Chronicle Editor
Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
THE ROTARY Club of Bulawayo has taken up the role of a social reliever to children at Vulindlela orphanage.
The orphanage offers a safe space for orphans in the community of Mpopoma and surrounding areas like Njube, Entumbane and Nkulumane among others, around the orphanage.
It also welcomes children from less fortunate families and those living with their grandparents or guardians.
Last Thursday, the Rotary Club of Bulawayo went to the orphanage and held a soup kitchen and lunch programme where they prepared lunch for the children and donated clothes.
The President of the Rotary Club of Bulawayo said the lunch session and donation goes in line with its motto, ‘service above self’.
She said the club operates autonomously and is ready to address social needs and offer relief to those in need.
“We look for needs in the community and try to take care of them, not with funding from any sponsors but we contribute among ourselves as members of the rotary club. Our areas of focus are education, environmental attention and social dependency among others.
We have always worked with the orphanage, donating books, toys for the children, clothes and also sanitary wear for the grown girls. Today we thought we should just organise a soup kitchen and lunch gathering where we will interact with the children and get to spend time with them. This is much better than coming to donate for a few minutes and go, there’s also a need for interaction,” said Mrs Nyoni.
She said the interaction promotes the inclusion of everyone in the community regardless of their social background. This is also what the club has always advocated for, to have everyone in the society equally involved in any activity that takes place.
The club is a member of Rotary International, and is celebrating 90 years of existence, their first meeting was held at Selborne Hotel on 17 July 1931 and the first president was Major Robert Gordon.
Being officially recognised in December 1931 the club had 19 members.
Founder and Director of Vulindlela orphanage Mrs Patricia Tshabalala thanked the Rotary Club of Bulawayo.
“We are very grateful and appreciate the Rotary Club for always remembering us time and again. What I appreciate the most is that it is our own people that are helping us like this, which is a sign that they are noticing our needs in the community,” said Mrs Tshabalala.
She said what the club has done set an example for the children to follow when they grow up.
Mrs Tshabalala appealed to the club to continue addressing the needs of the less fortunate.
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