Community heroes:
BIG things have small beginnings, they say, and so believes the man behind Kurera, a non-profit venture driven by the altruistic need to make a difference in the lives of those who cannot fend for themselves.
But altruism is just a minuscule aspect of Kurera, it entails far more than just love and goes an extra mile to give to the nation’s underprivileged children.
Its genesis is rooted deeply in the man behind it, Mr Alison Muchato’s own personal struggle such that to separate the man and his dream will be missing the point. They are intrinsically linked.
The Shona word “Kurera” means “nurture” that is providing an upbringing through careful nourishment, encapsulating exactly what the organisation is about. Kurera was registered as a trust in 2018 and the first programme was reaching out in Ndimimbili in Lupane District, where they organised sanitary wear and provided uniforms while working with Acts of God Church.
They have been to Ngozi Mine too, a squatter settlement in Bulawayo that almost spills out with human suffering where they provided food and other aid.
“The children are vulnerable to all forms of abuse one can possibly conceive, and we’ve been working hand in glove with law enforcement agents to see what else we can provide,” said Mr Muchato.
“Nurturing can be done in several ways, one has to consider the children’s rights because children are very fragile and Kurera aims to ensure that the underprivileged children’s mental, emotional and physical well-being is catered for,” he said.
Mr Muchato urges parents to nurture children in their areas of strength saying school can be compulsory but getting a first class education no longer guarantees a successful life.
Kurera is very thankful to Mustard Seed for providing food for the children and despairs at its inability to do more. They can only offer aid once a week or every fortnight.
Kurera also provides other extra-curricular activities like pre-school edutainment programmes which they administered at Tshaka and Vukuzenzele in Makokoba, they also donated fruit hampers in the paediatric ward at Mpilo Central Hospital. They reached out to 200 children and hope to do more in the future.
The biggest obstacle so far for Kurera has been funding, they have a burning desire to do much more to nurture underprivileged children, but can only do so relative to resource availability and they hope for more volunteers who share their vision.
The mental state of abused victims haunts them and they believe therapising the mind is the first important step in bringing positive, lasting change to a child’s life.
The team led by Mr Muchato is made up of youths, graduates and interns from Midlands State University, University of Zimbabwe and the National University of Science and Technology who will be participating in programmes with the underprivileged children.
Mr Thembelani Ncube, a pastor who is involved with Kurera from South Africa, feels the organisation’s mission resonates with him at a personal level.
“When I joined Kurera, I was touched by the fact that among other things they give attention to vulnerable and underprivileged kids, that’s