Boost for mentally ill children

Liberty Dube
MENTALLY ill children at St Werburgh’s Primary School in Chigodora recently received groceries worth hundreds of dollars from leading retailer, Mutare Spar as part of the supermarket’s social responsibility programmes.

Families of the sestet – Ian Tembo (13), Munyaradzi Zimunya (13), Ruvimbo Nzuwa (13), Kemily Wazivei (9), Shamiso Mapungwana (14) and Tinashe Nyakuambwa (20) – were handed over the goods that included rice, cornflakes, cooking oil and washing soap.

All the six constitute the school’s Resource Unit Centre which offers special education to people leaving with disabilities.

The gesture came at a time when villagers in Chigodora, in areas such as Gosho, Matiengane and Matondo were wallowing in poverty because of drought.

Mutare Spar donates groceries to the centre every month.

In an interview, Resource Unit Centre teacher, Mrs Saustina Mukombiwa, said food had become a motivation for the school children to come to school.

“If they are hungry they don’t come to school. Chigodora has been hard-hit by drought and these families have not been spared.

“As you can see the children are happy and they feel motivated to come to school. We teach them to cook and that gives them a sense of responsibility. We would like to thank Spar Mutare for the gesture. We really appreciate,” she said.

Spar Mutare general manager, Mr Tungamirai Tafadzwa Hove, said: “We will continue partnering St Werburgh’s Primary in promoting education. We are, however, ready to spearhead income generating projects such as piggery, poultry so that the school would move towards self-sustenance.”