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Problems of finding food during the lockdown for many who were on the edge has seen 3 000 people, mainly children and some old people, walking up to 20km to get free meals at a soup kitchen opened in Chitungwiza in March.
Ms Samantha Muzoroki operates the soup kitchen from her house in Unit A, Chitungwiza but gets help from churches, businesses and others with the council authorising her use a near-by open space.
The kitchen in feeding an average of 3 000 people a day with 1 100 children below the age of 15 at breakfast and above 2 000 people coming for supper.
The eldest person coming is 89-year-old Mrs Anny Kajaji, who walks 1.5km, but some travel 20km from as far as Dema and Jonasi in Seke rural for meals.
The kitchen follows the Covid-19 regulations, with social distancing and sanitisation a must for everyone. All the staff who prepare and serve the meals have been screened for Covid-19.
Ms Muzoroki keeps lists of those who have been accepted to prevent the cheats who do not need special help jumping in and pushing out those who do.
Since the kitchen is operating from a home, beneficiaries bring food containers, collect their food and eat at their homes. The kitchen operates on donations given by churches, corporates and individual well-wishers.
The kitchen once caused an outcry from some in March and even Chitungwiza City Council forced it to close for failing to follow registration protocols.
It was given the green light to re-open a few days later.
Ms Muzoroki said her journey in the programme has been tough, but she has managed to soldier on.
“The idea of this kitchen was mooted out after releasing the plight of a few people close to here without enough food,” she said. “We started with around 24 kids only, but numbers kept rising to where we are now.
“This journey has been difficult, but we thank God, we have managed to carry on with the programme, we thank those generous people donating to us day after day.”
Ms Muzoroki said shortages of water, which have hit the town, were a major challenge now.
“We are facing a major water problem,” she said. “We are buying 300 litres every two days in order to operate. I appeal for those who can help with water.”
Ms Muzoroki said to avoid double allocation of meals, she has created a systematic data-base with new entries being constantly added.
She said the kitchen has now been registered as a trust and will now assume the title once it moves to a new bigger space it has been offered by Chitungwiza Municipality, adding that the only outstanding issue was medical certification before they move to the premises.
“We would like to thank the council for availing us a large open space from the Council Creche from which to operate,” said Ms Muzoroki. “The outstanding issue lies with me as we are still to receive medical certification.”
Ms Muzoroki said besides vulnerability, her area had been affected by high levels of gender-based violence, diseases, child abuse and pleaded to specialists who can help to come aboard.
“We have a lot going on in this community, among them old people who are not receiving medical care, high levels of child abuse, prostitution and gender-based violence taking toll on people here,” she said. “I appeal to those who can help solve such problems to come aboard.”
Chitungwiza Residents Trust director, Ms Alice Kuvheya, hailed Ms Muzoroki for the gesture.
“We would like to thank sister Samantha for continuing feeding hungry residents and hope the council will assist in giving a space to use in this important project,” she said.
A local bakery, Natbake, last week donated five tonnes of mealie-meal and 100 loaves of bread to the kitchen.
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