from the rural home, at least 20 km, so the wounds received no medical care after discharge and were in a very bad state by mid June. At Killarney in Bulawayo the authors located the husband and wife. They are brewing beer to make a living. The wife visits a butchery in town and cleans the sanitary lane, in exchange for condemned meat off cuts. Back in Killarney she sells these to the rest of the community, either fresh or dried. They are basically doing any kind of piecework to survive. They seem to intend to commute from Killarney to their rural home, but are clearly establishing a substantial shack in Killarney. They have a licence of ownership on their homestead in the rural areas, which they paid Z$ 400 (thousand) for. Our perception is that they are investing most in being back in Killarney, but will keep one foot in the rural areas for a while at least. Summary: These two related family units have fared poorly over the last year. They appear to have disintegrated, with one parent and one child having died, and only one of the children still attending school. Three of the children appear to have been left to fend for themselves as the parents have returned to Bulawayo in search of income and food. Concern must be expressed about the young girl who is certainly under the age of sixteen and who is referred to now as “married” and back in Bulawayo. Both rural homesteads have degenerated during the last six months; the single huts give off a clear air of neglect. No time or interest has been invested in these rural homes. It is apparent that these families do not intend to build a long-term future for themselves in rural Zimbabwe, and have taken themselves back to the urban context. It is also apparent that both families are dealing with multiple crises of poverty, family disintegration and poor health. Now that the churches are no longer paying school fees, they are receiving no help from anyone. Situation four: Bulawayo urban: 15 year old girl originally from three roomed house: displaced when landlord’s relatives displaced. This girl had the terrible experience of being raped as a result of being stranded in a bus station without money to get home to her rural area, after she was displaced as an unaccompanied minor from her backyard shelter by the demolitions. She was kept for three days in a police station after reporting the rape, because the police did not know where to send her. She was then given the bus fare to go home by the churches. Update: one year later, July 2006 When asked in July 2006, the police reported that they did not ever apprehend the rapist although his identity was known. They have done nothing to pursue the case. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the girl: she is assumed to be still in her rural home of Nkayi. 59