Red Cross supplementary feeding centre, Mwenezi
The first thing that strikes you is their patience. More than 200 children, sitting quietly, waiting for the Red Cross volunteers to serve them lunch. Imagine this scene in another country – in Europe or the US for example. It would be pandemonium; kids jostling to be served first, the younger ones crying as they are pushed aside by the older ones.
But here, in Mwenezi in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province, they are sitting so quietly. Truly amazing behaviour from any large group of children, but particularly extraordinary given these kids live in an area that sits at the heart of the country’s food crisis.
Every weekday morning, these children arrive at the Red Cross centre to have breakfast, lunch and to play under the supervision of the local volunteers. All of these kids come from homes that are covered by the Red Cross’ home-based care programme – an outreach initiative that sees volunteers visit people living with HIV and AIDS.
Some of the children come from child-headed households. All are under five years of age. For many of them, the meals that they receive here are the only meaningful and regular ones that they get.
This project is having a real impact. Every couple of weeks, the Ministry of Health, will survey a sample of these children, measuring their weight and checking for illnesses. These surveys have revealed significant improvements in the health and nutritional status of these children.
This isn’t complicated stuff. The Red Cross is providing nutritious food to a group of very vulnerable children. This is what we do. This is what we want to do more.
The IFRC Zimbabwe food security appeal aims to provide assistance to about 260,100 people over the coming nine months. The programme will focus on supporting people like the Mwenezi kids – a group particularly and acutely vulnerable to food shortages
Nyemudzai Kakore: Herald Correspondent
The Senate Thematic Committee on Gender and Development has called on Government to intervene in children’s homes following reports that caregivers were reportedly looting donated goodies at the expense of the intended beneficiaries.
Presenting its first report on the status of children’s homes, the committee called on the social welfare department to hold interviews with potential caregivers to check on their background and their characters to ensure that qualified people were given the jobs. The committee cited the case of Chirinda, where it was allegedly discovered that there was lack of supervision and shortage of food.
Said Sen Annah Shiri: “We now have caregivers who are coming not to help these youngsters, but will be asking themselves of benefits derived from such homes. That is why they do not appreciate the situation of these children.
“We have realised that in such homes, there is need for a balance of male and female workers because they will take care of the needs of these youngsters.”
“We urge members of the social welfare to assist these children in acquiring birth certificates because whenever there are activities to be undertaken at those schools, the orphans cannot take part because they lack these documents.”
admin
Online Reporter