In Zimbabwe many of our friends observe Memorial Day of their loved ones by holding family gatherings, visiting the cemeteries where their loved ones were laid to rest and holding prayers….. just like we do ….

At Tariro we hold our Memorial Day every first Saturday of September. This is in memory of all our parents, known for some and unknown for others. The day is preceded by a weekend away to our usual prayer mountain where we spend time in meditation and prayer seeking a guiding principle for the next 12 months….. and I have briefed you in the previous article about our annual theme –STANDING OUT –IN STEP WITH GOD OUT OF STEP WITH THE WORLD

This year’s memorial was a mixture. It was remarkable as we were honored by the presence of the Chairperson and Secretary of TARIRO HOPE FOR YOUTH -UK Elizabeth and Adam Wilson all the way from the United Kingdom. Please allow me to say this that we are humbled and appreciative of all that they have done and continue doing on our behalf in fundraising and bringing awareness of our very existence to people in the UK. We are so grateful for their endless support. Below are the photos we took with them…

Through our memorial day, we aim at enhancing self-confidence healing, acceptance, moving on and finding joy in our lives again by celebrating our accomplishments and achievements and also taking full responsibility for our own healing. This allows us to express our sentiments as there were bouts of tears during the ceremony which was celebrated by Father Nicolas Stebbing. In fact, we were actually updating our beloved parents about all the wonderful and immeasurable things happening in our lives. The happy message we give our departed parents is that henceforth they shouldn’t worry about us anymore!!!!!

Our memorial day ended on a good note when our elder brothers and sisters took us through a photo presentation of what they looked like BEFORE and AFTER joining Tariro. We all had a good laugh and took in their message … that it is possible to come out of the pit with God on our side, love, and determination

Thandie.