peter
Wilbrought Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
A LOCAL teacher from Bulawayo’s Khumalo suburb last week donated clothes and food to the unprivileged children living at the Killarney squatter camp to help keep them warm from the cold spell.
Ms Sibongile Chingombe said she had been assisting children from the area for the past three years and her hope was that communities in Bulawayo could also lend a helping hand.
“The story behind these children is that they really need us to reach out to them, most of these children are orphans in need of food and shelter. My prayer is for the community of Bulawayo to assist these children so that they may have better places to stay, go to better schools and also have better clothes to wear. I wish everyone who can will find it in their hearts to give a hand,” said Ms Chimombe.
She said some of the families that were living at the squatter camp were child-headed families and the children had different stories to tell, each unique in its own way. Ms Chingombe said though the settlement was illegal, people turning their backs on children were making them suffer.
“We really need to take care and make a difference in their lives. When I see each one of them, I see my own child and I would not like to see my child unhappy or left alone or to be in need where I can make a difference. I came to Bulawayo to teach then when I was staying in Killarney, I had a chance to visit the place. I took it upon myself to visit them as more often as I could,” she added.
She said what motivated her was her motherly instinct.
“The challenge that I faced is that when I try to reach out to other organisations to assist the children there are no responses.
I think as people and as communities we need to plant the seed in our hearts to assist these children.”
One of the women taking care of the children in Killarney, Ms Florence Maphosa added that while some were orphans, others have parents who were not employed.
“The children are in need of food, clothes and even shelter as these things are scarce. We appeal to the greater Bulawayo community to help us with anything in order to cater for these children. We are also facing challenges of unknown people coming to the camp and requesting us to leave which is now making life hard for us since we do not have any other shelter for these children,” she said.
Online Reporter