adminSydney Mubaiwa Masvingo Correspondent
Christian Care, a service arm of Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), has distributed food aid to more than 500 families who are victims of Cyclone Idai in Gutu, Zaka and Bikita districts.
The non-governmental organisation’s food assistance comes as a relief to vulnerable families who were in dire need of a decent meal since the Cyclone Idai disaster.
The cyclone ravaged parts of Manicaland, Masvingo provinces and neighbouring countries like Malawi and Mozambique, killing thousands of people and living some homeless.
The organisation has also planned to support the survivors with cement to re-construct their homes.
Christian Care ZCC joins a number of humanitarian actors that have channelled in aid for the cyclone-ravaged districts like Zaka, Bikita, Gutu, Chipinge and Chimanimani.
The non-governmental organisation’s aid of food and shelter is worth US$100 000.
The development by the non-governmental organisation comes after people were left homeless, while several others were injured after the country was hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai, which also hit parts of Manicaland Province and neighbouring countries like Malawi and Mozambique.
The cyclone affected more than 6 000 households in Masvingo Province, with homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and dip tanks destroyed, while roads were washed away, leaving thousands stranded.
This, therefore, left a lot of people without food and shelter and the intervention by Christian Care ZCC among other organisations, is expected to go a long way in addressing the needs of cyclone victims like having at least a roof over their heads and a meal for the day.
Speaking during Civil Protection (CPU) meetings held at Jerera, Bikita and Gutu respectively, Christian Care ZCC Masvingo regional programmes manager Ms Maria Tendai Dendere said the organisation has secured funding from two partners — the United Church of Canada and National Council of Churches in Australia in partnership with the Australian government— to support households in Gutu, Zaka, Bikita, Chipinge and Chimanimani to re-build homes as well as to provide food aid to those victims for a period of three months from May to July 2019.
“As an organisation, Christian Care ZCC, we have seen a need in supporting the victims of the cyclone with food, shelter, non-food items and psycho-social support and child protection trainings.
‘We applied for funding from our partners in Canada and Australia, who have responded positively in supporting the victims.
“As an organisation, we are going to give disadvantaged households 10 bags of cement and US$80 for payment of builders.
“We are also going to provide food aid to the victims, with each household getting 67,5 kg of maize, 3,75kg of soap, 4 litres cooking oil and 5kg beans per month for the next three months,” she said.
Mrs Dendere said that her organisation was also going to engage relevant Government ministries to make sure that the aid received is channelled to the rightful people.
“The impact of the cyclone was devastating and it remains the duty of us as humanitarian actors to intervene with aid and we will engage Government departments to ensure that the aid is given to rightful people”, she said.
Ms Dendere was accompanied by Oxwell Madara the project officer, Kuitakwashe Nhongo the monitoring and evaluation officer and Tinashe Munaki the project accountant.
Online Reporter