Children’s homes appeal for school fees assistance Equitrail Africa parts sales and marketing executive Mr Bhekilifa Mlilo hands over a donation to Entembeni Old People’s Home administrator Ms Naomi Khumalo last year— File photo

Blessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
CHILDREN’S homes have appealed to those assisting them with goods to also consider paying school fees for children as they struggle to send them to school.

Well-wishers usually give different necessities to orphans and street kids but a few have bothered to pay school fees for the minors.

Institutions taking care of orphaned and abused children are struggling to pay school fees for the children.

This was noted on Saturday when 18 children from Emthunzini Wethemba Children’s Home in Bulawayo received some early Christmas presents from Equitrail Africa Parts company.

The disadvantaged and orphaned kids received mealie-mealie, toothpaste, stationery, cooking oil among other goodies.

Emthunzini Wethemba Children’s Home Acting Director, Mr Newman Kolobe, welcomed the donations but appealed for help with school fees.

“Despite things like cabbage and mealie-meal, people usually donate old and oversized clothes to children. All these kids are learning, some of them are learning at Mzilikazi Primary while some at Mzilikazi High schools, but a few people have bothered themselves to donate school fees to the disadvantaged children,” said Mr Kolobe.

He also requested people to just check on children even when they do not have donations.

“Donations are not only about bringing material things but coming to interact with children will make them feel secure. Children also need counselling so even if people don’t bring anything, visiting children and interacting with them is of paramount importance,” said Mr Kolobe.

One of the children at the home, Goben Siziba (15) said they also need help in terms of their sporting activities.

“We have some other non-academic activities like sport and singing where we are kindly asking for financial support from communities so that we can also make our talents known to the public.

Although some machines are no longer functioning, Emthunzini Wethemba Children’s Home has made us realise our talents as we engage in various activities where we use our skills,” he said.

Equitral’s Business Development Manager Mr Norman Havazivishe said they always donate to disadvantaged children towards the end of each year.

He said 2021 has not been an easy year for them and they would have not made it without support from communities, hence the donation was a way of giving back to the community.

“As any other company, we’ve a social corporate responsibility policy because what we try to do is to give back to the community that we live in.

Last year we donated to the Old People’s Home. Now we have come up with a plan that for all our monthly sales, we set aside a certain percentage for donations to the disadvantaged people,” said Mr. Havazivishe. — @ TichaKarubwa

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