Some downloads for our long winter/summer evenings?

Okay, time to throw my plea out there. Harare, though a nice place to live, isn't the liveliest place in the world. Culturally speaking, we get the occasional amator theater and the cinema that shows three movies every two months (or so it seems), but that is about it. So we survive and suffer in silence, but our hardship is greatly softened by a supply of movies and series on disk drives... Unfortunately, this supply is starting to run low, so here it is, my request to all of you out there reading this blog...

If you can find any of the following (obtained in a completely legal manner, of course;-)

• any movies that are worthwhile, though we already have a lot, but mostly dating from before April 2008, specific requests are below;
• The Wire (a series, haven't watched anything, but heard it was absolutely fabulous, so any episode as from season 1);
• The 4400: season 1 only, as we have season 2;
  
• Smallville: haven't got many, so any season is appreciated...
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: from season 2 onwards;
• Babylon 5, everything;
• Stargate Atlantis,
• West Wing: everything
• Grey's Anatomy: everything
• The Sopranos: everything
• Tarzan: the series (2003): everything
• Coupling
• Black books
• the it crowd
• the green wing
• spooks
• 15 stories
• True blood
• Mad men
• OZ (Australian)
• Help (British comedy)
  
• Mitchell and Webb look/situation
• Peep Show
• Specific movies: Cabaret (with Liza Minelli), the 3 Matrix, Star Trek (excepting n°6 - Nemesis and the latest one), Terminator 1 and 2, the Alien movies, 'Leeches!', SAW V, and of course, Brüno.
• Belgian movies: Manneken Pis, de Zaak Alzheimer, Aanrijding in Moskou, Ad fundum, Any way the wind blows.

I know, it is a lot. Just see what you or friends already have and can get to us. Just know that we prefer to have all of one series, rather than a couple of episodes of each,...

How to get it to us:

1. We have occasional visitors, so just drop us a line (I promise I will keep this blog updated and erase any that we have received)
2. For the really motivated amongst you, by snail mail:

Bruno Deceukelier - Volens Africa - Room G.01 and G.02, the Agriculture House- 1, Adylinn Road - Marlborough - PO Box WGT 390 - Harare, Zimbabwe

Chiedza Child Care Centre

One of our partners, the Chiedza Child Care Centre who work in the south of Harare, Waterfalls, Sunnydale and Mbare, had a video guy come in to train 10 chidlren how to use a camera and film. They made this little presentation video, interviewing teachers, staff members, counsellors, the clinic, the director etc.

Doop Loïc

Deze zondag was het de GROTE dag voor de KLEINE Loïc.

Mijn petekind ging zijn eerste zwemles krijgen in een heilig doopvatje. Loïc, 2,5 maand oud en in topvorm, werd in Gent gedoopt, met heel de familie Vandewalle en papi Deceukelier en oma Kerkhove.

Lieve, de schoonzus van moeder Domie, had de eer als meter te dienen, en ik als broer van vader Bart was verkozen als peter.

Brüno: the movie

Okay, so the first day I got into Belgium, I must admit I was flattered by all the billboards. Great was my disappointment when I noticed that this had more to do with the movie Brüno. But since my first day also coincided with the premiere of Brüno, we all decided to check it out in Gent.

Thomas and me had enjoyed Borat, but though I laughed alot, Thomas didn't like it at all. I must admit Brüno was very similar and thusnot so new. Am amazed by all the hype about it though, which I suppose is exactly what Baron Sacha Cohen wished for.

Drama as a counselling tool: Theatre of the Oppressed

Volens is also promoting existing tools that, through creative arts, can allow for children to open up and raise certain issues. One of these is done through a close friend of ours, Chiyedza (Shona name which means, as she poetically puts it:'the light that melts away the shadows', or in other words, the dawn), who is currently living with us as well. She used theatre with the kids from some of our partner organisations, of which hereby some pictures: