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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
A BULAWAYO-based non-governmental organisation, Hope Restorers Academy, on Sunday treated 120 children under the age of 14 years from Mzilikazi and Nguboyenja suburbs, to a surprise Christmas Day lunch.

After the feast, the little ones went home with presents, a festive season tradition. Disadvantaged and disabled elders received food hampers at the event, held at Sotshangane Flats in Mzilikazi suburb.

This was the second year running that Hope Restorers Academy has treated children to a sumptuous meal on Christmas as it seeks to bring fun and joy to young ones from various backgrounds, some who have previously spent the day on an empty stomach while their age mates dance the day away with families.

Founder and director of Hope Restorers Academy, Ms Michelle Msimanga, speaking from her base in the United Kingdom, said the idea was to create a special day where all the children can come together, celebrate and have a memorable day.

She said the vision was to create that one special day where family status does not stop children from celebrating a meaningful event and ultimately ensuring that no child goes without food on the day.

Having grown up at Sotshangane Flats, Ms Msimanga said she relates to a lot of the children from the community and importantly she had the most beautiful memories from the area.

She said Christmas was the mother of all events throughout her childhood, hence she wanted to bring that magic back and hopefully create wonderful and lasting memories for the children.

“This was the second Christmas party we have held with the first one being last year. We had spent a few months running a soup kitchen three times a week in Nguboyenja during the Covid-19 lockdown period mainly for the children and the elderly. This brought so much joy and made a difference. We also noted that as the weeks went on the queues got longer.

We, therefore, felt that it was necessary to throw an annual Christmas party for the children who are mainly from the surrounding areas of Nguboyenja, Mzilikazi and Sotshangane,” said Ms Msimanga.

Speaking during the festivities, some of the children described the event as an experience that they will cherish forever and thanked Hope Restorers Academy for remembering them on such an important day.

“I am enjoying myself so much, this is such a great day for me,” said seven-year-old Tino Moyo, a Grade Two learner at Lozikeyi Primary School.

Shantel Sibanda, a Form One pupil at Mzilikazi High School described the day as “heaven on earth” and said she wished the event would go on forever.

For nine-year-old Shantel Mpofu from Lozikeyi Primary School, the event will forever be embedded in her mind.

“I am truly enjoying myself, I don’t even want the event to end, even though I know that it will. Thank you to those who organised such an event for kids like myself,” she said.

Hope Restorers Academy was founded to address childhood poverty through education opportunities and supporting grandparent-headed families.

The organisation also pays school fees for over 100 children and constantly provides food hampers for the elderly.

“We have families we support on an ongoing basis in a bid to ensure that children within those families have access to education and basic needs.

“As mentioned during the Covid lockdowns we engaged with the communities through our hamper initiatives for the elderly and disabled as well as the soup kitchen as that was a very economically challenging period for most families. We consider ourselves to be a grassroots organisation creating local solutions to local problems as part of our social responsibility in the very communities that we were raised in,” said Ms Msimanga.

Sunday’s event was graced by Canada-based former Amazulu, Warriors and South Africa’s Maritzburg United goalkeeper Dominic Sithole who is home for the holidays and is also from Sotshangane Flats.