THERE is a haunting Shona proverb that echoes through the hills of Zimbabwe: Nherera inoguta musi wafa mai — "An orphan eats their fill only on the day their mother dies."
It is a stark commentary on “fair-weather” support, where funeral generosity briefly masks a lifetime of neglect that often follows.
The scale of this vulnerability is significant. According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s 2022 Census, more than 500 000 children in Zimbabwe are orphans, the majority living in rural communities.
Yet amid this difficult reality, the story of Ngoni Chijaka (27) offers a different narrative — one shaped not by abandonment, but by sustained family integration.
A legacy in a photograph
Ngoni’s life began in Mutoko, where tragedy struck before he could form lasting memories. At just nine months old, he lost his father to tuberculosis, leaving his mother without a safety net.
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His aunt, Rosina Chijaka (65), recalls how Ngoni’s mother struggled to survive as a vendor. “Ngoni’s mother used to travel from the rural areas to sell vegetables and mangoes. Recognising how difficult it was for her to balance her heavy baskets and sacks while carrying a small child on her back, we agreed that Ngoni should stay with me while she worked,” she said.
But tragedy deepened. Before Ngoni turned two, his mother passed away.
Chijaka reflects on the moment she became his primary caregiver: “I had only been looking after him for a month when I learned of her death.”’
Ngoni’s experience mirrors a wider national challenge. HIV and Aids remain key drivers of orphanhood, contributing to an estimated 50 000 child-headed households and over 100 000 children living in vulnerable care arrangements.
Refusing to let him become a statistic, Chijaka and her husband raised Ngoni as their own in Glen View — giving him stability, belonging and permanence.
“By the grace of God, we pulled through,” she said.
The institutional shift: Family first
Ngoni’s journey, now a working adult with his own family, represents the kind of outcome organisations like Kuda Vana are working to replicate.
Based in Zimunya, Mutare, the church-based organisation is shifting away from traditional orphanage care. While it currently houses 50 children and supports more than 100 through family-based programmes, its philosophy has changed significantly.
"We now regard residential care as a last resort," says founder and director William Pepukai.
"The best place for a child is not behind a gate, but co-existing within a community."
Research has shown that institutional care can foster dependency due to overly structured environments. In contrast, Kuda Vana has successfully reintegrated 30 children into permanent family settings since 2021 — aligning with Zimbabwe’s National Alternative Care Policy, which emphasises that a children’s home should be a temporary bridge rather than a destination.
Breaking the ‘programmed’ life
Pepukai notes that institutional settings often create a “bubble” disconnected from real life.
"Everything is programmed and we want to change that narrative,” he says.
To bridge the gap, Kuda Vana runs after-care programmes for young people transitioning out of care. These initiatives equip them with practical skills such as farming and entrepreneurship to prevent them from falling into poverty once they leave formal support structures.
In one recent intervention, the organisation supported a young woman caring for her late sister’s three children — keeping the family together while providing education and basic needs, rather than separating them.
A return to tradition
While economic hardship and abuse have historically driven children into institutions, there is a growing shift back towards kinship-based care.
Ngoni’s life demonstrates what is possible when families are supported rather than replaced. His story reflects a system where care does not end with crisis — but continues through belonging.
As Kuda Vana advances its model, it is quietly rewriting a long-held narrative. No longer must children wait for tragedy to experience abundance. Instead, stability is being rebuilt through shared homes, shared responsibility and the enduring strength of family.