adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
GOAL Zimbabwe last week came to the rescue of some Buhera South villagers, whose homesteads and other valuables were destroyed by a hailstorm that swept across the constituency by giving monetary help.
The hailstorm destroyed 119 households and four schools.
The NGO gave each of the 50 victims, whose plight had been deemed severe by a local taskforce, with $80 cash which was meant for food and repair of the damaged infrastructures.
The villagers had complained of starvation after their stored grain was destroyed and washed away by the disastrous hailstorm, prompting an urgent response from NGO.
The assistance was handed over to the beneficiaries by Goal Zimbabwe Assistant Country Director Professor Joseph Kamuzhanje.
The money was given to women members of the affected families, in a move aimed at guarding against abuse of the funds by husbands.
Prof Kamuzhanje said his organization would continue to assist towards the improvement of living conditions of vulnerable communities as well as improving livelihoods at household level.
“We could not bring you building materials as that would amount to imposing something on you.
“ Their needs and priorities are not uniform, and we therefore assisted them with money to allow each family to address its specific needs.
“We are aware that money is prone to abuse and we coined a way around that by handing over the money to mostly women, whom we appreciate, bore the brunt under such dire situations, to ensure it is put to good use,” said Prof Kamuzhanje.
Goal has also loaned a Land Cruiser to Buhera Rural District Council for surveillance of hyenas and monitoring of its developmental programs in the district.
Goal Zimbabwe has donated 18 bulls in Buhera aimed at improving the livestock breed an interventions being threatened by rampaging hyenas. The hyenas also pose a danger to human life.
Mrs Martha Maphosa, of Begedhe, Ward 29, hailed the intervention by Goal Zimbabwe saying it was timely as her family was on the ropes.
“My two roomed was razed and all the food we had stored was washed away.
“I have a large family and was struggling to fend for them.
“We had sorghum and nyimo which was destroyed.
“We are grateful to Goal as a family and will use the money to buy food as well as use part of it to re-build the house as we are currently crammed in a single grass thatched hut,” said Mrs Maphosa.
Another beneficiary Mrs Ester Rashai said she lost valuables worth $500 and since them her life was never the same.
“We are sleeping in one hut with my grown up boys and that is not proper but there is nothing I can do. They cannot sleep in the open.
“I was assisted with $80 which I am going to use to purchase cement and to pay the builder.
“I am a widow and had nowhere to start,” she explained.
Buhera South Member of House of Assembly Cde Joseph Chinotimba hailed the intervention by Goal Zimbabwe saying it will go a long way bringing food and decent of life for the affected families.
“The immediate intervention is commendable.
“The issue has been a headache to me, and to find a partner who can fork out $80 per each affected family is amazing because it makes a difference in their lives.
“We know that some of the families are huge, and this help will ease their plight.
“I would like to urge the beneficiaries to put that money to good use. Buy food for your families and build the destroyed houses,” said Cde Chinotimba.
Most of the victims were temporarily living in makeshift tents provided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Red Cross also donated 16 blankets, 220 soap tablets, 15 buckets and kitchen utensils for the relief of the victims.
Another victim, Mrs Vennah Nechiora (62) from Bhegedhe Village expressed gratitude to Goal Zimbabwe for the monetary assistance she got; the going would have been tougher for her.
The worst affected school in the constituency is Mutepfe Primary School whose entire Grade Seven and ECD blocks were destroyed by the rains.
An approximate $5 216 is needed to repair the damaged blocks as well as other infrastructure..
Online Reporter