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Tsenulo Moyo
A 23-year-old youth from Entumbane suburb in Bulawayo has set herself on a mission to help the vulnerable in the community.
Nombulelo Dube (23) is the co-founder of Save Africa Foundation, a mental health advocate and peer educator. She started Save Africa Foundation at the age of 21 in October 2022 with her friend Hillary Mpofu, a sociology student at Lupane State University.
Save Africa Foundation is an organisation which mainly targets orphanages, old people’s homes, youth, women and girls in the Zimbabwean community.
Dube said her friend Mpofu came up with the idea to start Save Africa Foundation and then started working together in turning the idea to reality.
“I was raised by a single mother which made me see the struggles that my mother went through like trying to make sure I have the best education possible and food.
“I sat and thought to myself I want to help someone else achieve what they want to achieve even though I do not have money but Iam able to make a difference in someone else’s life,” she said.
Dube said they started Save Africa Foundation using their own funds, and support from families and friends.
She said the challenges they met while establishing Save Africa Foundation were lack of funds and lack of support from the community as they failed to understand their organisation’s motives.
“Our organisation mainly visits orphanages, donates clothes and sanitary pads as we currently do not have secure sponsors to be able to pay school fees as well,” she said.
She said their organisation has in the past raised awareness about drugs and alcohol abuse, held career guidance seminars in schools and held seminars for the youths.
“Last month we visited Vulindlela Orphanage, spent the day with the kids, played with them and taught them about mental health,” she continued.
She said they are also partnering with Vision Arts Foundation on 31 August to raise awareness against drug and substance abuse.
Dube said approximately over a 100 people have been beneficiaries of their organisation’s funds.
“The organisation is sustained by sponsors who are willing to give us funds and contributions from ourselves which makes it hard considering some executives of the organisation are still in school and Iam in school as well.
“My vision is for Save Africa to build a shelter for abuse victims, be able to put children to school and expanding globally making it a foundation that’s not only going to benefit Zimbabweans but people from all over the world.
“I envision a world where girls would be having enough sanitary pads, mental hospital with all the commodities and with no school dropouts because of lack of money , ” she said.
Online Reporter