Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MORE than 100 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) in Victoria Falls were treated to an early Christmas last Saturday when a local trust hosted a party for them.
Underprivileged families particularly children usually struggle to get basics and sometimes skip meals.
Also, many cannot afford goodies that generally characterize merrymaking days such as Christmas.
Victoria Falls Children’s Trust (VFCT) decided to host a Christmas party for vulnerable children from around Victoria Falls city at Chinotimba Pre-School last Saturday. Besides sharing a meal comprising home-made pizza, cake, drinks and others, trustees spent the day interacting with the children.
They spent the day playing children’s games, dancing and singing with the underprivileged.
Each child was also given a grocery hamper comprising sugar, salt, cooking oil, kapenta fish, beans, juice, bars of soap, bath soap, rice, potatoes, flour, soya mince and tea leaves.
Ms Phebie Butau who is grandmother of one of the beneficiaries Tinashe Ncube (10) thanked the trust for the gesture.
“Life is difficult for us because we cannot afford to buy basics hence we are grateful for this donation as it will go a long way in ensuring we have something to eat on Christmas Day,” she said.
The trust was formed by former councillors Ephias Mambume, Margaret Valley and T Makoti and registered as a trust in 2015 with the aim of capacitating OVC by paying school fees and giving them food.
The trust started with 50 beneficiaries and the number has risen to 80 with plans underway to expand to 100 OVC.
Trustees temporarily switched from paying schools fees to providing food hampers during the Covid-19 induced lockdown since schools were closed and more than 100 children were receiving groceries.
One of the trustees Ms Nosipho Bhebhe expressed gratitude to service providers and well-wishers who have been working with the trust.
“The idea of the trust came after realization that many were struggling in Mkhosana and Chinotimba. It started with 50 vulnerable children and the number has grown to 80. The trust helps those in primary school. We want to increase the number of our direct beneficiaries to 100 if we get more funding.
“We have over 100 children who came for the Christmas party on Saturday. We have been distributing food hampers on a monthly basis during lockdown and these are the children that came for the party,” said Ms Bhebhe.
This is the first time the trust has hosted a Christmas party for its beneficiaries. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter