250 households get groceries, sanitary wear
AIDS Counselling Trust ( ACT), in partnership with three other organisations, have donated groceries and reusable sanitary wear to 250 households from Hopley at Tariro Youth Centre.
The donation was made last week. ActionAid, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe Chapter ( FAWEZ), are the other partners.
Speaking on behalf of the partners, ACT projects officer Mr Peter Kamusiya said food and sanitary wear were basic needs that most vulnerable young girls and women were failing to afford.
“We understand the adversities that have been brought about by Covid-19 and as a result we decided to come and assist people living in Hopley, especially young girls and women, with maize-meal, cooking oil, washing soap and sanitary wear. This programme is targeting three areas: Hopley, Chitungwiza and Shamva,” he said.
Mr Kamusiya, however, said the main objective of the four organisations was to address sexual and gender-based violence against young women and girls and improve the access of adolescent girls to having their rights enforced.
They also focus on women empowerment and engage out-ofschool adolescents, both boys and girls, to promote positive health seeking behaviour.
Speaking at the same occasion, Harare South District Development Co-ordinator Mrs Nyaradzo Tagarira, praised the organisations for partnering Government in improving the livelihoods of people.
Social Welfare Department,
Highfield District representative Mr Adam Chari, urged the beneficiaries to desist from selling the goods they received.
“It is our mandate to provide social protection to the vulnerable and to achieve this, we work with various stakeholders and voluntary organisations,” he said.
“So we thank all organisation helping our people here in Harare South considering that it is one of the most impoverished areas we have in Harare. We don’t expect you to go and sell what you have been given here and once we discover that, you cease to be a beneficiary of any of our aid programmes. Go and feed your families.”
One of the beneficiaries, 24-yearold Ms Monalisa Madongo, a single mother staying with her parents, hailed the initiative.
“I am very grateful that I was able to benefit here today. Life is tough. I do not go to work. I got impregnated and the man denied responsibility for the pregnancy, so I live with my parents and this baby. May such organisations continue to remember people like us who are vulnerable,” she said.