Zimbabwe Project
Vision: To provide high quality health care to children from birth to 18 years in the Sub-Saharan African region. This is in recognition of the significant scarcity of Health Care facilities which caters specifically for children in this region. Maintaining, and enhancing of existing systems while not compromising on
quality of care in the Health sector.
Population Demographics
UNICEF data for children under 18:
496M
Sub-Saharn Africa
8M
Zimbabwe
660M
Projected growth by 2030
Our Story
For several years now I have thought about the plight of the children of Africa, and especially of Southern Africa, when I came 46 years ago. As I have reflected many times on where I started and where I am today, I have found myself drawn to the thought that perhaps the time has come to complete the circle by going back to my origins carrying with me what God has invested in me over these many years.
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My journey started in a clinic in the township of Highfield, in Harare in 1950. As an infant I grew up in the care of my grandmother in rural Mutare where I developed Kwashiorkor. I was rescued by my mother and given to the care of a lady who with great patience and commitment used traditional methods to restore me to health. I was told about this in later childhood and had the opportunity many times to visit and thank the woman who had cared for me and rescued me from certain death. That memory has never left me. I came face to face with
malnutrition several times in my early medical career but there is one particular child whose plight is seared into my memory.
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In late 1977 she came into the Pediatric Ward where I was the
doctor in charge. To this day the memory of this little girl reminds me that this too could have been my end. She was so severely malnourished, jaundiced and gasping as we desperately tried to resuscitate her. As she took her last breath, I was heartbroken. I was simultaneously angry at the world for depriving this child of food and water, angry at the brokenness that would allow such situations to occur, angry even at the poor parents who had taken so long to bring her to Hospital, and deeply saddened by our failure to resuscitate her.
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I realized then that I would either be a participant in this tragic
situation, or I could be part of the solution. Over the years I have been repeatedly reminded of that little girl. I am convicted that this led me to pursue a career in Pediatrics. I think that now I must go back to where it all started carrying with me the wonderful things that God has deposited in my life so that I can touch the lives of children in Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa. I hope to start something that by God’s grace may continue into the future.
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I had the amazing privilege of training and working at The Hospital for Sick Children here in Toronto, the pinnacle of my dreams even when I was still training in Zimbabwe. The story of how Sick Kids began in 1874 is itself a marvellous story of God’s desire for the well-being of His children. This has also inspired me to believe that it is possible to dream and bring forth a good thing when God puts it in your heart.​ My wife and I have had the privilege of going to various countries in Africa under the auspices of the Herbie Fund at Sick Kids. Through this we have brought several children to Toronto, who after cardiac surgery at Sick Kids have gone back to their families healthy and ready for new lives. Sadly we have lost some children because they were too ill and also because of the constraints placed on our Health Care system by the Covid pandemic during which time the program was halted.
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We have established connections therefore with some Pediatricians in Zimbabwe, and it seems the right time to capitalize on this by initiating a Pediatric facility there. With the help of you my friends I trust together we will craft something for the love of the Children of Africa, who live in places with some of the poorest health facilities on our planet. We can make a dent in this, we can be part of changing the status quo.
I am asking you to partner with us in prayer firstly, in counsel, and in sharing whatever resources of knowledge, expertise, experience and leverage and connections that you have to
get this enterprise off the ground.