Artists receive lockdown food aid

THE National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) has received 66 bags of mealie-meal for distribution to artists in Bulawayo whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic and the subsequent lockdown instituted by government to curb its spread.

NACZ director Nicholas Moyo said the 10kg bags of mealiemeal will benefit artists who registered for assistance with the council.

“We asked artists who needed assistance to register with our provincial offices, and in Bulawayo we received 66 names. The names have been sent to government for State assistance. In the meantime, however, a wellwisher has come on board with the donation of mealie-meal which we are happy to receive on behalf of artists in the province,” he said.

The donation was received from United Kingdom-based Bulawayo artist, Sisa Mkandla (pictured) through her Isisa Senkosi Helping Hands Foundation.

Handing over the donation to NACZ, Sisa said she had decided to assist fellow artists in Bulawayo during their time of need when they could not practise their various trades due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I decided to help out artists in the city as I know that shows, performances, and exhibitions have been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus which has left a lot of artists with no income for the foreseeable future. The bags of mealie-meal are just one small thing that I could give at the moment,” she said. Over 1300 artists from nine provinces in the country registered with the NACZ for the government relief fund, which is targeting people whose livelihoods have been disrupted by measures to contain COVID-19.