Abigail, Mutasa, eastern Zimbabwe

Before our car even stops, Abigail is rushing out to greet us on the dusty track. Just behind her is one of her hairdressing customers with an orange comb sticking out from the side of her head. We've literally caught her in the middle of a job - but she's not in the slightest bit annoyed to see us.

Lasting family ties to Plan

Abigail has a long relationship with Plan: her sister was a sponsor child while she was growing up and now, as a single parent, one of her two children is a sponsor child too. 

I've arrived in this rural area of Mutasa, eastern Zimbabwe, with Plan Programme Unit Manager Stanley Dawa and his team to see how they're getting on. Severe drought struck the area in October and Plan, in partnership with the World Food Programme, has been distributing food aid to 38,000 households, including Abigail's. 

She beckons us into her kitchen, a traditional, round African hut, which stands alone from the rest of the house. A fire is smouldering on the floor and thick curls of smoke fill the air. She immediately breaks the bad news: we've just missed her 17-year-old son, Brains, who has left for school. Now that's a name, I think to myself. Is he a star pupil? "He's average," she says modestly.

News travels slowly

It turns out Brains is studying 8 O-levels and is particularly keen on geography. So where are his sponsors from? "Japan," she replies. "They write to each other about climate and culture."

I look at Stanley. Abigail hasn't heard about the earthquake or seen the jaw-dropping images of devastation that hit the news channels as soon as the tsunami struck. Here, where there's no electricity or running water, news is delivered on foot and by mouth. Today the job is ours. 

As the news sinks in, Abigail says how sorry she is. Alas, we have no information on how Brain's sponsors have been affected but promise to investigate and let her know as soon as we can.

Abigail says life can be hard for her with the daily job of travelling 2km each day to fetch 20 litres of water from the nearest borehole, working in the garden and preparing food for her family, but other days are "ok". 

I ask her about her plans for the future. She looks at her customer, a neighbour who is still waiting patiently for her hair to be plaited. "If I have enough money, I will work in a salon somewhere," she says with a smile.

Read about Plan's work in Zimbabwe