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Tsenulo Moyo
IRIS Zemza Nozizwe Mhlanga (47) based in Bulawayo, founder of the Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust in Zimbabwe has dedicated her life to uplifting vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe.
Mhlanga founded the Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust in 2018 with a mission to assist vulnerable individuals in communities across Zimbabwe, such as people with disabilities, widows, orphans, and homeless people.
The trust provides critical support including food, medical care, education and psycho social assistance to those in need. Beyond direct aid, Mhlanga advocates for marginalised groups and inspires others to create change as she participated in the “United Nations Best Diplomats simulation” and co-authored the anthology titled Women making a difference, showing her commitment to amplifying overlooked voices.
The Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust is registered in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the United Kingdom and has approximately more than 5 000 beneficiaries.
For her philanthropic work, Mhlanga has won 25 international awards, two honorary degrees, co-authored two international books, and earned a fellowship under Eudoxia International University.
Mhlanga said she was inspired by her late father Jonathan Themba Mhlanga, former Highlander’s Football Club president who was also a philanthropist.
“I come from a family of helpers. I was named after the matriarch of our family, a healer in her time who cared for vulnerable communities. My father, who named me after her, was also brave and committed to helping people. He cared for people too and became a City Father. That’s how I continued that legacy,” Mhlanga said.
She said she started Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust with the help of her family, a late man named Aboobaker Omar from Harare and the Bulawayo community.
“We started Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust with a loaf of bread, a bottle of coke, a bin liner of clothes and then later wheelchairs some donated and some from personal funds” she said.
She said the challenges they face include a lack of access to medication, required documents to operate legally, and donor fatigue. While the community was unable to help financially, they contributed clothing and bedding. There was also a shortage of funds for school fees, medication, and equipment to assist people with disabilities.
“The Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust is sustained by personal funds, donations from corporate sponsors, and private well-wishers. The majority of donations are not cash-based but in-kind service provision to the vulnerable,” she said.
Additionally, to all this, the Nozizwe Mother of Nations Trust, in collaboration with Chef Catherine Chabasa, the Van Beek Foundation, and Santa Comes to Makokoba, has started a Sunday meal distribution to different vulnerable communities in and around Bulawayo, Tsholotsho and Harare.
“We have so far distributed meals in the following areas Ngozi Mine, Woodville Cabatsha, Pumula, Makokoba, Central Business District in Bulawayo, Central Business District in Harare, Domboshava and Tsholotsho and we aim to distribute countrywide as funds permit,” she continued.
She said they were mainly targeting people with disabilities, widows and orphans. The programme started in 2019 when the Trust joined hands with Mustard Seed Communities Children’s home.
“The main sponsors for this programme are the Nozizwe Trust family members, well-wishers from Bulawayo, and corporate sponsors. Mustard Seed Communities Children’s Home handles all logistics for the nutrition programmes, and Nozizwe Trust ensures resource mobilisation, making sure food and supplies are available,” she said.
She added: “The benefits of this programme we have undertaken are that no child gets abandoned twice. Giving them food gives us an opportunity to investigate further what other needs the community has besides food. Our meals vary depending on donations received as we try to provide a nutritious diet with the help of qualified medical personnel, volunteers and nutritionists.
“We also provide clothing, bedding, wheelchairs, and medication when available to the vulnerable communities.”
She said the ongoing evaluation for the programme was keeping an eye on all beneficiaries’ long-term well-being.
“In the long run, we plan to establish a halfway house, schools and clinics to empower vulnerable communities and villages,” she said.
She went on to encourage the Zimbabwean community at large saying: “It takes a village to raise a child, we can all make a difference with the little we have to help vulnerable communities and ensure no one is left behind or forgotten. I envision a peaceful world free from hunger, diseases, with access to clean safe water, medication, health care and unlimited equipment to assist the disabled and visually impaired.”
Online Reporter