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About 60 families whose mud and pole houses were reduced to ashes in an inferno at Lumanda Farm in Mount Hampden last Friday, have started receiving assistance, including food and blankets from churches and companies.
The inferno killed a pregnant woman and her four-year-old baby. Shupikai Phiri (39), who was nine-months pregnant, died after she went inside her house to remove some of the family property during the inferno.
Her daughter, Chenai Jiri, followed her mother into the house and the two died in the fire. They were buried on Sunday at a cemetery located at the farm.
A headman at the farm, Mr Paul Jonasi, on Tuesday confirmed the burial and said that they had since started receiving assistance from churches and private companies.
“Some of the companies and churches are providing people with food, clothes, blankets, cooking utensils and tents to provide shelter,” he said.
He said United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Seed-Co, Shivyog Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association, Seventh Adventist Church and an Avondale-based church, One Church, were among the institutions that rendered assistance.
Seed Co managing director, Mr Denias Zaranyika, who gave a graveyard speech said as a part of the Mt Hampden neighbourhood, the company was saddened by the tragic loss of life and felt responsible to partake in assisting the families with food.
“The loss of lives was devastating to us. It affected even our staff and we said it was not something we could watch from a distance,” he said.
The company also pledged to cater for fees, uniforms and book requirements for the surviving boy of the late Phiri for the next two years in order to lessen the burden on the bereaved father.
Mr Jonasi called on other individuals and companies to continue assisting the affected families.
When The Herald visited the farm, several people were still clearing rubble while tents provided by UNICEF were being pitched.
Reverend Christopher Nenga of One Church said they had provided the families with two big tents as temporary accommodation for some of the families.
“We are also in the process of sourcing funds to build structures for them. If all goes well, we are going to ensure that we will build a one roomed house per familly using farm bricks,” he said.
Property worth thousands of dollars was destroyed by the fire believed to have been caused by a man only identified as Mudhara Nyati, who had left fire unattended in his house after preparing food.
Online Reporter