Owing to the severe drought last season Ingwenya Mission has been suffering from a shortage of water. The water level seems to have dropped, and it was a great concern to the staff as to whether they would have sufficient water available for the reopening of the Boarding School in September. However, the situation was relieved by the reopening of old wells. The first well to be reopened was never a success. It constantly went dry just before the seasonal rains came. The workmen attached an engine to it but David Ndlovu said it must be used only in an emergency. The old well near the Jigijane River outside the Mission was the next to be opened up. There were discussions with the Water Development Board as to the feasibility of drawing water from the Ngwenya River Dam which is over a mile from the Mission but this would entail the setting up of a Water Purification Plant. “Just five days before school opened,” Miss Macaulay writes, “we were trying to find a solution to our problem as there was very little water left, when David Ndlovu sent a man to clean the well veins and since school opened, we should be thankful, there has been no problem. Sadly, since that time David has been ill and has been in hospital.” “Another major concern has been that two Mission Mail bags were stolen from the Post Office. They contained sixteen postal orders and some important official letters. Despite those anxieties we are now back to normal and preparing for the Final exams.”
Miss Macaulay wishes to record the school staff’s gratitude to two families of English friends, to the Mohan family from Eaglescliffe, Cleveland, for sending both Primary and Secondary story books, and Reference books also, and to Mr and Mrs Gudgeon who visited the Mission earlier in the year and have contributed towards the work. The Staff wishes to thank those friends most sincerely. The Blind Student Department at the John Tallach School also benefited recently by the addition of two Tape Recorders and a Battery Recharger sent from friends in Scotland. Miss Macaulay writes, “If our blind pupils do well enough to advance to A Level studies, we donate a recorder to them to help them, as some of the other schools are short of equipment for disabled students. One of our former blind pupils, Pritchard, is doing well at University. Several of the blind students have done well at A Level Standard. Again we wish to thank the kind donors on behalf of our handicapped pupils.”
They were looking forward to the end of September Communion at Ingwenya. In mid October Miss Marion Graham returns to Zimbabwe if all is well, and Miss Katie Macaulay will leave for home almost immediately. Miss Jessie Coote expects to leave for Kenya about the end of October to spend some time with our missionaries there. Dr Christine has recovered from her attack of malaria, but she would require a change of location to ensure a complete recovery. All are delighted at Ingwenya to have Miss Norma MacLean with them. After some delay she secured her Work Permit, and has adapted to the work in school as if she had been there for years. They are short of two teachers; one young teacher met with an accident and will be off school for a month, and a young male teacher has gone for further studies. So Miss MacLean’s assistance is especially welcome. “The Lord of us has mindful been and He will bless us still.” — J.N.