Several marginalised living miserably in remote Matabeleland South
Several marginalised living miserably in remote Matabeleland South
February 6, 2024
Chris Tabvura
Choice News Africa
Gwanda – Several thousands of vulnerable communities in Matabeleland South are living in poverty, with many parents leaving their minor children, jumping borders into South Africa in search of greener pastures which are proving not so green, due to xenophobic attacks.
A good number of victims of poverty, are persons with disabilities as they are left out of the mainstream activities because of marginalization.
Gwanda based disability organisation Nkomwa Foundation Trust, has been trying their best in educating relatives and guardians of persons with disabilities, to be patient and to treat their children with disabilities with caution, as they are humans who can change lives in families.
The orphans whose parents either died in the line of duty or diaspora xenophobia in search of greener pastures and also from the disability families are completely out of school, due to lack of fees, a responsibility of both Social Welfare department of Matabeleland South province and surrounding mining projects.
Many widows, persons with disabilities and pensioners are also living from hand to mouth, in the streets, vending to put food on the table, and yet Social Welfare Ministry is receiving budgets, to fund those vulnerable communities, but to no avail.
“We are now overwhelmed with children with disability, whose parents left them with grandparents or strangers, as they jump borders to neighbouring South Africa and Botswana, to look for jobs.
Some of the children with disabilities that we are now helping with food, school fees and upkeep, have their parents passed on, leaving them in the care of their old aged parents.” Said Pick Nkomwa, founder of a disability organization looking after several orphans from disability.
Matabeleland South Provincial Social Welfare Officer, Criswell Nyakudya was last year quoted in the press saying, a total of 1 753 learners from Matabeleland South dropped out of secondary school during the second quarter of the year, because of teenage pregnancies, lack of interest in school, long distances to school, and financial challenges, among others.
The pregnancies are also attributed to the influx of illegal gold miners, popularly known as amakorokoza, who also sleep with young girls for cash.
NFT has been and is still striving to educate all the vulnerable persons with disabilities, by providing training workshops on sensitization and also sourcing school fees for these disadvantaged, some of whom are now at Jairos Jiri.
“We don’t have funding but we have to folk out the small we have to empower these disadvantaged persons with disability, to give them hope in life so that they don’t feel neglected by the society.” Added Nkomwa.
A tour of the remote areas of Gwanda by Choice News Africa, has realized several old people taking care of children with disabilities, dumped on them by their parents who have crossed the borders in search of employment.
