Ten residents from Grey and Bruce Counties leave today for Zimbabwe.
They are part of a group of 11 people on a trip called “Zimbabwe 2008” where they will visit the Village of Hope and help orphaned children.
Barry Mutrie of Chesley is on the trip for the second straight year.
Mutrie is excited about seeing the progress his friends have made since they visited last year.
The group of residents will help build and decorate new homes and expand the school for the orphaned children in the community of Harare.
There are 1.5 million orphans in Zimbabwe — many left orphaned after HIV / AIDS killed their parents.
Mutrie says their needs are so extreme compared to our needs — for example, Mutrie says they need clean water, new homes and a good school.
Mutrie says they will also deliver re-conditioned laptops to teach the teachers how to use them to educate the children.
He notes they have received a number of donated items from the community — like bedding, clothing and work boots — and they will deliver them to the local residents.
Mutrie says they have also collected 60 thousand dollars to leave in Zimbabwe.
Mutrie says the community support in Bruce and Grey Counties has been terrific and he hopes it will continue to make this an annual pilgrimage.
