Disabled children stranded as Children's Home closes

AT least 40 children living with disabilities are stranded in Bulawayo following the closure of Emthunzini Wethemba Children's Home which offered day care services to them.

Management at the Zimbabwe Parents of Handicapped Children Association (ZPHCA)-run institution on Tuesday said funding for the welfare centre dried up at the termination of the contract with the donors in March this year.
However, parents are accusing management of corruption, lack of transparency and running down the institution.

ZPHCA Bulawayo branch coordinator Ms Tracey Mabiza admitted yesterday that the institution had temporarily shut down and said the children were in a dire situation.

"It is true that the institution is in trouble and the 40 children we provided service at the centre are no longer coming.

"We are facing financial constraints and we can not pay rent and provide the required nutritional support, physiotherapy and social support," said Ms Mabiza.

"As we speak the children are suffering malnutrition at  their homes and failure to provide them with the required services affects their health and reduces their life expectancy."

Ms Mabiza said a majority of the parents were struggling to make ends meet and could not afford to provide the handicapped children with the required services and diet.

"Most of the parents are vendors and we are getting reports that some of them lock up their children when they go to sell their wares and that those who are hyperactive are tied on objects during the day," she said.

Ms Mabiza said the organisation was no longer able to provide care services as it was failing to pay its 10 administration workers, four teachers and allowances for 12 voluntary care givers.

ZPHCA Bulawayo branch was established in 2001 is renting Emthunzini Wethemba premises in Mzilikazi suburb at a cost of $500 per month. "Our budget for food was $800 per month and $40 per month for transport. We also have other costs including physiotherapy services and in total our annual budget is about $45 000," said Mrs Mabiza.

However, a group of parents who stormed Chronicle newsroom and preferred anonymity, felt management was squandering the donor money at the expense of the intended beneficiaries.

"We used to have up to 60 handicapped children in that place but Ms Mabiza and her team are failing to run the centre. Since June this year our children are stranded and donor funds are missing," fumed one of the parents.

The parents said the donors gave the institution $15 000 for staff costs and undisclosed funding for food packs for parents who are HIV positive.

"We know the donors gave money to the management but the money was not put to proper use. That is why funding has dried up because donors are frustrated by mismanagement," said another parent.

"We were also told there was money for income generating projects for the centre but management is failing to give an account for those things to the board."

The parents also accused Ms Mabiza of faking receipts when procuring required items for the centre.
Said another parent: "She produces fake receipts for the items bought for the centre. How can one claim to have bought something from Victoria Falls when everything is found here in Bulawayo?"

Another parent said the centre owed property owners $42 000 for office space and alleged that Ms Mabiza was opening her own centre using their children's names.

The parents said Ms Mabiza's management was harsh to them when they asked about what was happening at the centre.

"She is very arrogant and uses vulgar language when we try to engage her. She does not listen to the board and the Harare head office is also failing to address the issue.

"The 30-seater bus for the centre has been attached by a loan shark over monies she borrowed without our knowledge."

Commenting on the accusations, Ms Mabiza insisted her hands were clean but admitted that there was animosity between her administration and parents.

"It is unfortunate that despite all the work we are doing some parents are piling accusations on me. I wonder what the motive for that is.

"I am aware of the syndicate behind this. These parents you saw are a front for some selfish interests and apparently this is frustrating our work," said Ms Mabiza.

She acknowledged that the bus has been attached and that at some point some funds were diverted to cover essential services.

"I have been knocking on every door seeking funding for the centre and at some point, for the sake of balancing things, used some funds to cover essential costs to ensure the institution is kept running.

"For instance we did not have a budget for rent and fuel and when property owners wanted their money we had no option                            but to use the cash we had. In everything we did we kept records and there is nothing we did for our personal gain. When head office came here at some point we explained everything."