually I see a connection. I am so disappointed that many people in the world choose the skin colour instead of our humanity…..I think being in the minority as blacks here should give us an opportunity to build communities and contribute .I love the respect I am getting today…speaking to church leaders …I will try and share some photos of event today

Please see details on the project and launch and you have until 6pm to buy your ticket and come see this amazing project.

Buy your ticket now: www.ontheupbooklaunch.eventbrite.com

Attend the launch and get a free signed copy of the book (RRP £15)

In 2011 Nikki and Rob Wilson travelled from Cape Town to Cairo with a personal mission: to find exceptional changemakers who exemplify the truth that, despite its challenges, Africa is on the up. Thanks to support from Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and Vodafone Foundation, they travelled across nine countries uncovering incredible individuals who are using entrepreneurial solutions to drive social change.

The Book Launch will be the first official public talk given by Rob and Nikki, who will share a selection of stories from the social entrepreneurs profiled in their book. From a Zen Buddhist who is training rats to sniff out landmines, to an ex-playboy millionaire who is using his fortune to tackle multinational mining firms, these anecdotes will be thought provoking, inspiring and often quite hilarious!

There will even be a chance to meet and network with many of the social entrepreneurs featured in the book as Rob and Nikki have arranged for some to be at the Book Launch event.

The talk will fire you up about Africa, illustrate the themes coming out of the emerging arena of ‘social entrepreneurship’ and most importantly, will inspire people to think about how they too can become a changemaker. This will appeal to everyone with an interest in international development, the third sector, social entrepreneurship, innovation and their personal career development.

More Information
If you would like any more information please contact rob@ontheup.org.uk or visit the website: www.ontheup.org.uk

Venue:The-Royal-Commonwealth-Society