Zimbabwean Mothers for Change

Life in Zimbabwe is quite difficult for for families with disabled children. The community often ostracizes them and the care of the children hinders mothers from being employed.

In 1998, 14 mothers with disabled children joined together and began a handicraft project to earn income for their families. They named their group Batsiranai, which in Shona means “helping each other”.

They create greeting cards, dolls, aprons, baby products, jewelry and bags. They use local materials and are ingenious in creating art from scraps, such as earrings from painted bottle caps!

Their handicrafts are sold internationally and sales have allowed the group to expand to over 100 members. The members are proud to now be able to feed their families, provide basic medical care for their children, pay school fees and establish loans for their members.

One member summed it up, “Before Batsiranai my family did not have food. Now we have two meals a day.”

About the Champions

Lynn and Jan are old friends from Northern California who lost touch when Lynn moved to Nepal in 1990 to work in the area of international development. Lynn was saddened to see that very little aid money ever reached grassroots levels.

When Lynn moved to Zimbabwe in 2001 she vowed to commit her time and energy to a group where her efforts improved people’s lives. She has since volunteered full time for Batsiranai Mothers of Disabled Children.

Jan has been involved in women's and children's issues for over 20 years. In 2006, she received a greeting card made by Batsiranai and was impressed by their mission. She contacted them and was delighted to find herself emailing her old friend Lynn Poole. She visited Batsiranai in 2007, and is now the US Champion for Batsiranai.

Jan is now the US champion for Batsiranai and is in charge of Marketing and Fundraising.  Lynn oversees operations and International Sales.  For donations, sales or inquiries, contact them at batsiranaiproject@gmail.com.  Learn more about Batsiranai at their website, www.batsiranai.com, and on Facebook, Batsiranai Association.

Champion: Jan Stoner

Co-Champion: Lynn Poole

Project: Batsiranai Mothers of Disabled Children, Harare, Zimbabwe

Location: Jan in Hillsborough, CA., Lynn in Harare, Zimbabwe

Goals for 2010

• Develop further markets to enable more mothers to join Batsiranai: There are currently over 500 mothers who would like to join.
  

• Raise funds for more housing: Batsiranai is headquartered in a large slum in the capital, Harare. Through donations,  Batsiranai has been able to purchase two buildings that serve as work sites and house five single mothers and twelve children.  Many other chidren are in desperate need of housing.
  

• Create further self-reliance: The members are eager to learn the  skills that Lynn and other volunteers  bring to the group. When funds are available members will enroll in technology, production, design, management and international marketing courses.