Pray for Tichaona Musindo and Zimbabwe

This morning I received the following email letter from Plan USA and wish to share it with you because it indicates how much we need to include the people of Zimbabwe in our prayers. For several years I have been providing a small monthly support for a young Zimbabwean boy, Tichaona Musindo, via Plan USA. As you know, the election process in Zimbabwe has turned violent and cantankerous in the past months. This letter clearly indicates the depths of misery Zimbabweans are experiencing and how much they need our intercessory prayers.

Dear Mr. Harnack,

Thank you for your continued sponsorship of Tichaona Musindo from Zimbabwe. Our colleagues have confirmed the decision made by the Zimbabwean government on June 5th to suspend the operations of all humanitarian organizations in the country until further notice.

Since the March 2008 general elections, which resulted in the opposition winning the majority of seats in parliament and the scheduling of a run-off presidential election, the security situation in the country has steadily eteriorated. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more wounded. Unfortunately, efforts by humanitarian agencies and their partners to provide relief have been hampered because of restricted access to communities, heightened tension and localized outbreaks of violence. Most recently, the government has accused aid agencies of using food aid and humanitarian assistance to sway votes in favor of the opposition in the run-up to the June 27th presidential election run-off.

We know you are concerned for the safety and well-being of your sponsored child, Tichaona, and his family. To date, there are no reports of any sponsored children being attacked. Plan USA will contact any sponsor whose sponsored child or family is directly affected by this volatile situation.

Plan Zimbabwe, like many other agencies in the country, continues to take a cautious and measured approach that puts the security and safety of the staff, children and their communities first. Under the present circumstances, all program activities in Zimbabwe have been temporarily suspended. Our offices will remain open, however, and non-essential staff will be requested to take leave while we continue to monitor the situation over the next two months. Given the recent history of elections in Zimbabwe, there will likely be a period of uncertainty after the June 27th voting date as the nation awaits the results. Our best estimate is that full program operations should resume by August 1, 2008.

Due to the situation in Zimbabwe, we will be unable to forward communications to sponsored children until further notice. If you have sent a letter or gift within the last month, it will be held at the Plan office in Zimbabwe and delivered as soon as the situation is safe. We will provide you with an update on the situation in August, or as soon as we are able to resume program activities.

We appreciate your support of Tichaona Musindo. Please know that your sponsorship contributions are still needed, as we have every intention of resuming programs as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact our Donor Relations Executives at 1-800-556-7918. Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time. Regular updates will also be posted on our website at www.planusa.org.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Sincerely, W. Ahuma Adodoadji
President/CEO

Please include Tichaona, his family, and his nation in your prayers.