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The Women International Fellowship (WIF) is a faith-based women’s organization that was founded in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1998 by Jane Banjo (Solomon’s mother). The Fellowship has persisted through economic downturns, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and political upheaval and continues to live its mission today.
WIF has maintained a consistent focus on providing support to:
- Widows and orphans impacted by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe through the provision of material, emotional, and spiritual support. This support was and continues to be necessary given the social stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and the economic impact facing children upon losing one or both of their parents. A key component of this support is educational fees and in 2008 the first orphans supported by WIF graduated. One from the University of Zimbabwe’s School of Medicine, and the other from Harare Polytechnic. Today, the children supported by WIF range from middle school to undergraduate studies.
- Prisoners in the Zimbabwean justice system through a partnership with the Zimbabwe Prisons Fellowship [ZPF] that focuses on rehabilitation and support for their families. At the height of the economic downturn of the Zimbabwe economy WIF provided food to prisoners, took clothing to children in prisons with their mothers, as well as providing sanitary products for incarcerated women.
Covid-19 impacted Zimbabwe as it has the whole world. The pandemic led to a 10% contraction of GDP last year and a government report estimated that 2.4 million people in the country’s urban areas struggled to meet their basic food needs as a result of the lockdowns. Thankfully, all of the widows and orphans supported by WIF were able to make it through the year.
Your donation will enable WIF to continue to provide much needed support and to pursue the purchase of several hectares of land to use for agriculture as an additional revenue stream.