News / Local
Mpopoma widow appeals for funds to fend for 15 orphans
08 Mar 2012 at 21:47hrs | Views
A Mpopoma widow, Mrs Margaret Mangwiro (50) is appealing for financial assistance to fend for 15 orphans who are under her care.
Mrs Margaret Mangwiro is the breadwinner for the Mazikana family of 19 and she is struggling to make ends meet.
Of the 15 orphans, seven are girls while eight are boys with the eldest being 22 and the youngest eight years old. The children were born to her siblings who passed away.
Narrating her ordeal to Chronicle on Tuesday after receiving groceries and stationery from Milton High School Interact Club, Mrs Mangwiro said her financial constraints would hinder the future of her nieces and nephews.
"I am leading a very painful life because I have to fend for 15 orphans under my care. I do not have enough food for all of them and if it was not for these boys who brought us food today, we were going to sleep on empty stomachs and this has become normal to us," said Mrs Mangwiro.
She said three of the children sat for Ordinary Level examinations last year, but have failed to collect their results because she owed their school large sums of money.
"I cannot even start talking of the debts I have because they have since become a thorn in my flesh. I have to live with the pain of seeing my children who learn at Milton High School and Robert Tredgold Primary School walk to and from school on empty stomachs," said the emotional Mrs Mangwiro.
"My health is deteriorating as I had an operation recently and was also diagnosed with hypertension, meaning I can no longer look for a job. I am appealing to well-wishers to help me start a project to generate some income."
She said some of the children were removed from the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) and this had added more misery to her life.
Speaking after the donation, the patron of the Interact Club at Milton High School Miss Otina Zvorufura said they were happy to assist the Mazikana family.
"Charity begins at home and we thought it was proper to assist our pupils first before extending it to some other people. We were very touched when Mrs Mangwiro narrated her story to us.
"Teachers noted that her three children that learn at Milton could be having problems as they were gloomy and would fail to pay fees or get to school on time," said Miss Zvorufura.
She said it was the aim of her club to assist the needy and was planning to contact other organisations to assist the family in any way they can.
The president of the club, Qlyde Munjomah, an Upper Six pupil, said the club believed in serving others before anything else.
"We believe that our main aim is to help members of the community in every possible way. We need to touch as many lives as possible and with the little we had, we believe the family will feel loved and cared for," said Munjomah.
"Our theme is service before self and we will continue helping the family and the boys at school with whatever we have."
The club donated groceries worth $100, a blanket, money and stationery to assist the family.
Mrs Mangwiro can be contacted on 0773 935 328 and she lives at Block 31/1038 Mpopoma.
Mrs Margaret Mangwiro is the breadwinner for the Mazikana family of 19 and she is struggling to make ends meet.
Of the 15 orphans, seven are girls while eight are boys with the eldest being 22 and the youngest eight years old. The children were born to her siblings who passed away.
Narrating her ordeal to Chronicle on Tuesday after receiving groceries and stationery from Milton High School Interact Club, Mrs Mangwiro said her financial constraints would hinder the future of her nieces and nephews.
"I am leading a very painful life because I have to fend for 15 orphans under my care. I do not have enough food for all of them and if it was not for these boys who brought us food today, we were going to sleep on empty stomachs and this has become normal to us," said Mrs Mangwiro.
She said three of the children sat for Ordinary Level examinations last year, but have failed to collect their results because she owed their school large sums of money.
"I cannot even start talking of the debts I have because they have since become a thorn in my flesh. I have to live with the pain of seeing my children who learn at Milton High School and Robert Tredgold Primary School walk to and from school on empty stomachs," said the emotional Mrs Mangwiro.
"My health is deteriorating as I had an operation recently and was also diagnosed with hypertension, meaning I can no longer look for a job. I am appealing to well-wishers to help me start a project to generate some income."
She said some of the children were removed from the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) and this had added more misery to her life.
Speaking after the donation, the patron of the Interact Club at Milton High School Miss Otina Zvorufura said they were happy to assist the Mazikana family.
"Charity begins at home and we thought it was proper to assist our pupils first before extending it to some other people. We were very touched when Mrs Mangwiro narrated her story to us.
"Teachers noted that her three children that learn at Milton could be having problems as they were gloomy and would fail to pay fees or get to school on time," said Miss Zvorufura.
She said it was the aim of her club to assist the needy and was planning to contact other organisations to assist the family in any way they can.
The president of the club, Qlyde Munjomah, an Upper Six pupil, said the club believed in serving others before anything else.
"We believe that our main aim is to help members of the community in every possible way. We need to touch as many lives as possible and with the little we had, we believe the family will feel loved and cared for," said Munjomah.
"Our theme is service before self and we will continue helping the family and the boys at school with whatever we have."
The club donated groceries worth $100, a blanket, money and stationery to assist the family.
Mrs Mangwiro can be contacted on 0773 935 328 and she lives at Block 31/1038 Mpopoma.
Source - TC
