"Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

This verse from Matthew 25 verse 40 was just one of the wonderful murals which decorated the walls throughout Zimpeto Children's Centre. This was in the prayer hut, a smaller meeting place for use mostly by staff, visitors and Bible College students. Shortly before Adam and I left, there was a morning meeting when those leaving in the next few days were presented with a colourful capulana (wrap around skirt, shawl, baby-carrier, towel, shopping bag, etc....) this was wrapped around our shoulders as lots of people came forward to pray for us. It was a very moving and beautiful way for them to express their thanks to us for being with them at Zimpeto.

Church for the children is also the dining room, the wooden benches being used for both; facing one way is church and facing the other is food, and everyone has to comply with the rules! Their food is bread for breakfast, and rice with a sauce topping for the other two meals. There was very little meat, but beans or vegetables were often served. Visitors are encouraged to eat with the children, who never use cutlery and eat enormous plates of rice. Many visitors buy extra food to supplement their diets, and I found I only wanted one rice meal a day.

Out of 350 children at the centre, there are less than 50 girls. Boys are far more likely to be abandoned on the streets, as girls are still considered useful around the home. At Zimpeto they all live together in one house, except for the babies, of course. We observed that there is little mixing of the sexes, at mealtimes, at play and in church. The girls probably feel overwhelmed by the mass of boys with their accompanying loudness and boistrousness. Nevertheless, the girls enjoyed dancing and really threw themselves into it - before the boys arrived!