Nomade en Noir, Community Fund

During my recent trip to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe this past Christmas, I had the opportunity to visit an informal settlement in the suburb of Killarney.  The settlement was created in the bushes far away from the big homes but close enough to benifit from the amenities in the surrounding area…mainly running water.


I went to Killarney with my friend, David Diamond, who runs a small Non Governmental Organization in Bulawayo. David goes to rural villages and informal settlements to conduct health screenings and give treatments such as immunization and gets volunteers to help. He raises donations in food and clothes as well. While there, David introduced me to a young lady named Otilia Mubviro. Otilia is in college and attends the National University of Science and Technology and is pursuing a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Media.


Zimbabwe as a country has its misfortunes and the economy is suffering and in the midst of all this, I got to see a community of children and adults struggling to stay afloat and not give way to hunger and sadness.  I got to meet Otilia, the only person in her community pursuing a higher education degree, ever!


She stood in front of her house made of mud and tarps for roofing and just smiled. For her, there was no doubt in her mind that she would finish her degree. Even as David told her mother he couldn’t support her in the next coming years as much because he had the added pressure of providing for his own young daughters’ increasing tuition, she merely smiled. I held back tears as the mother pointed out that she studies by kerosene lamp at night.  Otilia walks almost 10 miles to school for classes and to use the educational facilities.

I left Killarney determined to share her story and to try to help Otilia!

Otilia needs two more years of schooling paid for and the cost of room and board if she wants to move away from Killarney and move on campus  so that she may be on campus full-time.  She can help her family out of poverty and has a community of children looking up to her.  They know if she succeeds, then they will, and I am truly inspired by her and would like your support in getting her the necessary funds for her tuiton.

Otilia needs $2,500.00 to help with tuition, fees, and the rest will be applied to her room and board and she will be set to complete her two years. For an idea of how the amount being asked for was calculated, please click on the link for the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe . Look at fees associated for the course of study for undergraduate students pursuing parrallel studies in Communication and Informaton Science. 

 Please consider giving to the Nomade en Noir Community Fund so that I may support Otilia’s cause and students like her in poor countries seeking higher education.

Thank you in advance!


Sincerely,



Joseph A. Bess III