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FHSS students help needy children

SOS Children’s Village in Waterfalls, Harare wrote to the University community in November to share its
appreciation for a donation of cash and groceries from students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The students delivered the gift, which consisted of Z$2,6 million and sugar, beans, rice, sweets and snacks, to the institution during a visit. “Thank you very much for sacrificing your time and
the fuel to come all the way to Harare to visit our home...youcould have chosen any home within your locality,” saidLucia Chaibva, Village Secretary.

(Above): Prof Athanasius Mphuru (dark suit, holding microphone) participates in a memorial service for his late wife, Mrs. Prudence Mphuru, in the Kwang Lim Chapel. Mrs. Mphuru passed away, after a long battle with cancer, on 21 December 2005. She was laid to rest on 23 December in her country of birth, Tanzania. Members of the AU and wider community paid tribute to Mrs. Mphuru at the service, which took place in the Chapel on 1 February. Accompanying Prof. Mphuru in giving testimonies were (from left to right):Mariatu Fonnah, Mrs. Wani and Mrs. Frank Chikange.

Ms. Guimaraes chats with members of the AU Choir andUnited Methodist Student Movement in the Chapel

Ms. Kenia Guimaraes, director for Central Conference Relations for the Division on Ministries with Young People (DMYP), visited campus from 13-15 February for discussions related to the upcoming Global Young Peoples Convocation/Legislative Assembly. The gathering is scheduled for Johannesburg, South Africa from 28 December, 2006 to 1 January, 2007. A 30-person choir, made up of United Methodist young people from the Africa University community, is expected to participate in the Johannesburg gathering.

Prof. Jonah Elaigwu, from Jos University in Nigeria, paid a one-day visit to the Institute of Peace, Leadership & Governance at Africa University on 9 February. While on campus, Prof. Elaigwu gave a guest lecture on governanceand leadership in Africa. In his lecture, Prof. Elaigwu challenged the students stating, that “the current generation should be industrious and focus on the future with integrity and commitment, get themselves acquainted with the new values of leadership so that they make good leaders.”

Two staff members - Obey Hove and Chengetai Murimwa - from Gulliver’s Club, located in Mutare city
centre, were at the University on 9 February to make a donation of Z$10 million. The donation was a gesture of appreciation for student patronage from Matan Holdings, the company that owns the club. In the past, Matan Holdings has supported the Mr. & Ms. Africa University pageant
which is a fundraising event organised by the student body.

Rev. Jeff Fisher, a pastor in the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, organized the donation of 75 M-bags of books and CDs to the Jokomo
Yamada Library. The opening of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Africa University and the urgent need for library resources prompted Rev. Fisher, in collaboration with the Pennsylvanian community, to collect the material. Rev. Fisher said that the donation was a response by members of his community “out of genuine care to share.

Sister Tsitsi Murapa, the Sister-in-Charge at the University Health Clinic, left campus on early February
for a one month attachment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
Her attachment is part on an ongoing capacity strenghtening initiative with St. Jude’s that is linked to a
proposed preventative HIV vaccine study in Zimbabwe. During her time at St. Jude, Sister Murapa is focusing on Sister Murapa noted that the issue of AIDS is not only a health problem, but also a social problem and having a vaccine gives hope to those who fear that they may be
infected.
“When I come back to the campus, I will be better able to counsel those clients and advise such clients,” she said. Sister Murapa hopes to be able to use any knowledge she gains during the attachment in dealing with infected people and the peer educators of Africa University. (Peer educators are student volunteers who deal mainly withHIV counseling.) their resources.” The need of material by Africa University
and the willingness of the American universities to share their material complemented each other. Most of the donated books are new, some being within a year of their publishing date.