Annual Africa Mission Drive Now Underway
The Bishop Guertin community once again has begun its annual fundraiser for our sister school, Sacred Heart High School in Rutenga, Zimbabwe.
It has been a long tradition of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to do service in Africa. Br. Don and Br. Larry have both served many years in Zambia. As a school, we continue this tradition by being in solidarity with the Brothers’ school in Rutenga, Zimbabwe.
In 2001, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart chose to open a school in Rutenga, located at Rutenga Growth Point (a small village town), to cater to the neglected children of resettled farmers who had no source of education. The next closest school then, was 50 kilometers away. Since opening, the school has grown exponentially in the number of students who attend. This growth is due, in part, to the school food program being offered (this may be the only meal for some of these students) and the successful test results that help students move on to higher levels of education. In 2016, there were less than 70 students, while today there are 553 students enrolled. Only one-third of these students can pay for some portion of their tuition.
All of the money raised through our Africa Mission Drive goes directly to Sacred Heart High School to help them pay for the operation of the school, including items such as books, uniforms, food, tests and electricity. The money raised from the last two years (almost $55,000) went into the construction of two science buildings.
Thanks to the generous donations from Bishop Guertin over the years, Sacred Heart has been able to feed the needy and offer hope through education as a way out of poverty.
Please join us in prayer and support!