UK based trust looking toward successfully assisting disadvantaged people in Zimbabwe

Written by Lewis Jones, ZDDT Field Correspondent Tuesday, 01 November 2011 14:29

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe – An esteemed Board Member of the A to Z Trust, a Charity based in Aberdeen, Scotland, paid a recent visit to Bulawayo. Dr. Ian Oliver was here on behalf of the City of Aberdeen, to assess the viability status of communal nutritional gardens in the City. The results of this study will determine the possibility of rendering assistance to these projects.

>> See our recent pictures and article featuring Ian Oliver touring some of Bulawayo's nutritional gardens

Ian Oliver, QPM, is a former police officer, author, speaker and international consultant for the United Nations. He served as Chief Constable of Scotland's Central and Grampian Police. Since leaving the police force, he has worked as a consultant and speaker on the issues of drugs, terrorism and trafficking. He is a published author, a board member of the International Scientific & Medical Advisory Forum on Drug Abuse, an appointed life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and an elected Member of the Institute of Global Drug Policy.

Oliver is the father of Craig Oliver, the current special adviser to David Cameron’s Government.

ZDDT’s Field Correspondent, Lewis Jones, (LJ) took the opportunity, during Dr. Oliver’s (IO) visit, to conduct an interview, with the aim of discovering more about this remarkable man and the Trust he supports.

Below may be seen excerpts of the one on one discussion that ensued.

LJ As established earlier on, you are a Trustee with the A to Z Trust. What are the organisation’s objectives and how best can the work it conducts among Zimbabwean communities be defined?

IO This organisation, appropriately named the Aid to Zimbabwe Trust, is registered in Scotland. Its objective is to give broad based assistance to communities in Zimbabwe. The Organisation’s prime focus, in this regard, is in the areas of education and skills.

LJ Where do your organisation’s origins lie?

IO The twinning of the Cities of Bulawayo and Aberdeen had a lot to do with it. This arrangement gave various interested stakeholders an opportunity to assess areas in which they could be of assistance to local communities throughout the Country. My wife lived in Bulawayo for some time recently and that too has a bearing on our decision to embark on this Project.

LJ What sort of programmes has your oganisation been carrying out in Zimbabwe?

IO With proceeds from the fund raising efforts conducted by my wife, we have bought sewing machines and donated these to women’s income generating projects. In this way too, the Organisation has tried to include assistance to widows. Recently, a donation, consisting of sixty boxes of clothing, toys, books and educational equipment, was made to the needy. We have also assisted deprived children, particularly orphans, with school fees and uniforms. (Incidentally, Elsie Oliver, the wife of Dr. Oliver, lately, gave a generous donation to the Bulawayo Mayor’s Christmas Cheer fund.) (Words in italics are the An esteemed Board Member of the A to Z Trust, a Charity based in author’s contribution.)

LJ What are the main challenges that A to Z Trust are faced with in their charitable work?

IO Well, it’s largely the availability of funding and of course, perceptions that some people seeking assistance seem to have. Because of adverse economic factors prevailing abroad, people there are now careful about how they spend their money. This, therefore, means that less is being channeled to charity. On the other hand, you have a situation in which, the moment that you mention you are a charity, some people will have unreasonable expectations by seeing your organisation as a panacea to solving their problems. To me, such expectations are similar to visualising a large amount of water in an ocean when, in reality, what exists is actually a drop in a bucket.

LJ How did you come to establish your relationship with ZDDT?

IO I met Simon Spooner, (ZDDT’s National Development Officer), two years ago, at which time he explained the work that his organisation was doing among local communities. He also seemed keen on re-establishing the links previously forged between the Cities of Aberdeen and Bulawayo through a twinning arrangement some years ago, but which have somehow lapsed due to unfavourable local factors. ZDDT has been helpful with the availability of necessary equipment whenever my wife Elsie and I have visited. They have also provided us with a wealth of valuable encouragement. In addition ZDDT has played
an essential role in linking our Trust to the needy. (ZDDT has trained local Councillors and their Community Action Teams (CATs), in a process called Community Mapping. In this way, the local leadership is able to identify needy individuals, groups or institutions in their neighbourhoods and have these linked via the local Organisation, to potential benefactors.) With regard to lapsed relations, pertaining to the twinning arrangement, there are bound to be disappointments on both sides. We can only hope to create a greater awareness of the crisis in Zimbabwe, though in the end, getting the assistance needed translates to availability of funds.

LJ What is your vision for the future, in terms of your work?

IO In simple terms; success! However, we would like to be sure of more effective training for communities, in self-sufficiency, so that they may maintain their own dignity and self-worth.