TPHD rises to the challenge - Again!

As can be read below we launched an appeal to provide a wheelchair for 'Chipo' aged 7 years old who lives in Zimbabwe and suffers from Cerebral palsy.  Once again our congregation has been astounding in their generosity and raised in excess of £900.00 for this project. 

We are extremely grateful for the help we receieved from Remploy Springburn who assisted us in obtaining a suitable wheelchair for Chipo  and,  on Sunday 14th December 2008 we were very pleased to welcome Chipo's Aunt Susan with her daughter Kuda  to our service when they accepted the chair on behalf of Chipo. In the photo with the ladies are Rev Richard Buckley and Morag Ann Girvan who brought the plight of Chipo to our attention.

Photo: L to R  Morag Ann Girvan, Aunt Susan and Kudo with Rev Richard Buckley

Following the presentation we then had to arrange to pack and deliver the wheelchair to Chipo and, on a cold and frosty evening in December John & Elizabeth Broadfoot and Isabel Whyte spent three hours huffing, puffing and with loads of sellotape  packed the wheelchair into two boxes ready for despatch to Zimbabwe. 

                         

        Above   John having fun                                                                       Above John and Elizabethwith the packages

After the packing  Jean Ross and Isabel Whyte loaded the packages into the car early on a cold and frosty Tuesday morning,  slipping and sliding out of the Crowhill Street door  and there after transported them to Glasgow Airport from where they went on to Chipo. 

Our grateful thanks go to Mrs Suzie Watson, grand-daughter of Mrs Margaret Whyte  (one of our  members) who was able to organise the transportation of the packages and obtain  the generous discount of 75%  from the cost of transport by FedEx, who despatched the packages  on behalf of the church.  This resulted in  the  funds which were raised in the TPHD Christmas appeal being able to be used also  to transport the chair to Zimbabwe, resulting  in no further costs being met by our small congregation.

Communication was received which informed us the packages have arrived in Harare but were delayed at the airport.  Import duty was required to be paid and has to paid by the person receiving the packages - mid January cash was transferred  from the UK to Zimbabwe. And on 16th January after phone calls to Zimbabwe and FedEx it has now been confirmed that  payment has  been made and the wheelchair is ready to be released for delivery to Chipo.

After this payment of import tax we understood that the consignment had been delivered however it later came to light that only one package was released  by the authorities and various  parts of the wheel chair were withheld and delayed as further charges  are required to be paid.   Various phone calls from Suzie Watson  to FedEx, who on our behalf ensured that no further payment was nessessary have now delivered the wheelchair to Chipo!  It has taken a  little longer than we had hoped but at last we can say 'Chipo has her Chair!    

A message recieved this morning (1st Feb'09) from Chipos family confirmed delivery has been made and 'the family are over the moon' and Chipo is now comfortable ensconced in her chair!  

We are grateful to all who were involved in this project Rempoly, FedEx and SuzieWatson and  a special thanks to  our congregation who rose once again to the challenge of our project. 

 With God's will no challenge is beyond T.P.H.D.  -    These People Have Determination!!!

                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                   

 Appeal Details

Each year the Congregational Board tries to find a needy cause for our Gift Service. We were grateful to Morag Ann Girvan for bringing the desperate plight of this young girl to our attention.

 'Wheelchair for Chipo'

 

Chipo - her name means 'gift' – Nyamuzinga   is 7 years old and suffers from cerebral palsy.  She is the 6th of 7 children.

 

Because of her problems with muscle tone Chipo's head flops and she suffers from spasms and has no coordination. As a consequence she needs the physical support of others and has to be carried from place to place. She is now getting too big to carry.

 

Her mother receives little or no help. She has few resources and given the situation in Zimbabwe the family has no work. Chipo's mother is depressed and has lost a lot of weight. The little land that they have is used to grow vegetables for food and to provide money for themselves they have taken a lodger.

 

In Zimbabwe a condition like cerebral palsy is seen as a punishment and the mother is often blamed for the illness -  in their culture the husbands or males refuse to help or provide any assistance.

 

Chipo has never been to school but her mother would love her to be educated - a wheelchair would mean that Chipo would not have to be carried everywhere - she could move around the house and would be able to be transported to school.

 

Morag Ann tells us she is at College with Chipo's sister Susan who is so concerned for her sister and her family she sends home what little money she has to help alleviate their difficulties.  Susan herself does not keep well - her legs were crushed when she was young and there are days where she just cannot manage to college.

 

If you would like to help in our Christmas Project 2008,

please send your donation to our Treasurer:

Mr John Jamieson, 4 Elm Bank , Bishopbriggs 

 Cheques should be made payable to  'Trinity Possil & Henry Drummond Church'

please include the reference Chipo/tphdwebpage/dec’08 with your donation

 

Help us to help Chipo!

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