Displaced child headed family loses 2nd home to torrential rain

By Tererai Karimakwenda
16 November 2006

The roof of a home occupied by a family of five children was blown away and property destroyed this week by torrential rains that swept through parts of Mashonaland West. The head of this particular family is 17 years old. Preferring not to be identified, the teenage boy said the room they were living in was located “kwa Bob”, meaning in the Zvimba area near Robert Mugabe’s rural home. These children moved there after their original home was destroyed by bulldozers during the so-called cleanup campaign Operation Murambatsvina. But the government did not relocate them or assist in any way after destroying their home.

The shocked teenager said he has been caring for 4 other siblings since 2004 when their father died. None of them are in school and so they cannot read or write. The youngest is a 6 year old girl who keeps getting ill. It is suspected she is HIV positive but she has never been tested. The teenager said the clinics want money which they do not have. The ongoing shortage of drugs in the country also makes it difficult to get any medication. Sometimes they get assistance from generous individuals.

Asked if they are getting enough to eat, he said “apo ne apo” meaning here and there. We also discovered that all their legal documents were destroyed during Murambatsvina. This means they have no birth certificates. They also lost their parents’ death certificates.

We have been reporting on the lives of child-headed families with the hope of exposing the plight of the most vulnerable victims of the political and economic crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe. Anyone wishing to help can do so by contacting us on www.swradioafrica.com