Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group honoured at Awards ceremony.

 

Pastor Elliott Gwaza (Chair) accepted the award for outstanding Community service on behalf of the Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group. The Rogers TV 20120 Immigrant Talk Show Awards were held on November 2 at a plush banquet hall in Toronto. The show is hosted by Vivien Mthenjwa on Rogers TV.

ZCSG to be honoured at the Immigrant Talk Show Awards 2012

In the picture - Kuthula Matshazi (left), guests and Vivien Mthenjwa (on the right)

Earlier this year, one of our Board members, Kuthula Matshazi, was a guest on the Immigrant Talk Show on Rogers TV, hosted by Vivian Mthenjwa . He eloquently discused the role of ethnic community organizations in integrating their members into the Canadian society.

 

His discussion and the Support Group's contribution to the community will be recognised at the 2012 Immigrant Talk Show Awards 2012 on Friday November 2nd at 6:00 pm at Paradise Banquet Hall, 7601 Jane St, Concord. It is described as a ceremony to celebrate the positive contribution of Immigrants, service providers and other outstanding contributors to the immigrant communities.

Tickets are only $40.00. Email transfer to the info@theimmigranttalkshow.com or cash.

 

For further details on the function please contact:

 

Dakarai 647-261-1968

Vivian 905-370-0095

MC Bonde 647-834-6903

 

Give Your Loved Ones A True Gift: Pre‐Plan Your Funeral or Cremation Arrangements Today

Speaking to spouse or family about your funeral or cremation arrangements can be a difficult conversation to have. However, we have found that those who don’t take the time to give consideration to their final arrangements end up causing far more difficulty for their loved ones when a death does occur. 

Grief, guilt, and confusion, are only some of the strong emotions and reactions we experience when a loved one dies. And imagine having to answer almost 200 questions that a funeral director needs to know at a time like that. Imagine never being able to answer with certainty two questions
which can plague one with guilt: “Is that what they would have wanted?” and “Did I do the right thing?” Imagine having to deal with the financial burden of paying in full for funeral or cremation arrangements. Many have to borrow or liquidate savings or investments. Surely this is not what we would want our loved ones to experience in the event of a death.

Fortunately, there is a better way. Taking the three simple steps today will save your loved ones from having to take three very difficult steps tomorrow.

1. Gather important documents and consolidate your information – Make sure that all of your information is in one place, easily accessible. This will avoid your loved one from having to search around to locate information that they may need both immediately and later on.
2. Discuss and plan your funeral or cremation arrangements – Ensure that your loved ones understand what your wished are, what kind of legacy you want to leave, and how you want to be remembered. This will provide tremendous peace of mind and protect your survivors from stress, uncertainty, and emotional overspending.
3. Support your arrangements financially – Protect yourself and your loved ones from inflation.

Traditionally, funeral arrangements have doubled in cost every ten years. When you pre‐plan, you lock in at today’s prices, never having to pay more as time goes on and avoiding the scenario where loved ones are faced with a large bill at the time of need. Flexible low monthly payments are insured so that, should your death occur while you are making payments, the remainder of the cost is covered.

The Rosar‐Morrison Funeral Home and Chapel, a proud member of Dignity Memorial, can provide a valuable tool to aid you in taking these steps. Our complimentary Personal Planning Guide has been a tremendous help to countless families, helping them obtain the comfort, economy, and peace of mind that comes with pre‐planning. Take the first step‐ call for your own free copy of our Guide today: 416‐924‐1408, and give your loved ones a gift that will last forever.

The Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group have a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Dignity Memorial which offers discounts and substantial other savings and advantages for your family in the event of bereavement. In order to enjoy these benefits in full, we recommend that you contact them and set up an appointment to make advance planning or funeral pre-planning part of your life plan. Please call them at 416-924-1408 to set up an appointment. 

ZCSG signs historic contract with Dignity Memorial to save money for the Zimbabwe Community in Canada for Bereavement

Following many months of intense negotiation and a joint community workshop, the Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group (ZCSG) and Dignity Memorial signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) .

 

This agreement will allow our members and their families, to access significant discounts in the event of bereavement. Current and future members will be able to access funeral services at a reduced price, helping to alleviate the costs for family, friends and the whole Zimbabwe community.

 

Here are the main features and savings for members in the agreement;

• 10% off the Dignity Memorial Funeral Home General Price List across Canada.
• 10% off the General Price List of any service corporation International (Canada) ULC owned cemetery across Canada where Dignity owns cemeteries.
• A free Personal Planning Guide upon request.
• A toll-free member service number available 24/7/365.
• Access to Bereavement Travel Services.
• Access to Dignity Memorial Guidance Series.
• Transferability of pre-arrangements between all network providers should the purchaser move more than 160 kms from where your original arrangements were made.
• 100% satisfaction Guarantee.
  

We are confident that these arrangements will help to alleviate the perennial problem of raising enough money when a member of our Zimbabwe community passes away. For instance, if a funeral for a member costs $10000 and we apply the 10% discount, we could potentially save the family, friends and community $1000 or more, based on their final selection and requirements for the funeral. Besides saving money, we will also have the dedicated support of a highly professional funeral service provider for burial in Canada or helping us to send our beloved back home to Zimbabwe.

Important Exceptions:

• The discount does not cover the costs of transportation for the deceased back to Zimbabwe, this cargo charge is charged by the airline and cannot be deducted or changed by the Funeral Home. 
• There are location specific restrictions on the cemetery discount as Dignity do not own cemeteries right across Canada. Dignity Memorial only owns cemeteries in British Columbia at the moment, and none in Ontario or other provinces.
  

Full details on funeral price lists, what is included, what you can choose to omit, and any other options are available from our Bereavement Fund at zimcasso@gmail.com or better still, contact Cherrie Liu directly at Dignity Memorial based at Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home, Sherbourne and Wellesley, at 416-924-1408. She also specialises in funeral advance planning, helping you to plan ahead and make your own final arrangements in advance, making things easy for your family, friends and the community whenever God calls you, which is inevitable.

Although we are working on reducing the burden of bereavement on our Zimbabwean community through these arrangements, we also strongly encourage members and friends to take personal responsibility for their lives and final arrangements by having the following items;

• Life Insurance Policy.
• Personal Will.
• Assign a family member, relative or trusted friend to have Power of Attorney to make decisions if anything happens to you, with knowledge of all your important affairs and contact details of relatives in Canada or Zimbabwe as applicable.
  

If you require further details at any time please contact our Bereavement Fund by sending an email to zimcasso@gmail.com with your name and telephone number or email and we will contact you within 24 hours.

We also have a comprehensive list of licensed and registered Zimbabwean insurance agents and lawyers to advise and assist you on life and death matters.

For information on how to join the Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group, please email us at zimcasso@gmail.com contact our Secretary, Xolisiwe Ndlovu, at 416-843-0984. The joining fee is $10 and the monthly membership fee is a mere $5 per month.

Our future is in our hands! Visit our Partners at www.dignitymemorial.com

Zimbabwe Community Family Day and Summer Barbeque 2012

Bring the whole family for a day of fun, laughter, games, raffle prizes and of course, lots of food and drink. Bring your own favorite food and drinks and enjoy great company. This is a great opportunity to meet new and old friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

Zimbabwe Community Personal Financial Planning and Bereavement Workshop

• Opening: Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group and Bereavement Fund 1 pm - 1:30 pm
• Planning your Funeral Arrangements in Advance: Neil Herie from Dignity Memorial       1:30 pm - 2:15 pm.
• Personal Life Insurance - Phenias Phiri (Primerica) and Richard Kuzviwanza (Sunlife) 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
• Wills and Estate Planning-Dumo Siziba LLB    2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
• Break 3:15 - 3:30 pm
• Buying your own home or condo: Mortgages and financing - Henry David - Royal LePage              3:30 pm  - 4:15 pm
• Personal Finance - Saving for Retirement and your Children's Education: RRSPs, RESPs, Disability Insurance and more. Phenias Phiri                     4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
• Closing remarks 4:50 - 5:00 pm
• Q & A sessions after each presentation, and one on one appointments can be set up with presenters after the workshops.
• Other Zimbabwean experts will be on hand to mingle and inform you of their services and products.

Community Support Group steadily achieving its 90-Day business plan

The community support group is steadily achieving its 90-day plan. With 30 days to go, the group has established the internal administrative structures, has applied for charitable status with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and initiated a mentorship program with the Kenyan Community in Ontario (KCO). It has developed a blog, conducted an online survey and has just completed holding a focus group session.

The members have validated the results of the online survey, which provides the executive committee with a clearer understanding of your needs and priorities so that we can concentrate on those specific issues, programs and services that matter to you. Zimbabwe Canadian Support Group Chair, Pastor Elliot Gaza reflected on the progress, “These are step by step processes that we are putting in place as we build our organization. Our progress is also helped by the tremendous amount of support that we are getting from the members”.

The next step after the focus groups will be a strategic planning session on the last weekend of March, which will entail defining a plan aimed at creating a desired future for our community support group. “We are close to finishing the business planning phase and are now moving into the implementation stage”, said Pastor Gwaza.

In the spring and summer, our support group will be inviting the Zimbabwe community to participate in many interesting and exciting workshops and events that will make a difference in our lives. Watch this space for more details.

URGENT: JUST RECEIVED

Summer Internship Program

The 2012 Summer Internship Program is currently seeking highly motivated, energetic and dedicated students, who wish to be involved in the political process and work in government.

Interested students who are looking to develop their skills in organization, communication, leadership and research, are welcome to submit a resume and cover letter to summer.internship@liberal.ola.org.

Interns will be placed in the Premier's Office, Ministers' Offices and the Liberal Caucus Service Bureau. Assignments may expose interns to the areas of communications, policy, research, special projects and data base. Interns will also participate in a variety of activities that will strengthen their leadership and team building skills.

The internship program runs from May 7th to August 24th at Queen's Park. All participants should be available for the entire length of the program.

The salary is $12.50 - $15.00 per hour based on a 35 hour work week.

The deadline to apply is February 3rd, 2012.

“Trumpet Call – Agriculture” Public Meeting

The Zimbabwean Community, Friends and Well wishers in Canada are invited to “Trumpet Call – Agriculture” Public Meeting:

Purpose of meeting:
To hear feedback and updates since the last meeting with Scott Marques in June 2011 and exchange ideas on how the Zimbabwean Diaspora and friends can participating in this simply and yet exiting vision to promote rural development in Zimbabwe.

Date: Saturday February 18, 2012
Time: 2:00PM to 4:00PM
Location: St. Hilda's Anglican Church located at 1258 Rebecca Street, Oakville, Ontario, L6L 1Z2.

Present: Scott Marques (Zimbabwe Chair for “The Trumpet Call – Agriculture”), Rev. Lindani Dube (General Secretary of the (Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe – EFZ. Trumpet Call – Agriculture Leadership)

For More Information, visit trumpetcallzimbabwe.org/ or facebook.com/lovezim; twitter.com/lovezim

Contacts:
Eddie Mushayandebvu emushayandebvu@gmail.com
Charles Dengedza 416-500-6349

One of our members has provided this vital information about job opportunities. NOTE that the deadline for one of the opportunities is JANUARY, 25 at 12 NOON!

Youth Employment and Internship Opportunities

The Youth and New Professionals Secretariat within the Ministry of Government Services co-ordinates several provincewide employment programs to attract a diverse array of new talent to the Ontario Public Service (OPS).

The 2012 launch dates for two of the programs; the Ontario Internship Program (OIP) and the Summer Employment Opportunities (SEO) for students have now been announced.
The OIP application period is now open. Until January 25th, at 12 noon, recent university and college graduates (within the past two years) can apply.
OIP introduces recent university and college graduates to the OPS, offering two-year, entry-level, paid internships in a variety of focus areas.
The government provides summer employment for students throughout the province. SEO positions will be posted February 17 and March 9, 2012. Updated information on summer student employment is now available on the website at www.ontario.ca/careers. Interested candidates may select Youth and New Professionals to learn more about the programs, how to apply for the OIP and SEO positions and to discover the broad range of career opportunities available in the OPS.
If you have questions about these or other youth employment initiatives, please visit the website or call Employment Ontario toll-free at 1-800-387-5656.

Important Survey to be sent to members soon!

The survey that we mentioned in our past messages is almost complete and will be sent to you shortly. It is the single most important activity that we have ever asked you to do until now because it will help us to better understand your needs and priorities so that we can concentrate on those specific issues, programs and services that matter to you. For the organization to be relevant to the members we have to know what is that we need to focus on.
We cannot overemphasize the importance of the survey because it will determine the nature of the organization going forward. Members are encouraged to treat the survey with the urgency it deserves so that we don’t fall behind in our planning efforts to design and implement strategically important programs for the community support group.

The Immigrant Talk Show begins screening on Rogers TV 63 & 10

Starting Monday January 9^th 2012 on ROGERS TV Channels 63 and 10 one of our Zimbabwean sisters, Dr. Vivian Mthenjwa-Hanya begins hosting her program The Immigrant Talk Show at times shown below.

The talk show explores the realities of immigration, settlement and integration. Among many other topics, the show seeks to explore an open forum for the immigrants and their receiving communities to discuss professional experiences with special reference to “getting into the system”. More importantly, the program not only discusses the challenges faced by immigrants, but captures their success stories in order to inspire others.

VIEWING TIMES

Mondays at 1pm	Tuesdays at 9:30am
Wednesdays at 9:30pm	Fridays at 7:30am, 3pm & 6:30pm
Saturdays at 10:30pm	Sundays at 6:30pm

If you want to be a guest or to advertise your business/Organization during the show or through the show’s website please E-mail them at: info@theimmigranttalkshow.com or call 905 370 0093. You can also contact the show’s Rogers TV Sponsorship Consultant: Carla.RoblinPryce@rci.rogers.com or call 905 780 7257. For more details visit www.theimmigranttalkshow.com

Below is information from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority for those of you who might be planning to travel to Zimbabwe soon. We thank one of our  commmunity support group members for bring this vital information to our attention!

PUBLIC NOTICE: CHANGES TO TRAVELLER’S REBATE: CLOTHING ITEMS NO LONGER COVERED BY THE TRAVELLER’S REBATE
Commissioner General Public Notice No. 22 of 2011

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) wishes to advise its valued clients that, following the announcement of the 2012 Budget Statement, changes have been made to the traveller’s rebate with regards to goods that qualify for duty free importation.
Following amendments made to the Customs and Excise (General) Regulations (Statutory Instrument 154 of 2001), the traveller’s rebate now provides for the duty free importation of travellers’ used personal effects, as well as other goods of a value for duty purposes not exceeding US$300,00.