OVER the years, perceptions on mentally challenged children have seen them being neglected, shunned and stigmatised, leaving them without any hope for a better future and destroying all the chances of happiness they rightfully deserve.
REPORT BY WADZANAI MADHIBHA/VIMBAI MARUFU
In her endeavour to address the plight of these children and to lessen the misery and helplessness on the part of their parents, Sinikiwe Zhou-Maripiya (50), established Centre for Hope Trust — a learning centre for the mentally challenged children — at her home in Kuwadzana 1.
Having worked as a teacher at Emerald Hill School For the Deaf for 19 years, she said it is her desire to see the mentally challenged doing productive work for themselves because she has seen most parents going through a tough time raising mentally challenged children. This is even tougher especially in high density areas where most of the parents cannot afford to send them to school.
“Over the years, I have realised that mentally challenged children need to be loved and not to be neglected as I have seen many parents doing. Therefore, I decided to set a school here at my home to cater for their special needs and give them all the love they deserve.
“It’s not wise to let them wander in streets as some parents do or to lock them up in the house for this can trigger violent behaviour in them,” said Sinikiwe Zhou.
Centre for Hope Trust was established in May this year and has now 7 students from the ages of 17-23 who are all from Kuwadzana.
Sinikiwe said her sister’s son, whom she now stays with and is mentally challenged, also motivated her to start the centre and has been going around her community to parents and clinics encouraging them to bring such children to the centre where they would interact with others.
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The centre offers a variety of subjects that include life skills, English, mathematics, first aid, gardening, cookery, computer skills, golf and knitting, among other subjects.
Tinashe Zhou (20), Sinikiwe’s son, who is currently facing unemployment challenges, has been assisting her mother in teaching the children sporting activities and transporting them to Chapman Golf Club every Thursday where they play golf.
“I have noticed these children need to be engaged in various activities all the time to keep them occupied hence, I take them to Chapman every week. However, since we do not have our own transport, at times it is difficult to visit the places we want.
“It is my wish to see these children doing projects like poultry to sustain themselves and boost their morale when they leave the school”, said Tinashe Zhou.
She has been receiving support from community members and assistance from her church member Edzisai Guyo whom she said comes regularly to give the children moral support.
The children at the centre are slow learners and require patience and attention, hence their teacher Sinikiwe has been teaching them through games to make them comfortable and enjoy the learning process and they now open up to her more than to their parents.
In an interview with one of the students, she said she would like to be a pre-school teacher as she enjoys playing with toys and children and the centre is a haven for her.
However, the centre is still in its early stages and Sinikiwe, being a widow, said the money she gets as a teacher is not enough to sustain the management of the centre as some of the parents do not contribute anything.
Since she is using her own home where she stays with her family, the space is limited, and they require stationery and furniture although parents sometimes chip in.
“It is my wish to have a bigger space where we can do our practicals, projects and sporting activities and students can move freely,” she said.
