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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE is committed to the welfare of refugees and their integration into surrounding communities, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Professor Paul Mavima, has said.
Yesterday, Zimbabwe joined the world in celebrating World Refugee Day focusing on the right to seek safety.
In his remarks on the day, Prof Mavima said Zimbabwe is putting measures to improve the welfare of refugees.
He said this at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge where amenities have been put in place to help their integration into normal society.
“We have done very well in terms of administering the camp, there are many projects that are happening here including irrigation development. The irrigation system is very productive.
“There are also other livelihood programmes like chicken rearing, fish farming, and piggery. So the community of refugees has become almost self-sufficient,” said Prof Mavima.
The United Nations Refugee Agency says every person has a right to seek safety – whoever they are, wherever they come from and whenever they are forced to flee.
Tongagara Refugee Camp has a thriving school that not only serves the refugee population, but also the surrounding communities.
The primary school has upwards of 1 200 children and the secondary school above 600 pupils.
“There are very good amenities here. This shows Zimbabwe’s commitment to the welfare of refugees. We are also saying these refugees should not exist on an island, they should integrate with the surrounding communities and that is going on very well,” said Prof Mavima.
A resident of the camp identified as Mr Freidrick, a Congolese national, commended the environment at the camp, saying since 2009 he has been at home at the camp.
“In order to occupy my mind and to earn a living, I resuscitated my carpentry passion and opened a hardware store called Good Morning. It is a good morning to start a new life,” he said.
Meanwhile, partners have also come in to assist the development of the camp and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) /Doctors Without Borders launched a new mental health facility at the camp.
Mrs Janet Mukurumbira, MSF Mental Health Activity Manager at Tongogara Refugee Camp, said people living in the camp were exposed to different kinds of trauma, from fleeing war zones, separating from family, grief, human rights violations and several other stressors that they find in their countries of origin, and this translates into psychological pressures which might then affect their overall mental well-being.
Mrs Mukurumbira said as MSF they saw it fit to come in and join other partners by providing this important aspect of improving their well-being by having recreational and psychosocial activities and teaching them basic skills like breathing and stress management among others.
Online Reporter