Solusi University Farm

The Problem

Solusi University Main GateSolusi University is an Adventist college in Zimbabwe. I did a Week of Prayer there in 2006 and discovered a crisis beginning over inadequate food supplies for the students. Many students were skipping meals for lack of food. Since then the whole country has gone into an economic tailspin, and food is a constant challenge. The General Conference and North American Division have also poured resources in to provide food for the faculty, pastors in the Union, to keep everybody "alive".  Solusi was the only University in Zimbabwe that stayed open throughout the most recent crisis.

The Project

Our concern is to build up their 1000 acre farm so they can become self-sustaining. We have raised in donations and grants over $200,000 during the last 2 years, to purchase tractors and other equipment, and to buy seed, fertilizer, etc. So far, 50 acres have been planted. Our goal now is to get the more irrigation equipment, which is critical to adding acreage.  Our goal is to provide enough "inputs" during the next 6 months (April to September, 2009) so that the Farm can begin to produce enough food to become self-sustaining.  Because the economy is now entirely based on foreign currency (dollars, rand, pounds) our Farm can be paid in "real" money for our food!  It is a massive improvement over the last 2 years!

Contributions

We need $4500 a month to keep the farm operational (fuel, wages, fertilizer, weed killers, etc.).  We also need $4000 for each set of irrigation pipes.  We are two months short of achieving self-sustaining status in 6 months, so that is $9000.  We need 4 more sets of pipes to complete the immediatte needs of our farm that are languishing without regular water, so that is $16,000.  This price is amazing, about 75% off.  I just returned from speaking for their graduation, and had a chance to tour the Farm and negotiate the 6-month budget.  The Director of Finance Affairs, Mr. Titus Mondiwa, chairs the Farm Committee which runs the Farm, and has much experience in farming and finance administration. All contributions are tax deductible!  We route the money through Southeastern California Conference, you get a US receipt, we wire the money to the General Conference, and they transfer the money to the Zimbabwe Union account as needed, by authorization of consensus votes from the Solusi Farm Committee.

Donations can be given to:  Southeastern California Conference

Mail to:  Southeastern California Conference, Attn:  Pastor Dan Smith, P. O. Box 8050, Riverside, CA  92515, Memo:  Solusi Farm.

Details

For more information about Solusi University, see their website at: www.solusi.ac.zw, For more information about the Solusi Farm project, contact Pastor Dan at: dsmith@lsuchurch.org