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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter
MS Memory Moyo dates her love for community work back to 2004 when she completed her secondary education at Sikhulile High School in Bulawayo’s Lobengula suburb.
It was the year she decided to relocate to the United Kingdom to further her studies. In her bosom, she carried the struggles faced by girls and the elderly in her community back home.
On arrival in the UK, she located Zimbabweans who were from Lobengula suburb and engaged them to change the narrative back home, especially at Sikhulile High School where she had come face to face with sad realities for girls.
Ms Moyo has established two organisations – Lobengula Support Group and Sikhulile at Heart Group that have served both girls and the elderly in Bulawayo.
The support group became more effective in 2020 when Covid-19 hit leaving many local families vulnerable, without food and sources of income.
“I have always had my community at heart. Giving back to the community is something that I have always done at a small scale after I moved to the UK in 2004. I also founded the Sikhulile at Heart Group where I gathered former high school students based abroad and in South Africa so that we could help change the story of girls back home,” said Ms Moyo.
“During the Covid-19 period we managed to contribute food hampers for the elderly and that same year we treated them to an early Christmas. We also decided to extend our help to bereaved families who were struggling to financially cover costs associated with funerals.”
Ms Moyo also reaches out to residents from Lobengula struggling with hospital bills.
At Sikhulile she has mobilised resources to help girls access sanitary wear.
“I mobilised Sikhulile High School former students. We donated pads, gloves, masks (during Covid-19) and laboratory coats.
The school informed us that they have 1 062 girls. As the teachers are aware of the background of the children we gave them the responsibility to identify those who need the sanitary pads the most and we purchased sanitary wear for the most vulnerable,” she said.
“I then decided to expand my vision and contacted ordinary citizens in the UK, South Africa and Zimbabwe to come together and raise money to fund food hampers that we distributed to elders during Covid. From 2020 we have been holding Christmas parties targeted at the elderly over 70 years old and last year we had the biggest as we got sponsorship from Ingwebu and Senditoo.”
Ms Moyo called on fellow Zimbabweans to do everything in their power to assist others, saying it will help the country to develop. — @thamamoe
Online Reporter