The Spirit of Zimbabwe exhibition would never have been conceived without the work and support of Johnston Simpson. An Elder at Walton on Thames URC, Johnston was on holiday in Zimbabwe in 1999 and visited Silveira House, a Catholic development centre working against poverty by providing training in practical skills. He started to help in a private capacity, shipping practical items over to them. And, as a return gift, he was sent a springstone sculpture called "Inner Peace".
By this time, a co-operative of sculptors was working in the grounds of Silveira House, where they remain. Mugabe's government had made 700,000 people homeless and the economy was in a state of collapse. As a part of this, the lack of tourists had removed the ability of the sculptors to sell their works. Johnston brought over a few pieces, then more, and eventually arranged for a crate of them to be imported. Others have followed, with various churches receiving the works and putting them on sale.
The extended family system means that approximately 200 people in Zimbabwe are benefiting from the sale of these sculptures in the UK. It may be a drop in an ocean of need, but it is a vital lifeline for this community in Harare. The outbreak of cholera in late 2008 was another blow to the group; some have died, others have lost family members. But by the start of this year some £40,000 had been raised and sent back to Zimbabwe and the total must now be far higher. And, through Silveira House, John can make sure that every penny finds its way back to the artists who create these works.
When things are as desperate as they have been in Zimbabwe, can one person make a difference? Johnston Simpson's example gives an emphatic "yes" to that question!
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