Today I want to feature some amazing young Hidden Heroes from the Sihlengeni High School Interact Club (high school Rotary Club) in Zimbabwe. This is a club Rotarians in Nanaimo have been encouraging for five years.

Everyone in Zimbabwe is struggling these days as inflation sky rockets as much as 17% a day! In spite of these challenges, the Sihlengeni Interact Club is working to raise funds to help students even more needy than they.

Rotary’s motto is “Service above Self”. These kids are the epitome of that motto.

In 2002 when I was first introduced to Sihlengeni, the students and teachers greeted the idea of starting an Interact Club with great enthusiasm. With a small Rotary donation, they set up a Tuck Shop selling pop and other treats as their first fundraiser.

When I was back in 2005, we were able to give the club a freezer and a machine to make freezits (popsicles). They’ve been going strong ever since.

Recently we got the club’s annual report. I think you will be as impressed as I am with these kids.

“We have achieved a lot as the Interact Club of Sihlengeni. We have paid school fees for pupils. In general we pay for 10 students a term and we purchase school uniforms for five students depending on the profits we get.

“We also donated mealie-meal to the poor in the community and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Last year we bought school shoes for two orphanage twins who started Form 1 and we bought school exercise books for ten form 1 and 2 pupils who are in need.

“We raised finances through different ways. We sold freezits we made ourselves and supplied the community vendors with freezits [These kids wholesale their product!] and we sold soft drinks, biscuits and sweets during sports days and during the week. We also hold a modelling show or contest each year and recently started selling exercise books at a cheap price for students.

“We also give ourselves time to go out into the community and help old people. We sweep their yards, cook and wash their clothes. This is the most exciting part as we get to know our grannies and grandpas and we learn a lot from them while helping them.

“Every day we feel valued and helpful as parents come to thank us for helping their children. This motivates us and we become committed to our work and to achieving the best results ever.

“As a way of enjoying ourselves, we hold end of term parties where we hire a radio and spend the whole day having fun after a term’s work.

“We believe we will make it and reach our goals. As our motto says, ‘We Are Number One.’”

Our local Interactors have connected with the Sihlengeni club and another one at Mzinyathini High School. I can’t wait so see what they are going to achieve as they start working together.