AS early as 5am, scores of children living on the streets of Harare converge at Harare Gardens for a decent breakfast.
BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
Since Wednesday, the children have been living in “paradise” after a group known as Simuka Africa Youth Association (Saya) decided to provide them with breakfast.
The initiative has benefited many children, who live on the streets, who, for a long time, have had to do with cold food and drinks.
“It feels nice to have a decent breakfast. It is very cold these days and these kind people have been giving us tea to keep us warm,” Blessing Bhamu (11), who has been living in the Harare Gardens for the past three years, says.
“I wish this could happen every day.”
Simuka Africa will, however, wrap up the charity initiative today due to lack of resources.
Some local celebrities such as socialite, Pokello Nare, musicians, Ammara Brown and Diana Samkange, and radio personality, Candice Mwakalyelye, as well as the brains behind the programme, beauty queen, Jacqueline Ngarande, served the children breakfast.
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Saya director, Ezekiel Mudimu said apart from providing breakfast to the children, his organisation also offered counselling services.
“We feed homeless children with warm tea from 5am to 8am,” he explained.
“We are in the winter season and we thought of giving them tea to keep them warm.
“We are also providing counselling to the children, thereby, giving them an opportunity to change their lives and make a difference.”
Mudimu said they wanted to run the programme for a longer period, but lack of resources was a hindrance.
Economic hardships that have been prevailing in the country for the past years have resulted in the influx of children onto the streets.
With the country’s unemployment rate pegged at over 90%, some parents have been sending their children to beg on the streets.
Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children programmes manager, Maxim Murungweni applauded the organisation for their project.
“We would like to applaud Simuka Africa for this good initiative of making sure that vulnerable children have at least a basic meal,” he said.
“This is what we must do as a society, we should show our love to the less privileged.
“No matter how small the support could be, it will definitely go a long way in putting smiles on someone’s face.”
Simuka Africa is a youth association that provides young people with programmes and facilities to help them realise their potential.
It is estimated that there are 16 000 children living on the streets nationwide.
