The United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) has been affiliated with Global Ministries and its predecessor mission bodies since 1893 and continues today as a longstanding partner of Global Ministries of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  Today the UCCZ has 47 congregations with 30,000 members.

Mt. Selinda Hospital is located in the area of one of the first UCCZ congregations. It is a 175 bed hospital and, within its yard, there is a children's home named Chirinda Orphanage, also commonly called the Daisy Dube Children's Home. This is a UCCZ run institution which takes care of children living with extreme challenges, such as those who are abandoned and those without both parents, as well as other vulnerable children excaping from abusive homes. There are 50 children currently at the orphanage. The Global Ministries Child Sponsorship Program matches sponsors and children at the orphanage. For more information on how to sponsor a child, please contact the Global Ministries Child Sponsorship Program at http://globalministries.org/get-involved/child-sponsorship/ on the Global Ministries website, by email to lawrencl@ucc.org or by phone toll free at (866) 822-8224, extension 3222.

The hospital and the home at Mt. Selinda lack mattresses.  The existing mattresses have deteriorated and this has caused patients to sleep on the floor.  The hospital is situated in a place that receives rain in abundance and the weather conditions are most always moist as humidity is high around the area.  Mattresses will protect patients and children from humidity and cold. 

In order to provide quality health and child care services to the nation the UCCZ seeks support:

• To buy 90 mattresses for the hospital
• To buy 50 mattresses for the children's home
• To transport them from Harare to Mt. Selinda  (1000 Kilometers round trip)

There will be additional measures taken to lengthen the utility of the new mattresses:

1. The Hospital management committee will put internal control systems in place to make sure mattresses are not abused. 
2. Periodic stock count of the mattresses will be done in order to control theft. 
3. The inventory system where each mattress is marked for a particular ward or dormitory shall be enforced.
4. Damaged or stolen mattress will be replaced on time. 

BUDGET

Total                                 U.S.  $4,325 plus transportation costs

Read about Mt. Selinda's offering of special education in the travel reflections of a 2010 Global Ministries Summer Intern: http://globalministries.org/news/africa/special-ed-selinda-chikore.html