It's been our pleasure over the years to meet and work with a variety of nonprofit groups, all of them compelling, all of them passionate and all of them doing good to better the world. This month, we'd like to highlight Ndebele Art Project Africa, an organization whose exuberant optimism and 'on-the-ground' work is reminiscent of the children's story: The Little Engine That Could. With what sounds a lot like the 'I-Think-I-Can' motto repeated in the story, this group is making an impact while managing on a shoestring. Monetizing the resources they do have, this small and devoted team continues to plug away, slowly but surely, turning a love for their dear friends of the Jabulani Village into steady and sustainable progress.
Their challenge is not unlike the awesome ferocity of nearby Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe's political crisis and resulting economic breakdown has led to abysmal access to public healthcare, a collapsed infrastructure, a crushing HIV epidemic, political violence, food shortages, cholera outbreaks, malnutrition, the world's highest inflation rate (at over 231 million percent) and an unemployment rate of 90 percent. Many better known NGO's who've sent doctors and other aid workers into the country have been run out while NAP Africa's stream of under-the-radar support -- coming from a group of seven board members and a handful of volunteers from Orange County, California -- has to date been unwavering and unencumbered.
This story of endurance began in 2004 when Sandy Orrill was inspired to take action after visiting a Zimbabwean village with her daughter Jennifer Kemper, a dealer in African art. They became acquainted with the talented carvers and the families living in the Jabulani village and saw first hand how devastating an impact the economic downturn was having on their new friends' lives. Acknowledging that there were no safety nets in place to support the Zimbabwean villagers during these unstable times, and that an art form was on its way to extinction, the two began dreaming up what would later become Ndebele Art Project Africa while flying home from their trip.
The work this steadfast group has accomplished in a short period of time is astonishing. To date NAP Africa has funded the building of the Jabulani Pre-School, which serves roughly 55 students, 30% of whom are orphans, and employs two phenomenal teachers year-round. Nearby is the centrally located windmill they installed, equipped with six water tanks for clean water that can serve over 500 people's water needs. In addition, the group provides emergency medical aid and food in monthly stipends.
In 2008 NAP held an incredibly successful village health clinic with sports medicine specialist Dr. Wendy Norman of Laguna Niguel, CA, treating over 90 men, women and children. Dr. Norman will return later this month to conduct a second clinic and to begin health education classes. Awaiting her arrival will be a 1-ton shipment of nutritional supplements and vitamins that she will distribute to the village families to help combat malnutrition.
This year NAP is taking legal steps to form a Trust (Zimbabwe Art Project - ZAP) with local chiefs and community leaders planning a number of new village initiatives. ZAPs first project is a community garden that will help feed villagers as well as allow them to sell product to local hotels and restaurants.
The long term commitment that NAP and its 'engine' of board members, volunteers and donors has made to the Jabulani villagers is to help bring hope, health and economic sustainability back to the village, restoring the majestic 'tall blondes' to the world marketplace and carving a brighter future in Africa through art.
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