SCORES of orphans, abandoned and homeless children being cared for by Shungu Dzevana Trust in Hatfield suburb are defying the belief that it is difficult for those from a disadvantaged background to succeed in life.
BY NQOBILE NKIWANE
While many abandoned children, including orphans have little hope of finishing their Ordinary levels, let alone achieving a tertiary qualification, Shungu Dzevana children’s home has nurtured many children who have graduated at various universities and colleges in and outside Zimbabwe. Others have trained as nurses, teachers and mining engineers.
A Catholic nun and national director of Shungu Dzevana Trust, sister Mercy Mutyambizi said despite facing serious financial difficulties, the home has since its establishment in 1992, produced 63 university, teacher training and nurses graduands. Twelve of the children are now into motor mechanics, electronics and marketing, while four have joined the uniformed services. Sr Mutyambizi said four of the children were still at university and three at technical colleges.
One of the children, Tariro Manunure (24) has just completed her Bachelor of Arts Dual Honours degree at the Catholic University in Zimbabwe and will be graduating next month.
“I grew up here and besides being trained to cook and do all the things that children living with their parents are able to do, I was taken to school up to university level,” she said.
Manunure has already started giving back to the home by offering her skills and time, while she looks for a job.
“It is a blessing to have grown up here, and I want to assist my home financially once I get a job. As for now I am doing voluntary work,” she said.
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Other children who are in high school were also optimistic of furthering their studies up to university level. They said they would help develop the home after completing their studies. Sister Mutyambizi said the trust was appealing for financial assistance from well-wishers to enable it to do its best to give homeless children shelter, food and education.
“The street never had a child, which is why we are driven by the desire to take children off the streets,” she said.
Sister Mutyambizi said currently the home had 35 permanent children and 53 who were on temporal care because they were victims of rape and other abuse at their homes. Many other children are in foster families with the trust assisting in feeding and educating them.
Besides the older children who assist in looking after the younger kids, the home has a staff complement of 10 mothers who have been trained in cooking and all aspects of child care.
One of the mothers Keresencia Chagunda said the home has managed to give children an opportunity to identify their talents and pursue careers.
“Many of our children are intelligent, and it is sad that parents abandon babies with great potential in life,” she said.
Apart from a few funders, the home sustains itself through projects like piggery, chickens rearing, horticulture and crop production.
Shungu Dzevana Trust is however seeking funds to enable it to buy a vehicle of its own for use and to provide transport to children while going to school. The home said it also welcomed any form of donations, be it cash, food stuffs, clothing, drugs, toys and furniture.
Going forward the trust intends to develop into a children’s village where children will be able to live in an actual family set-up.
