ZIMKIDS ORPHAN TRUST

In a country where 20 percent of the children are orphans and 94 percent of the adults are unemployed, Zimkids provides a safety net for 160 of Zimbabwe’s neediest orphans and teaches them the skills necessary to build better futures for themselves and their community.

Orphans like:

12-year-old Brian Sibanda, born with HIV, who lost his mother to AIDS before he turned one. He has never met his father and is being raised by his 67-year-old grandmother.

9-year-old Ethel Ngewenya, whose parents both died before she was five. She and her four siblings live with her 70-year-old grandmother and six other relatives in a house without running water or electricity.

Bridget Sithole, who, at the age of 17, became the sole caregiver of her four brothers, Brian, Kudzai, Kudakwashe and Tawanda after the death of both her parents.

How do we meet their needs?

- We keep the children and their caregivers healthy by taking them to our doctor, and doctors are few and far between in Zimbabwe – when they’re ill. We conduct AIDS and cholera education workshops. And after one tragic incident, in which we paid for the funeral of a 10 year old boy with undiagnosed AIDS, we tested every child for HIV and organized free antiretrovirals for those who need them.

- We encourage the children to take education seriously by paying the school fees of those who do well in school, by providing notebooks, books and pencils.

- We monitor home situations by meeting regularly with caregivers, often helping them move toward a bit of independence. It’s amazing how much independence a simple pair of reading glasses can give a seamstress, or a new bobbin can give a tailor!

- We deliver food baskets filled with maize meal (Zimbabwe’s staple food), cooking oil, vegetables, rice, beans, and soap to keep the kids from hunger.

But Zimkids isn’t just about necessities. The children gather daily during school holidays and on weekends during school term for soccer games and dancing, chess matches and drawing classes. These activities are designed and led by our Council of Elders, ages 15 to 17, as part of our attempt to train them as progressive leaders.

And when the Elders finish school, they become Seniors and receive serious job training. Take a look at what they’re doing by clicking here!

Take a look at what they’re doing by clicking here!