"I love the people, their communities and their passion. I felt my heart land where it belonged."
Jackie spent just 10 minutes with the director of the Sandra Jones Centre and the experience tugged at her heart strings.
"I knew this was where I wanted to be," she told the Dannevirke News.
"At the Sandra Jones Centre children find more than just a place to stay. The centre looks after the health, welfare and training of those in their care. They help them to develop social skills, to build self-esteem and they equip them with the skills necessary to do well once they leave the home.
"Their aim is to create socially responsible, spiritually balanced, active and confident young adults who are able to positively contribute to society.
"When I came back to Nelson to work in June 2015, I knew Zimbabwe was where I wanted to be. I knew I could help the girls at the centre. They were on a similar journey to me.
"In my teenage years I also walked a hard journey in this area so being able to relate to these girls helped me open doors with them to release their pain. I was very fortunate in having John and Debbie Lamason here in Dannevirke help put me on the right path in life."
The Nelson City Council gave Jackie a year off so she could return to Zimbabwe.
"I knew Zimbabwe was where I was meant to be and as everything fell into place, I flew out on February last year."
In 14 years the Sandra Jones Centre has had 1200 girls through it.
"I saw another side to life when I arrived in Zimbabwe," Jackie said.
"There are a lot of people desperate to get out of their own country. But all I could do was pray and help them by discussing how to make a difference in their own land.
"More than 90 per cent of the population are unemployed and even $50 billion Zimbabwean couldn't buy a loaf of bread.
"It was a massive journey for me, listening to their powerful stories. When you have nothing what do you have left?"
But the people of Zimbabwe have tender hearts, Jackie said.
"Although I'm a New Zealander, I still see Zimbabwe as my home and those children at the centre as my family. One day I took 12 of the older girls for a walk to the local supermarket.
"Arriving at the stall to buy my girls 12 lollipops the lady looked at me and asked 'is this your family?' I kind of stood there for one very long second before it burst out of me, 'yes, this is my family, I am their Aunty Jackie'. I will never forget that moment of realising how much they meant to me.
"Through the centre they recover so much. There's healing and food in their bellies and they're looked after and helped to find out who they are deep inside."
Although Jackie has loved working at the centre, it hasn't been easy and often heartbreaking.
"Many of our girls came to us pregnant out of a cruel experience and when you see a young girl who can't get close, is petrified and won't take hugs, it can be wonderful to see the breakthrough, see them get close, talk and pray," she said.
"I've shared my own story and tell them if I can come out of it, they can too. Of course, there are always going to be scars because some of the things these girls have been through are unbelievable. When you see a young girl who went for a job interview, but was forced into prostitution ...
"So to hold her and love her and see her soften up was amazing. They're just beautiful girls.
"I believe the power of the testimony is huge and finding someone who understands you is the breaker, completely. I could listen and hear their hurt and having the time to listen, no matter the time of day or night, is one of the most powerful things in the world. With listening comes understanding."
While at the centre Jackie wanted to raise money to replace the old clapped out, unroadworthy truck and so started a Givealittle page. Just a week later a friend directed her to the Australian and New Zealand travel heroes competition, run by an insurance company.
"The centre needed a new truck, because the cops were all over ours like flies to dung, hoping for bribes to allow it to stay on the road. It smoked like a steam engine and broke down weekly.
"When the windows need to be opened, the team stops the vehicle, pops the hood and runs a length of wire directly from the car battery to the window switch."
Getting into the travel heroes competition Jackie received amazing support.
"The support from people here in Dannevirke just blew me away," she said.
"When you get support like this from your hometown it's wonderful. People went on the journey with me, despite being here on the other side of the world from Zimbabwe."
Jackie was named the Australian and New Zealand travel hero, winning $5000 for the cause and with other money she raised she has been able to put $20,400 in the Australian bank account for the Sandra Jones Centre team to buy a good four-wheel-drive truck.
"Our truck is used to take the kids to school in the morning, the girls to their pregnancy appointments, the grocery run and on home visits," she said.
"With a new truck the centre team will be able to reach deeper into Zimbabwe.
"This experience in Zimbabwe has changed my understanding of people and I now have a huge appreciation of what we have in New Zealand and when God puts something in your heart, you are happy.
"The Zimbabwean people are very special people and they got me good."
Former Dannevirke woman, Annette Kendall, now living in the United States told the Dannevirke News she was in awe of what Jackie has achieved.
"She is an absolute inspiration to us all."