PROMINENT Bulawayo-based community leader, human rights activist and the director for Vulindlela Orphanage Care Centre, Patricia Tshabalala, is appealing for financial assistance to promote her mentorship programme at the institution.
Affectionately known as MaTshabalala, she is celebrated for establishing culturally rooted initiatives aimed at mentoring young girls affectionately known as amatshitshi or maidens.
The programmes focus on instilling cultural values and encouraging young women to maintain their purity and traditional dignity.
Speaking to Southern Eye yesterday, Tshabalala said she is overwhelmed by the number of children abandoned by mothers who seek refuge at the orphanage care centre.
“Some of them are of school going age, around six years and below, abandoned by their mothers who run away, leaving them with no one to care for them,” she said.
“These children are worse off than those who are orphaned because they lack birth certificates and are out of school.
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“I’m appealing for financial assistance to send them to school and effectively teach cultural values to our youth at this institution.”
Tshabalala stated that the challenge with the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) is that it does not consider children that are abandoned by their parents.
She said she had reached out to abandoned children and has a good working relationship with school authorities, which has seen them go back to school.
Tshabalala emphasised that she loves children, adding that some of them volunteer to stay with her after experiencing domestic violence happening at their homes.
She noted that the nation cannot expect these children to do good in future when their parents have not given the right direction to life.
“We are planning to celebrate Africa Day at the care centre on Monday,” she said.
“We are inviting all those interested in learning about our cultural values.
“We have 30 girls and 10 boys and they will showcase what they have learnt at the institution.
“We have invited some cultural experts to grace the occasion.”
Tshabalala paid tribute to those in the diaspora for assisting her to run the institution.