The Sunday News
Thembekile Ntuliki and Nomthandazo Mtonga, Sunday News Reporters
A NON-profit organisation, Operation of Hope which specialises in cleft surgeries will be providing free life-changing surgery and health care to members of the public at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo in May.
A cleft surgery is performed to repair cleft lip/nose splits. Cleft lip and cleft palate are thought to be caused by a combination of genes and other factors, such as things the mother of the unborn child comes in contact with in her environment, or what the mother eats or drinks and some medications she uses during pregnancy.
“The organisation specialises in cleft surgeries which include cleft-lip (split lip) and cleft-palate (hole on the roof of the mouth). Cleft lip patients must at least be 18 months and above, also in good health.
The organisation team will be offering their services for free and they encourage all candidates to be pre-registered with Bulawayo Mpilo Central Hospital, Mzilikazi and there are limited surgeries,” the organisation said in a statement.
Meanwhile, another NGO, Orphans’ Friend and Community Development has developed initiatives meant to assist orphans and women to be financially independent and generate income for sustainability. The organisation was founded in 2008 by an ex- teacher, Ms Siqinisiweyinkosi Mhlanga who left her teaching job so as to assist orphans who needed her most.
While still a first year student at Solusi University, she had a vision of “driving the wheels of hope to the hopeless – building a bold, creative and prosperous generation.”
In an interview, Ms Mhlanga said she was driven by the need to protect the vulnerable.
“Driven by what I saw around me, I felt a need to protect the vulnerable, give them a voice and assist them to stand on their feet. There was a high number of child marriages and I wanted to help the children, especially orphans and the vulnerable,” she said.
She said the organisation has 78 children who are orphaned and they assist them to acquire skills so that they could be able to stand on their own. Ms Mhlanga said skills offered included building, welding, carpentry, nurse aid, till operation, motor mechanics and catering.
“We target children aged 16 to 21 years who are orphaned and have a need. We pay their fees, get them stationery and uniforms. Women are also included in part of the programmes as they are also equipped with soap making skills, handbag making tools, Vaseline making, tailoring, baking as well as sanitary pads production, which they sell to earn a living.”
She said these skills were being offered to women as well to ensure their financial freedom so that they desist from the belief that only the man of the house is “the bread-winner”.
However, Ms Mhlanga said financial constraints were limiting them from assisting more people and implementing the initiatives in other communities.
