From our representative in Harare
The care homes in Zimbabwe continue to struggle to keep going. They are faced with ever increasing costs that are imposed on them and are beyond their control. Wages that are unaffordable are decreed by the authorities and the cost of utilities, especially electricity and water, continue to rise inexorably. The homes have been forced to increase their fees even though the residents and their families can ill afford to pay the increased rates, having lost all their savings and pensions when the local currency finally collapsed in 2009.
Against this background, Homes in Zimbabwe provides basic foodstuffs directly to the care homes. This way Homes in Zimbabwe provides at least part of the basic needs for the residents. These weekly deliveries of fresh foods and monthly ones of dry groceries contribute to maintaining the viability of the care homes and are distributed with the invaluable help of a team of volunteers. Without this assistance the care homes would struggle to survive and to provide the shelter and care required.
Homes in Zimbabwe also supplies foodstuffs including fresh vegetables and fruit to the SOAP organisation which delivers monthly food parcels to pensioners living in their own homes or in cottages within the premises of the care homes. This vital service ensures that where possible pensioners retain their independence for as long as possible.
There are no social services for the aged in Zimbabwe and the care homes no longer receive any financial or other assistance whatsoever from the Zimbabwe government. They are entirely dependent on the fees they charge and the donations they receive to provide this shelter and care. Homes in Zimbabwe is a major donor to the care homes. We carefully monitor the assistance given to ensure it is properly used and is not misappropriated in any way. We have regular contact with the managements of all the homes we assist.
Letter from the British Ambassador in Harare – January 2012
It’s been a while since Zimbabwe hit the headlines and, from outside, you might think that its troubles are in the past.
It is true that there has been a degree of stability and progress since the total collapse of the economy. But the legacy of that collapse, when pensions and savings were wiped out overnight, is still keenly felt among Zimbabwe’s elderly population.
People who had saved all their lives and built up their pensions with the expectation of having a worry-free retirement cannot now afford to feed themselves. It is to such people that Homes in Zimbabwe provides a lifeline, organising weekly food deliveries to care homes and to pensioners in their own homes. Each day over 100 people visit the soup kitchen Homes In Zimbabwe runs in Bulawayo. For many it is their only meal of the day.
Homes In Zimbabwe does a fantastic job. Their small, dedicated team are committed to making the most of your donations, striving hard to keep costs low so that the money raised can be put straight to use where it is needed – vital food aid for pensioners.
Your donation will make a difference. Please continue to support this essential work.
Taken from their website hiz.org.uk
Homes in Zimbabwe