Students Alliance for Zimbabwe (STAZ) Unrecognized

The Students' Alliance for Zimbabwe (STAZ) seeks to create a platform for students in the fight for good governance, human rights and empowerment of the repressed voices in Zimbabwe. To this end we will:

-Through talks, workshops, receptions, pamphlets, media etc, bring to the Hampshire community's attention, the plight of fellow humans in Zimbabwe

-Create a support community for Zimbabweans.

Recent News...

02/26/09: THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING ZIMBAGS

Dear STAZ, and friends of STAZ

Thank you to those who came to the Zimbags opening at the Cultural Center. We had a great dinner and discussion on the political history and present of Zimbabwe. I was particularly excited to see five-college students and professors came to support STAZ and Zimbags. As a result of the dinner, a representative of the Mount Holyoke African and Carribean Students Union (MHACASA) invited us to present to a panel on a possible grant for Zimbags, which will go a long way to helping expand Zimbags in other parts of Zimbabwe. The opening, and subsequent contacts helped raise over $300 through sales of Zimbags products.

We look forward to seeing more successful STAZ events in the future, and you are all welcome to bring any ideas to the meetings. Here are some reminders, We have a meeting tonight (Thursday) at 8:30pm in the Merrill Living Room. We will be discussing the cholera crisis that has hit Zimbabwe in the last few months, claiming 3800 lives. The WHO reports that another 80,000 are infected.

The goal of tonight's meeting is to brainstorm about what we can do as students. Remember:

"While not everything faced can be changed, nothing can be changed until it is faced."_James Baldwin

Thank you,

Lelo, Jessica, Lorraine

01/31/2009: EVENT: STAZ brings Zimbags to Hampshire 

Date: Thursday February 12th, 2009

Venue: Kahlo Gallery, Cultural Center, Hampshire College

Time: 6pm

Information: Zimbabwean food will be served, Listen to Five College Zimbabwe students share their experiences, and Learn about Zimbags, a non-profit organization working to engage people around the world with the rich culture of Zimbabwe while improving life for women in Zimbabwe. All are Welcome!!!

07/30/2008: Announcing Zimbags

http://www.zimbags.org

Students Alliance for Zimbabwe is joining efforts with a Washington state-based NGO - ZIMBAGS, a non-profit organization working to engage people around the world with the rich culture of Zimbabwe while improving life for women in Zimbabwe and helping our environment.

We are empowering women in Zimbabwe to rise above poverty and you can help.

Support women in Zimbabwe by purchasing one of their hand-crafted bags and help the environment, too!

Purchase your Zimbag today and bag poverty at http://www.zimbags.org

05/17/2008: Students Alliance for Zimbabwe raises funds for Bulawayo orphanage

By Lelo Nxumalo,

In the fall of 2008, STAZ raised funds for school supplies needed at Queen Elizabeth Adventist Children's Home in Bulawayo.

With the generosity of Hampshire students, staff and faculty, STAZ bought materials and, members created 40 kits to send to Zimbabwe. The kits contained general school supplies such as notebook paper, pens, pencils, markers, rulers, protractors, calculators, crayons, children's scissors, glue sticks, water color paint and brushes, clipboards, erasers, maps, chart/graph paper and pocket dictionaries, along with basic personal hygiene items - washcloths, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush. The students also decorated the boxes and wrote messages of encouragement on them. The estimated cost per box is approximately $15, so with 40 the total value of the project was at least $600. Shipping costs amounted to $250.

The Students Alliance for Zimbabwe is a member of the Committee for the Economic Development of Zimbabwe.

http://www.cedzimbabwe.org