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Sharon Ngomani
Social media has often been labelled as a bad influence on society, providing a reed mat for immoral behaviour to feed and grow. Nonetheless, some people have managed to harness its power for the good of society. One such person is motivational speaker, author and poet Rabison Shumba who is constantly maximising on social media to bring positive results to society. He has used social media to gather donations in all forms from individuals, families and organisations which he distributes to the needy and vulnerable.
This is done through a programme he calls “Touching Lives Initiative” running under the Rabison Shumba Foundation where he advocates for humanitarian assistance, co-ordinating donors and volunteers as well as asking people to distribute the message on their social media networks.
“The main aim of the initiative is to make a difference in the lives of those who are living in underprivileged conditions. This is meant to impact lives through donations of humanitarian aid such as food, clothing, sanitary items, and blankets among others.
“However, my mission is more than just putting a meal or two on people’s tables, but to ultimately help people create their own income generating projects so that they are self-sustaining. And I decided to reach out to people through social media as a way of raising awareness about this initiative,” explained Shumba.
The initiative began in 2013 when the author chose to celebrate his birthday by doing acts of charity alone in various institutions which included schools and youth organisations.
The idea then grew, forcing him to seek assistance from friends and other well wishers which he would then donate. So this year, the initiative has grown beyond his birthday which is celebrated on July 19 to become an everyday thing.
He has managed to rope in celebrities, big organisations and many people to help others in society despite the economic hardships.
On July 19, Shumba and his friends, family and donors first visited Jairos Jiri, then proceeded to St Joseph’s House of Boys and lastly Matthew Rusike Home in Epworth. They managed to handover donations of groceries and clothes as well as playing with the kids.
Several speakers such as Candice Mwakalyelye (ZiFM), Gogo Mukhube (Radio Zimbabwe), Norah Spie and representatives from different organisations delivered inspirational speeches. Tariro NeGitare serenaded audiences with her exceptional voice and guitar skills.
The vivacious Candice Mwakalyelye was also partnered for the Heroes holiday charity visits. In an interview, she expressed joy in being part of the initiative.
“The feeling is amazing. This involvement has helped me understand the dynamics of life and my purpose. I now want to do more to help others have a smile on their faces. Not everybody has a comfortable life but sometimes you are in a better situation and that helps you to appreciate what you have,” she said.
They have also visited Bumhudzo old people’s home and other charity organisations. The initiative is also organising meetings with volunteers from other towns where they wish to visit in the coming months.
Besides advocating for this humanitarian cause using social media, Shumba has also used it to uphold transparency in his activities. This is seen by the many posts on his twitter, and Facebook accounts where he lists all the donations he receives, receipts of goods bought supported by pictures.
He also posts the beneficiaries and what they have received. This has earned him immense trust making his quest go viral.
Social media is being adopted by many charity organisations for the purposes of advocating for their cause and transparency across the world. This is because of its non-boundary status which enables people anywhere to be reached by anybody in the world.
Shumba has received donations from people in the diaspora who he has never met before.
What they have is love for other Zimbabweans. However, there are questions posed over the level of security social media offers to information considering the growing number of hackers in the world.
It has been the founder’s desire to also use this initiative as a way of encouraging other members of society to make time as well as set aside resources to impact communities from where they live or come from.
In the past, Shumba employed social media to co-ordinate the compilation of Shona nhetembo on a Facebook page called “263-Nhetembo”. The result was a successful book from 16 authors all over Zimbabwe which is now a study text for A-Level.
Shumba is an author of five books, a well travelled motivational speaker, coach, trainer and business consultant. He has over 20 years of commercial experience with a number of multinational corporations.
Originally a teacher by profession, he went on to study to become an ICT professional as well as entrepreneur.
He has mentored a number of young people in various sectors of the economy and has received a number of awards and recognition for his contribution to building the next generation of leaders. He is married and has two daughters.
Online Reporter