Is there such a thing as a contagious dream? Patricia Ngwenya-Gumbo thinks so.
December 2014, Patricia stood in front of a few hundred women at the North Pointe Women’s Christmas Event and shared her dream. She was nervous. And hopeful.
A Contagious Dream
Growing up in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she saw more than her share of broken women. Women who weren’t given the opportunity to grow, learn, and to find healthy ways to support themselves. Patricia was fortunate to be supported as a World Vision child by a family in Canada. God favored her when she immigrated to Canada, married, moved to Edmonton, and found employment with the Edmonton Transit Service.
Patrica wanted to give back. Her dream was to build a vocational school in Zimbabwe to give women the tools to create life-changing opportunities.
Her dream turned out to be contagious. A group of women in Edmonton were inspired to form a committee and created a foundation – The Vineyard of Mercy and Virtues Foundation.
Favor
Patricia returned to Bulawayo in May 2015 to search for a suitable site. Over a year after conferring with officials a message from the city of Bulawayo arrived – they found land for her project.
Fundraising began. Bake sales, garage sales, dinners, money out of their own pockets – all working together to purchase this land.
The next step is underway. Architect’s Without Borders have taken the project on and designed the plans for phases 1, 2 and 3. All for free.
Mercy and Virtue
“Mercy empowers individuals to live more authentic meaningful lives, families to raise children of compassion and integrity, educators to create safe, caring, and high performing learning communities, and leaders to encourage excellence. We will inspire and mobilize students to commit acts of service and generosity, and heal wounds of violence. We will focus on women’s rights, sexual education, self-respect and respect for others. Information on prevention of HIV/AIDS, sexual abuses and violence will also be taught.”
When a Dream Becomes Reality
In October 2018, Patricia and Pastor Charity Mongrain travelled to Bulawayo. They purchased the land, held a ground breaking ceremony, and rallied a team of Zimbabweans to help with the project.
Our prayer is that this dream continues to be contagious until it is no longer a dream but a reality.
Have you caught the vision?
Read more of Patricia’s story here.
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Patricia you are an inspiration. God bless you in all that you are doing to make the lives of the women from Zimbabwe better equipped to rise above all that has held them back. You are truly a godly woman.