About Deb Norton
Hi – my name is Deb Norton – wife of Alan and mother of four.
Cross Over was really born out of my combined experiences of developing children’s programmes in poor communities for my church and of home-schooling our own four children over a period of 11 years. It has been supported and influenced throughout by the compassionate and committed heart of my friend, Cath Oldreive, who has spent many years serving vulnerable children in various capacities.
My experience with children in poor communities began with my work as a district pharmacist in the Ministry of Health where I found myself increasingly drawn to preventative practice in the public health arena rather than curative intervention. Later I moved with my husband to live for 7 years in a communal land in Zimbabwe whilst he worked on an agricultural development project. This experience further reinforced the sense that preventing problems in vulnerable communities was far more important than trying to fix them afterwards. It also opened our eyes to the fact that community development is a complex matter where the needs of individuals must be considered holistically and where individuals can never be separated from their families and communities.
About Cross Over
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Cross Over aims to help vulnerable children in Zimbabwe to live and work towards a hopeful future by providing a holistic quality education within a strong nurturing environment.
The immediate aim for our students is to restore their self-confidence, establish sound academic foundations and then to help them either re-enter the formal schooling system or into an internship with a local business. Our long-term goal is to develop our students to become reliable and productive members of their families, communities and workplaces.
Phone: +263 712701901
