LOCAL beauty model and socialite Jackie Ngarande yesterday initiated a 10-day breakfast project for people living on the streets at Harare Gardens through her Jackie Ngarande Foundation.
BY ANESU MUSHAWATU
The initiative saw several people lining up for a cup of tea and bread to beat the winter chill.
Ngarande told NewsDay Life & Style that her background was the driving force behind the initiative.
“Growing up I had a rough background because I was raised by a widow, who struggled to make ends meet, so I know how it feels not to have anything and when I’m here on the streets, it’s not because I’m rich, but because of my background which plays a big role in everything that I do,” she said.
Ngarande, who is also the goodwill ambassador for Simuka Afrika said anything that anyone could buy with money was cheap.
“Expensive things cannot be bought and my being here is because these people are family. They love me and fight for me and we have a special bond,” she said.
The model said although she will hand out blankets on the 10th day, her long term desire was to set up a drop in centre.
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“We will be doing this for the next 10 days. The dream is to set up a house where people can come, eat and go like a day in drop centre. Although I do not have money right now, I am excited because we are growing and getting better,” the former Miss Global First Princess said.
“When we held this last year, we had very little capital and had to let some people go without eating.”
The socialite and her team start serving people who live in the streets steaming tea and bread from as early as 5:30am and wrap up after 9am.
Ngarande said although she was currently funding the project from her own pocket, she was grateful for the support she had received from friends including Pokello Nare and Tazvi Mhaka.
Some of the beneficiaries, Panashe Wita and Tellme Ndlovu, who was released from a 17-year prison term, expressed gratitude to Ngarande for her heart of gold.
“No amount of money can start a charity initiative,” Ngarande said.
“Just start small and do not wait for people. Start with anything you have and be the change that you want to see.”
