In the community

In Zimbabwe, more children go hungry amid Covid-19

Published

5 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

Nkayi

Burial preparations underway for Nkayi well tragedy victims

Published

21 hours ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Nkayi community is preparing to lay to rest the Grade 2 pupil and his neighbor who tragically died in a gas-filled well in Ward 19 last week.

According to Ward 19 Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, the young Grade 2 boy is scheduled to be laid to rest today, while the other deceased individual will be buried tomorrow. The community is currently awaiting the arrival of the bodies from the Nkayi regional mortuary. The remains were recently delivered back to the regional mortuary following the completion of postmortem examinations in Bulawayo.

The double fatality occurred when the young student was reportedly lured into a neighbor’s well by an elder to retrieve a bucket in exchange for sweets. The child was quickly overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen. A neighbor who entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt also perished after being overwhelmed by the toxic air.

Due to the hazardous conditions within the well, rescuers were unable to enter the shaft and had to use a makeshift wire tool to retrieve the bodies from the surface. Councillor Ncube previously expressed deep distress over the incident, noting that Nkayi is hurting deeply.

While the community mourns, legal proceedings are also in motion. The councillor has indicated that the accused in the matter has been charged by the police. This update follows a series of tragic events in the Nkayi district, including a recent fatal elephant attack in Ward 13.

Binga

Poet’s pen turns to philanthropy: Obert Dube’s mission to clothe and educate Zimbabwe’s youth

Published

21 hours ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

For Obert Dube, a renowned African poet, the stage is no longer just a place for performance; it has become a platform for a massive humanitarian effort aimed at Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable children. Since November, Dube has traversed the rugged terrains of Matabeleland North and South, visiting over 100 schools to provide essential supplies to students who, much like his younger self, are struggling to stay in the classroom.

Obert Dube

Dube, who describes himself as an “African poet… born and bred in Zimbabwe,” has dedicated his career to what he calls a “mission of mercy.” His work focuses on children who are often forced to drop out due to a lack of school fees or basic stationery. “I’m an African poet… a philanthropist engaged in a special mission,” Dube said in a recent interview. “I help vulnerable children… who sometimes fail due to school fees. Some approach me for help with registering for examinations.”

The poet’s motivation is deeply rooted in his own childhood trauma. Raised by a widowed mother who passed away before his final exams, Dube became a “child parent” at a young age. He recalls the humiliation of attending school in borrowed uniforms and the struggle of trying to learn without the most basic tools. “I remember some raised by elderly grandparents… their parents are passed on,” Dube explained, noting that many guardians cannot afford books. “They will spend the rest of the time at school without writing, and that is what is contributing to low pass rates.”

To fund this initiative, Dube allocates 30 percent of his earnings from every performance to purchase stationery and pay school fees. His reach has expanded to districts including Nkayi, Binga, Lupane, and Hwange. While he started alone, his social media presence has attracted global support, including a Zimbabwean-born UK citizen who recently donated football kits for the schools. “This is a different thing collectively that builds helping our own communities,” Dube said.

In the community

Elephant kills villager in Nkayi, authorities launch investigation

Published

4 days ago

April 19, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

An elephant trampled a villager to death overnight in Mthoniselwa village in Ward 13 of Nkayi district, local authorities said on Sunday, in the latest human-wildlife conflict incident in the area.

The fatal attack occurred in the early hours of the morning, according to community leaders, who said the victim was attacked near the homestead.

“We have received a report from our Lupane Investigations Office regarding a tragic incident in Mthoniselwa village, Ward 13 of Nkayi, where a villager was trampled by an elephant,” said Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks spokesperson Luckmore Safuli.

“Further details regarding the identity and circumstances surrounding the deceased are still pending. ZimParks personnel are actively conducting assessments in the area to gather more information. Additionally, the Nkayi Rural District Council officers, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, are on site to investigate the incident and conduct community awareness initiatives,” Saffouli added.

A message circulated in local community groups earlier in the day alerted residents to the incident and urged caution.

“We received a sad report from police this morning of a person who was attacked and killed by an elephant at night in Mthoniselwa, Ward 13. ZimParks has been notified and a ranger is on the way to track the elephant,” the message read.

Community leaders also urged residents to report the presence of dangerous wildlife and to remain vigilant to avoid further tragedies.

Zimbabwe has in recent years recorded a rise in human-wildlife conflict cases, particularly involving elephants, as animals stray into villages in search of food and water.