Charity begins at Harare Poly

Loverage Nhamoyebonde Feature Correspondent
Challenges facing women with children living with cerebral palsy condition are unseen, unheard and their plea will only be heard by the philanthropist.
When a mother suffers, the child will not be spared from the tragedy as he or she is at the receiving end of the motherly care.
Persons with cerebral pulse remain under motherly care even after attaining the majority age of 18 owing to their condition, hence the need for full support from the community.

All this is taking place in a society where losing sleep over someone’s problems is viewed as a job reserved for the saints.
As such Harare Polytechnic’s Christian Union through its charity committee recently challenged many people to shun the uncaring attitude when they donated groceries, clothes and other essentials to Ishe Anesu Multi Purpose Centre for disabled children, a community centre providing day care to, children with cerebral palsy in Glen View 3.

Harare Polytechnic Christian Union charity department chairperson who is also a student in the Electrical Department, Johane Sithole said it is the mandate of the Christian Union to support the needy through donations and prayers.

“This will go a long way in exposing students to the real life challenges affecting the vulnerable members of society.
“We are excited that we successfully carried out God’s task of showing love and care to the needy,” said Sithole.

Sithole said the Charity Committee was formed this year in February with the aim to reach out to the disadvantaged and ensure their well being.

He added that this year the Charity Committee raised US$ 429 through various activities towards donating to charity.
“We raised US$ 429 through car washing, membership cards sells and subscriptions and donations from well-wishers.

“We used the money to buy groceries, sanitary-wear, nappies and a 15-metre hosepipe for the organisation’s gardening project,” said Sithole.

Ishe Anesu Multi Purpose Centre for disabled children co-ordinator, Mrs Priscilla Kachambwa while receiving donations commended the students for finding time to care for the needy regardless of their tight learning schedule.

“Our main thrust is to empower parents of children with cerebral palsy to deal with challenges of stigma, stress and trauma associated with disabilities and we appreciate the help we received from these students through donations as they will go a long way in making us realise our empowerment goal,” said Mrs Kachambwa.

Kachambwa said the centre provides an enabling environment for persons with cerebral palsy to be independent and productive individuals.

“Our care givers are responsible for offering day care services to children with cerebral palsy so as to relieve parents and offer them an opportunity to freely spend the day hustling for a dollar to eke a living.

“This is necessary because many parents with children with cerebral palsy are failing to go to work as their children need special care hence leaving the entire family vulnerable to poverty,” said Mrs Kachambwa.

She added that the centre also focuses on equipping children with life skills like sewing and gardening so as to empower them to be self sustainable.

Kachambwa, however, decried lack of adequate resources owing to the special needs of children with cerebral palsy as the major setback in as far as the studied aim to ensure a better life for the children is concerned.

Ishe Anesu Multi Purpose Centre for the disabled children was built through donations by the late First Lady, Amai Sally Mugabe and she did not live to see the work she started carried to completion.

However, her efforts were not in vain as the centre was completed and officially opened in 1998 by the First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe.
Virginia Chirinda, mother to Faith (20) with cerebral palsy decried stigma and discrimination which she said resulted in from lack of awareness on cerebral palsy as a condition.

“Stigma and discrimination is so rampant in our communities and many parents leave their children to suffer in the darkness of several backyards as they are ashamed to bring them to the open.

“I encourage the media to take up the task of informing people on cerebral palsy as a condition so as to eliminate stigma and discrimination,” said Chirinda.

She added that many children with cerebral palsy cannot freely interact with other children as parents of the able bodied children forbids them from doing so as they view the condition as contagious.

Melonciya Muneta (43), mother to Tafadzwa Chatiza (17) with cerebral palsy said lack of adequate knowledge has seen many families breaking as they fail to deal with challenges presented to them through giving birth to a child with cerebral palsy.

“We are witnessing an increase in number of women divorced after giving birth to a child with cerebral palsy as several men always think that it has a negative impact on their status.

“The situation is fuelled by societal beliefs which views men with physically challenged children as weak, hence they abscond their families and leave the mother to look after the child single handedly,” said Ms Muneta.

Several women after divorced for the “offence” of giving birth to a physically challenged child face many daunting challenges like accommodation due to stigma and discrimination.

“Women with children with cerebral palsy live a nomadic life as many house owners are not comfortable to have children with the condition at their homes.

Many people think that cerebral palsy is contagious hence the need to take precautions to protect their own children,” said Mediate Munhenzva, mother to Tsitsi Marume (23) with cerebral palsy.

Munhenzva said several landlords complain that they use large amounts of water as they do laundry on daily basis owing to the condition of their children who use nappies.

People who witnessed the handing over of the donations urged church organisations to imitate the move taken by Harare Polytechnic Christian Union members.

They said the presence of churches in a community must bring benefits to that community and churches must turn away from the behaviour of reaping from communities for personal gains as they must also take on board social responsibility programmes.