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Reflecting Back Looking Forward a progress report on Zara s Center January 2018
Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 3 Programs Services 5 Community Outreach 7 Annual Update 2017 11 Five Year Plan 12 Agriculture Program 2018 21 14 Organizational Structure History 16 Fundraising Development 18 Zara s Center Board of Directors 19 How to Donate
Executive Summary Zara s Center is an after school safe have for AIDS orphans and vulnerable youth in Bulawayo Zimbabwe The Center was founded in 2007 to respond to an increase in children being orphaned due to AIDS and the deteriorating economic and political situation in Zimbabwe Since then the situation in Zimbabwe has continued to make life difficult for low income atrisk children Indeed Zimbabwe has experienced a sharp decline on all crucial counts in the last decade access to education economic stability employment health and overall life expectancy The country is ranked 98th out of 117 developing countries on the Global Hunger Index 16 of adults have HIV AIDS placing Zimbabwe in the top five most HIV AIDS impacted countries in the world As a result the country has one of the world s largest orphan populations As of 2012 72 of Zimbabweans lived below the national poverty line Many Zimbabwean children do not consistently attend school as their guardians cannot afford mandatory public school fees Since its inception in 2007 Zara s has grown from a small organization operating out of a church to a stand alone Center for over 125 children aged 5 18 66 of Zara s children have lost at least one parent most to HIV AIDS related complications and over half of Zara s children live with extended family Zara s staff visits every child s home periodically to assess the family s circumstances and discuss the child s well being At home many children sleep on the floor and lack electricity or running water Caregivers are mostly unemployed due to job scarcity and cannot afford food Zara s provides daily meals academic enrichment medical care work training recreation and artistic development Children come to Zara s Center for a good meal help with homework intervention for health wellness and structured activities in a safe place Zara s gives children the tools and confidence to become their own advocates The Center s guiding goal is that Zara s kids will grow up to be agents for positive change in their country Zara s is poised to grow further in its second decade of service having recently leased an additional five acres of land on which to begin a new agriculture program The program will make the Center more sustainable and teach children valuable skills they can use upon graduation from Zara s programs Attached is an institutional summary and fiscal report for 2017 offered in the context of Zara s first decade of service as well as future plans delineated through the end of the 2020 program fiscal year 1
Zara s Center s mission is to help orphaned vulnerable and at risk children become confident self sufficient members of their community By providing a supportive environment where children feel safe and cared for the Center ensures that all of Zara s students can focus on their academics personal health and on simply being kids 2
Programs Services The focus of Zara s programs is broad and varied with a mission driven one child at a time model Zara s Center offers a wide range of programs and services to help vulnerable children thrive Programs are implemented by an 11 person team led by Mr Gibson J Connick a veteran educational professional who joined Zara s team in 2014 Nutritionally Balanced Meals Breakfast before school A hot meal after school A hot meal each weekend day Academic Enrichment Tutoring Computer instruction Internet access Library access 1500 titles School Fees Payment Payment of fees or facilitation of third party payment Recreation Supervised play Monthly birthday celebrations Sports instruction Periodic field days 3
Programs Services Arts Programs Music Marimbas Piano Choir Dance Modern Traditional Beading Instruction Visual Arts painting drawing Drama Mental Physical Healthcare Prevention Intervention Psycho Social Support Spiritual enrichment activities Case Management Quarterly home visits Oral hygiene Instruction Supplies Feminine care products Life Skills Gardening Sewing Post graduation Employment Assistance College guidance Meet Zara s Director 4 Mr Gibson Connick Executive Director joined the Zara s Center team in 2014 He came to Zara s after a successful career as an educational leader in traditional academic settings Most recently he served as Principal at one of the most respected private schools in Bulawayo Zimbabwe Petra Primary School
Community Outreach Zara s Center has become an important institution in the Emganwini and wider Bulawayo community In addition to serving children the Center regularly shares resources and invites community members to visit for periodic events Resource Sharing Water The Center has one of the only boreholes in the area and provides water to community members during shortages Electricity Zara s has the only generator in the area providing electricity during almost daily blackouts Tree Planting Zara s Center is committed to making the community more beautiful and plants trees on the grounds and around the neighborhood each quarter Enrichment Library Community members have access to Zara s extensive library with over 1 500 titles and may check out books if they wish The library also has current public school textbooks and a copier so children can make copies for reference at home Internet Access The Center offers the only free internet and computer access in the area Sharing Space Zara s Center shares its space with local community members as needed Recently a teacher used the space to prepare students for O level exams when the school where he taught suddenly closed Outreach Zara s kids regularly engage with the community For example our marimba band performs at local homes for the elderly and collaborates with children from local organizations Recently children from King George VI school visited Zara s Center to play music together Executive Director Gibson Connick regularly meets with caregivers to discuss ways to improve the children s lives For example he gives guidance on wide ranging topics including school registration birth certificate acquisition and basic hygiene 5
Annual Update 2017 2017 Milestones and Impact Provided 28 000 meals Impact We ve saved lives improved the school performance of our kids and lessened the personal and fiscal burdens of the adults and extended community that care for them Engaged in a deep and meaningful relationship with a new corporate partner NutriBullet Impact Increased nutrition and caloric intake by introducing blended drinks to our children including new combinations of fruits vegetables as as well as vitamin filled supplements Codified systemic tracking to measure our children s real time educational performance Impact Ensured that Zara s children perform and provide intervention for improvement Provided school fees for 100 of children in need and university support for two graduates Impact Covered school fees guarantees that 97 of our children can attend school Assisting with college tuition and fees allows Zara s Alumni to lift themselves out of poverty and provides role models for younger kids 7
Annual Update 2017 2017 Milestones and Impact Provided continuing instruction for the children to sew their own uniforms for school Impact Ensured school attendance as uniforms are government mandated and required Boosted our program in depth and scope by partnering with Lalela based in South Africa Impact Created new outlets for self expression for our children provided instruction and training for our staff Provided school shoes and socks for all of Zara s children Impact Reduced incidence of foot related injuries and infections for Zara s Center s children Leased five acres of land from the City of Bulawayo to expand into agriculture programs Impact We will soon break ground on this critical program to ensure the Center s long term viability and teach our children to grow their own food 9
Five Year Plan 2016 2020 11
The Agriculture Program With a vision to expand programming in the areas of health nutrition and practical life skills Zara s Center has leased a five acre 20 000 sq meters parcel of land adjacent our existing facility where we re poised to develop a new agriculturally based program The new program will allow us to better serve the children at Zara s Center By providing hands on agricultural experience the children will be better prepared to sustain themselves and find work upon departure from the Center Our Executive Director Gibson Connick is an experienced gardener and agriculturalist who is very passionate about sharing his knowledge with the young people at Zara s Center In addition Zara s recently hired an additional staff person with a background in teaching and agriculture to assist with the new program Goal 1 Teach Sustainable Agriculture How we ll do it Teach children to grow fruits and vegetables using a solar powered drip irrigation system Plant a fruit orchard along the perimeter of the new land To start Zara s will plant approximately ten of each of the following fruit trees Avocado mango lemon orange peach guava and mulberry Young trees will be purchased to ensure a harvest within 1 2 years from planting Plant an extensive vegetable garden that will be operational year round via continuous soil rotation Staff and children will plant the following vegetables carrots peppers cabbages kale beetroot green beans spinach and butter beans Establish a small poultry raising operation to produce meat and eggs This would be a secondary programmatic goal as the Center will need advance approval from the City of Bulawayo Desired Outcomes The children will develop marketable and practical skills for adulthood while providing nutritious food for themselves and the wider community The Center will become more sustainable as additional food will offset monthly food costs and surplus crops could be sold for extra funds 12
Goal 2 Improved Health Nutrition How we ll do it Teach children about optimal nutrition using fruits and vegetables they helped to grow themselves Develop a curriculum for the agriculture program that focuses on using the fruits and vegetables to optimize nutrition and overall wellness Desired Outcomes The children will learn how to maximize health in an environment where quality healthcare is not always accessible and food is not always plentiful Involvement in the farming process will allow Zara s young people to feel ownership over their personal health even after they leave the Center Goal 3 Community Involvement How we ll do it Involve the Emganwini community in the development and maintenance of the new land and provide periodic educational opportunities Invite community members to help with maintenance of the garden orchard and farming area Volunteers would receive food from the garden orchard as a thank you Host nutrition and wellness days for caregivers friends and family Desired Outcomes The children will build confidence as they demonstrate what they ve learned to their families The agriculture program will have a positive impact on the health outcomes of the larger community 13
Organizational Structure History The PG Family Foundation serves as the primary fiscal conduit Zara s Center and employs one full time US based Program Director As of 2017 Zara s Center employs a full compliment of professional and support staff all based in Zimbabwe The team is supervised by an Executive Director with an extensive background in education Each staff member specializes in a specific area that corresponds to areas of program delivery 14
Fundraising Development In 2006 Zara s Center was seed funded through a giving circle initiated by Rachael Goldwasser Plutzik in celebration of her Bat Mitzvah In the critical start up years that followed Center growth was supported through the generosity of the PG Family Foundation and a few other family connected charities During the years 2009 to present as Zara s has grown with programs tested and refined the funding base has diversified to include individuals foundations and corporations and includes a very successful affiliation with the NY Road Runners Charity Program The establishment of an IRS designated Friends of organization in 2018 will enable us to seek additional sources of support including government moving forward 2017 Trust and Foundation Donors Atid Foundation Frank Tracy Collins Charitable Foundation Joseph Diane Steinberg 1992 Charitable Trust Lewis GVC Trust Pershing Square Foundation The Kirsh Foundation The Miami Foundation The PG Family Foundation The Ressler Gertz Family Foundation The Wagner Family Foundation The Walter Family Foundation 2017 Corporate Donors Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price Axelrod LLP Cooper Company Accountants CustomInk LLC Dakota Holdings Group Greensledge Capital Markets LLC JA Uniforms 16 Jerrick Associates Inc Nutribullet Pegasus Capital Advisors Ropes and Gray LLP The Betsy South Beach
2017 Donations from Individuals 2017 Sources of Funding 295 Donations Foundations 23 44 under 100 39 100 to 499 Corporate Donors 5 5 500 to 999 6 1 000 to 4 999 3 5 000 to 9 999 2 10 000 to 20 000 Individuals 72 1 50 000 three gifts Community Support Bulawayo Zimababwe Zara s Center receives ongoing in kind donations from small business owners in Emganwini and surrounding areas including items such as food gently used clothing books all critical to our survival Local volunteers are also welcomed into our Center to assist with programming at the direction of on site administration 17
Zara s Center Board of Directors In the USA Lesley Goldwasser Co Founder Board Chair Zara s Center Jonathan Plutzik Chairman and Co President PG Family Foundation Deborah Plutzik Briggs Board Member Ex Officio Executive Director PG Family Foundation Dalia Cohen Group Executive Cassava Connect Katie Cooper Former Managing Director HazelTree Dirk Goldwasser Entrepreneur Fred Terrell Vice Chairman Credit Suisse Caron Sapire Licensed Psychologist Colin Sapire CEO Capital Brands LLC In Zimbabwe Tapiwa Chizana Chief Risk Officer Deloitte Central Africa David Cooper Founder Cooper Co Accountants 18 Valda Cohen Board Member Emeritus
How to Donate Via PayPal or Check Visit www zarascenter org make a donation For alternative donation methods please email our US Program Director at JessicaSBriggs gmail com Zara s Center receives ongoing fiscal support from the PG Family Foundation in New York NY USA The Foundation is a designated charitable entity as described in U S Tax Code Section 501 c 3 with EIN 710927327 The Center is a registered Charitable Trust in Zimbabwe as Zara s Centre Trust Registered Trust MA137 2007 19
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