The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government is working on changing the setups at children’s homes around the country from the old dormitory structures to more family-oriented structures.
Speaking during a tour of number children’s homes in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North on Wednesday the Deputy Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Cde Lovemore Matuke said the system of family-oriented structures at children’s homes will soon be introduced.
The Deputy Minister visited John Smale Children’s Home and Childline Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, and Khayelihle Children’s Home in Matabeleland North Province.
“Very soon we are going to introduce a system where we are going to have homes where kids are going to stay as families. Instead of staying in the dormitories they will soon start to live in a home where we can have a mother and father and then they adopt the same system which their peers are experiencing when they are at their different homes,” said Cde Matuke.
He challenged comminutes in rural and urban areas to bring vulnerable children to such homes.
“President Mnangagwa has been calling for our officials to try and discover where we have vulnerable children, bring them to institutions like these so that they can receive adequate food, getting clothing and can be sent to school. Government is responsible for the payment of their fees,” he said.
Cde Matuke implored the children to be well disciplined and take their education seriously, as he said they were the future leaders of the country.
The Minister further donated four wheelchairs, a small fridge and groceries to John Smale Children’s Home while Khayelihle Children’s Home received groceries, sanitizers and masks.
The Deputy Minister said all the donations which were valued at US$6 000 were meant to assist the institutions in these trying times of Covid-19 pandemic.
“Government has been making an effort to provide some provision to assist in the operations of these children’s homes but because of the Covid-19 pandemic you have got limited resources. We thought it was very important for us to try and gather more groceries so that we try to augment to what you already have.”
