With a little help..

Some world events are closer to home than others and when we got to know Sammy, the owner of Mardon Plumbers in Harare, Zimbabwe, she lived here in Newcastle. Then, 2 years ago, when the situation in Zimbabwe worsened, she decided to go back and look after her 12 employees in Harare whose livelihood depend on a job with her company. Unfortunately, it didn't get any better since. Zimbabwe is suffering an economic and political crisis, with annual inflation of 100,000%, and unemployment at 80%. There are severe food and fuel shortages and recent outbreaks of Cholera. Some friends and colleagues decided that maybe we could help. Since then we have been supporting Sammy, the employees in her business and their families with fuel vouchers, because fuel is the key not only to transport and enabling business and freeing up resources but these vouchers can be traded for other vital goods such as food or medicine. It works via an organisation called Mukuru that organises the supply of goods and money in some countries in Africa. We buy the vouchers online and Sammy gets a code on her mobile that enables her to pick up the fuel at a petrol station in Harare. Since January 2008 we have been sending close to 2,000 litres of fuel and Sammy has been stressing that every litre of that has helped Mardon Plumbers to stay in business and support the families of the staff. We would like to continue this journey for as long as the situation is precarious. Here is an opportunity to read, comment and maybe join in.

Christoph

Monday, 29 December 2008

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all. This comes with best wishes from all of us at Mardon Plumbers. I hope the new year will bring a lot of good things for all of us since we all seem to be indeep trouble. People are still dying here and so far God has blessed us all here at Mardon Plumbers. Everyone is well and happy?@!*. Some are now on leaveand others finish today. We will all close for a two week break and open on the 5th with skeleton staff. The shops have quite a bit of goodies for Christmasand we are able to get some mealie meal as well. Of course you have to have theright money. Thank you for all your help this past year which has beentremendous. We (Mardon Plumbers staff) will have something to eat this christmas because we can now also exchange our coupons for various things. Thank you once again and may God bless you and your families.
All our loveSammy and all the staff
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Christoph's First Blog (ever!)

Hi there, this is me, Christoph.

I have set up this blogsite and am one of the people that try to help and am the one ordering the fuel vouchers from the donations we get. I know Sammy from when she lived in Newcastle and she has struck me as a very courageous woman. This venture has been very rewarding for me as it is a personal insight into what we see on TV's world news. And reading Sammy's emails on how the plumbers get on on an almost daily basis in Zimbabwe adds a whole new dimension to it!

Comments on this site are very welcome and if you would like to give some money then please use the account number given on this site.

Thanks and I look forward to 2009!

Christoph
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