In the community

In Zimbabwe, more children go hungry amid Covid-19

Published

4 years ago

October 21, 2021

VicFallsLive

BY KUDZAI MAZVARIRWOFA AND FORTUNE MOYO

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Mai Tafara Children’s Center was a bustling refuge for the 50 children it serves.

The kids, many of whom are orphans, would come to the center in Tafara, a high-density suburb in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare, and enjoy a heavy lunch consisting of sadza — a dense porridge made from maize meal — plus sugar bean, leafy greens or soya mince, an inexpensive, soybean-based protein.

They would eat their fill and spend the afternoon doing arts and crafts or homework.

But that changed in March 2020, as the coronavirus emerged. Like many countries, Zimbabwe enacted a strict lockdown to limit the spread of the virus.

“Things have been very tough for the children,” says Eleanor Alfred, founder of Mai Tafara Children’s Centre.

“These children do not have parents, and sometimes no family at all, to go to for food and necessities — just us. And we cannot let them down.”

The effects are ricocheting through communities worldwide.

Child hunger has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, according to the 2020 Annual Report from the United Nations Children’s Fund, known as Unicef.

An additional 6.7 million children under age 5 are now at risk of wasting, a form of malnutrition, in the next year. This could lead to at least 10,000 more children dying each month from food insecurity.

The pandemic has added pressure on centres like Mai Tafara, which serve as a fragile last resort to feed and educate vulnerable children.

Covid-19’s repercussions, including death and loss of employment, mean centers have more mouths to feed, alongside an ever-dwindling base of resources.

Alfred, fondly known as “Mai Tafara” — Shona for “mother of Tafara” — says that it has become increasingly difficult to provide meals for the children.

The centre’s one donor, a Zimbabwean living in Australia, was unable to continue funding the operation due to financial struggles prompted by the pandemic.

The donor had supplied the centre with money to buy food, such as mealie meal, a hot porridge made from maize flour and a staple meal in Zimbabwe.

“I have had to sometimes dig into my own pocket and resources to try and stretch them out so the children have some form of consistency,” Alfred says.

“I take foodstuffs from home sometimes to cook at the centre, and sometimes I take whatever money I have to add to the children’s school fees, especially those in examination classes.”

Water shortages are a persistent issue in Zimbabwe due to lack of purifying chemicals and an ailing pipe system.

But that means children must “go and queue all day for water, without having eaten anything, only to go home at the end of the day and find nothing,” Alfred says, noting that many of the children live with grandparents who aren’t strong enough to work.

The number of vulnerable children and orphans in Zimbabwe has increased amid two decades of economic instability.

HIV/Aids and related illnesses also have had an impact; in 2019, 13% of Zimbabwean children age 17 and younger had lost one or both parents to the disease, according to a survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.

In May, Faith Community Support Trust, a child-care centre in Kambuzuma, a suburb of Harare, was stretching supplies meant to serve 30 children in order to care for 40, said Orpah Magadzire, the resident caregiver, who later contracted Covid-19 and died.

Phone calls to the centre now go unanswered.

In Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, Siduduzile Nkomo uses income from her tailoring business to care for about 45 orphaned and vulnerable children at the centre she runs.

In addition to her own funds, she also receives assistance from the surrounding community, including residents and some businesses. But Nkomo says the coronavirus has affected everyone, and contributions have tapered off.

The government is grappling with a currency crisis and many donation-based organizations working in the region already are stretched thin.

Henry Chigama, president and chief executive officer of EatOut Movement, a startup initiative meant to fight homelessness and poverty, says the pandemic has dried up resources.

“When Covid-19 began, companies and individuals were able and willing to donate items which we then gave to orphans and vulnerable children,” he says.

“However, as the pandemic continued, companies also became strained, a situation which has also affected us as an organisation.”

For child-care centres, that may mean turning to other revenue streams.

“These homes will need to come up with other self-sustaining methods, such as agriculture,” says Thomas Sithole, a Zimbabwean social expert and civic society leader.

“The impact of Covid-19 on various societal aspects has been profound, and homes that look after vulnerable children have not been spared.” – Global Press Journal

Hwange

Hwange MP raises alarm over wildlife jobs bias as locals back call for reform

Published

41 minutes ago

April 13, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Hwange East legislator, Joseph Bonda, has taken the fight for local employment in wildlife conservation to Parliament, questioning why communities living alongside dangerous animals are being sidelined in job opportunities.

In a question directed to the Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Bonda pressed for clarity on what measures are in place to ensure that residents of Hwange District are prioritised for employment by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. He argued that locals, who bear the brunt of human-wildlife conflict, should be first in line for jobs in the sector.

The matter, however, did not receive an immediate response in the National Assembly and was deferred on 18 March 2026, leaving the concerns unresolved for now.

Bonda’s intervention has resonated strongly with communities in Hwange, where wildlife is both a resource and a risk.

“We live with these animals every day”

In Mabale, local villager Sibangani Ndlovu said it is unfair that outsiders benefit from jobs linked to wildlife while locals face constant danger.

“We live with these animals every day. Elephants destroy our crops, sometimes people are injured or killed. But when jobs come, they go to people from far away. That is not right,” he said.

“Employment should be compensation too”

Another r, Memory Moyo from Dete, said employment in parks and safari operations should be viewed as part of community compensation.

“If we are expected to conserve wildlife, then we must also benefit. Jobs are one of the biggest benefits. Otherwise, people will start to see animals as a burden, not a resource.”

Youth feel locked out

Young people in the district say lack of access to jobs in the wildlife sector is worsening unemployment.

Talent Ncube, a youth from Hwange, said many qualified locals are overlooked.

“We have people trained in tourism and conservation here, but they are not getting opportunities. It discourages us as young people because we feel excluded from our own resources.”

Growing pressure on government

Bonda’s question adds to mounting pressure on government to align conservation efforts with community benefits, especially in areas like Hwange where human-wildlife conflict is frequent.

With the issue now formally raised in Parliament, residents say they are waiting to see whether authorities will respond with concrete policy changes—or whether, like many rural concerns, it will remain unresolved.

In the community

Victoria Falls launches bill-payment incentive program to drive municipal growth

Published

3 days ago

April 10, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The City of Victoria Falls has launched a promotional campaign offering prizes ranging from solar power systems to helicopter rides to encourage residents to settle their utility bills and rates.

The initiative, titled the “Pay and Stand a Chance to Win Promotion,” began on April 2, 2026, and is scheduled to run in three-month cycles through the end of the year. According to a notice issued by Town Clerk Ronnie Dube, the program aims to have residents work together to contribute to the continued growth and improvement of the city.

To qualify for the draws, domestic customers in high-density suburbs must pay at least 30% of their outstanding balance or a minimum of US$100. Residents in medium and low-density suburbs are required to pay at least 30% of their debt or a minimum of US$200.

The city is offering a tiered prize structure to incentivize different levels of payment. Four 3KVA solar systems are reserved as grand prizes for residents who achieve a zero-balance account. Other prizes in the pool include four refrigerators, four gas stoves, and 100 solar lights.

Leveraging its status as a World Heritage Site, the city is also offering four “Flight of Angels” helicopter rides, four boat cruise tickets, and four complimentary dinner tickets for two. Consolation prizes such as city-branded T-shirts will also be available.

The first draw is scheduled for the second week of July, followed by a second draw in October. The final and grand draw will take place in the second week of January 2027. Residents can enter by making payments at Council Pay Points and dropping their receipts into designated entry boxes.

In the community

Mat North athletes use stones, sticks as equipment shortages stall progress

Published

4 days ago

April 9, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

For many young athletes from Matabeleland North, the road to national competitions begins with makeshift tools—stones in place of shot puts and sticks standing in for hurdles.

Despite a commendable showing at the just-ended National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH) athletics championships in Kadoma, the province’s progress continues to be hampered by a critical shortage of proper equipment.

Speaking after the event, Matabeleland North NAPH vice secretary Edward Mudimba of Binga said the lack of standard implements at grassroots level is affecting athletes’ development and performance.

“In some cases, learners are using stones for throwing events and sticks for hurdles at school level. By the time they reach national competitions, they are not familiar with standard equipment,” said Mudimba.

Matabeleland North sent a delegation of 121 participants drawn from all seven districts and showed encouraging improvement at the national meet. However, Mudimba said the province’s potential is being held back by resource constraints.

“We are improving and we are going somewhere, but we need proper support. From school level up to provincial level, we are largely using substandard implements,” he said.

The challenge is most evident in field events such as shot put, discus and javelin, where proper technique depends on consistent use of correct equipment.

“You find that learners are improvising with stones or other objects. When they get to national level and are given standard equipment, it becomes difficult for them to adjust,” he added.

Other disciplines such as high jump are also affected, with many schools lacking basic equipment like landing mats, uprights and crossbars.

Despite these setbacks, Matabeleland North athletes still managed to compete against better-resourced provinces—highlighting the depth of raw talent in the region.

“There is talent in our children, but without proper equipment and financial support, it becomes difficult to fully develop that potential,” said Mudimba.

He urged schools and stakeholders to prioritise investment in standard athletics equipment, acknowledging that while costs are high, they are necessary for long-term development.