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I don't want to see a child suffering: Interview with Sister Mercy Mutyambizi
Varaidzo Tagwireyi, Kubatana.net
May 02, 2012

Read Inside/Out with Sister Mercy Mutyambizi

Orphans are so often the forgotten members of our society, relegated to lives on the outskirts of society characterised, by second-hand clothing, cheap cuts of meat (if they are that lucky!), minimal education and little access to other opportunities in life. It may be that we believe so little in the potential of orphans that we tend to invest so little in their futures. Reverend Sister Mercy Mutyambizi, founder of Shungu Dzevana Trust, home to 464 children (at the moment), has dedicated her life to giving orphans in Harare a fighting chance at a better future. As she puts it, "To respect a human being, we have respected God".

Do you think that there is a culture of social responsibility in Zimbabwe?
We lack social responsibility in our country that is the truth of the matter. As Shungu Dzevana Trust, we approached a lot of organizations, but did not see many positive responses; maybe one or two companies, maybe after 2 or 3 years. These days everybody has got an excuse of the economic hardships. "The companies are struggling," "We don't even have salaries," "We are about to close down," or "We are retrenching." These are the answers we get most of the time. But you read in the newspapers their audit reports and you see the profits they have made, and what they say has gone to social responsibility. But when we come together in the circles of social work, no one will be saying, "I have received so much from this company" so, for me, there is a lack of social responsibility in our country or in our people.

Do you think that people's perceptions of orphans' affects how they help your organisation and how much they care about the work that you do?
People don't regard the orphans as people that are capable of doing something in life yet here at Shungu Dzevana Trust, we have a mining engineer who's working in Howe Mine - he did his Mining Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe. We have mechanical engineers, (about three of them) - two who are now overseas, and married; we have 16 nurses who have graduated through this place; we have 15 teachers who went through formal training in a teachers' college in Zimbabwe. Most of these people whom I'm talking of - we took them from the streets. They were living a street life because of being orphans. We have so many children who have passed through our hands who are doing different works and who have different diplomas. Some are electricians, plumbers, and mechanics. When we want our car to be fixed, we call one of ours; and if it has electrical problems, we call one of our children who passed through here. And we also have a lot who were not that sharp at school, but they did dressmaking, interior decorating, and they are making a living from that. We have a lot of boys and girls who did blacksmithing and they are making a living from that. Some are married, some are not, but they are making their living. From April 1992 when this organisation started, we have graduated 97 children to date, and we are very happy about that. We are proud of them because they are able to look after themselves now. You know it's just fulfilling to see a child whom you salvaged from the streets with glue throughout his or her nose, and was very difficult to rehabilitate, who is now a gentleman, putting on a suit and a tie, but people never thought those children would be able to do that. But it's just a way of thinking. We are all people of God. It's us people who stigmatize people. But an orphan can be a CEO tomorrow. An orphan can be a mining engineer; he's now a boss to people who were brought up by both parents. So I always say lets try by all means to regard them as people.

Where do these children come from?
When Shungu Dzevana started, most of the children came from the streets of Harare. Then later, in 2002, the Department of Social Welfare and the police as well, started giving us children who are born and abandoned on the same day by desperate mothers. In 2003, sometimes we would receive 3 babies in a day. On the 27th of February this year, we were given a baby who was abandoned along Domboshawa-Borrowdale Road. She was just a few hours old when she was brought here. Most of the children who are maybe 11-12 now, were abandoned from the day or birth, without being cleaned by the parent, with their umbilical cord hanging like this (gestures). They survive through antibiotics from the local clinic. Some died, some survived. I think we were most of time seen at Granville cemetery, KuMbudzi uko, burying the children. It was very, very painful because these were innocent souls. It's not right, hah? But there is nothing we can do. We have to take care of God's people.

Tell us about yourself and your journey to Shungu Dzevana
I'm a Catholic nun as you see. My background made me start this organisation. My parents separated when I was 3 months old. I didn't stay with them. My grandmother brought me up. She was very nice and loving. Our grandmother was a staunch Catholic. And I think that is why I have my roots in my church, and no one will shake me from the Catholic Church. A lot of people were coming in my grandmother's house, for food and clothes, but this is how we grew up. And I was so close to my grandmother that my uncles ended up like my brothers. And even up to now I always say, "I wish my grandmother was here today to see what I am doing now." And also my father, he was looking after a lot of people in his house, sending them to school, giving them food, buying them clothes, housing them. Walking this journey, I had a loving grandmother, but I did not experience my parent's love, and it pained me so much. But it was also an advantage, because I was brought up well. And I know, even if I didn't choose this vocation, I think I was going to be a very good wife. But my grandmother was very happy to see me responding to my vocation, which helped me so much to look after these children. Whenever I saw the children in the streets and I sat down and talked to them, their cases were similar to my case, and it pained me so much. I don't want to see a child suffering. It's unfortunate that I don't have enough to help the whole country, or the whole of Harare, but I would love to do that. I've loved children since my childhood. I realised that social work and dealing with children is really where my vocation is.

Tell us bit more about the daily needs and challenges of running the organization
Shungu Dzevana has got 464 children. We have a company who gives us $4,000 every term, but I need $15,000 for school fees, without examination fees, without college fees, without crèche. This is from Grade One to Form Six. It's very difficult that the children go to school, and stop before I finish paying the school fees. I should have started paying the school fees for next term now, but I don't have that money. We need money to pay salaries.

We have a piggery project in Mhondoro, but the people whom we supply, give us low prices. Now it ends up being like a hobby, because it's not benefiting the children. We are asking for money to put up three to four green houses so that if we start planting tomatoes, we know we will be able to get something. We once had a green house here. It was giving us a lot of money. We were able to pay salaries. Our last chicken project did not produce much because they were stolen. For me, this is livestock. And I know for livestock you go for 15 years in prison, but the thieves are walking scot-free and they are still stealing from us.

We want to start having blacksmithing in Mhondoro, just to help free those boys and girls who are just loitering around, or giving each other AIDS. We have started a football club in Mhondoro, we have given some netballs but the girls are not forthcoming. At least the boys are occupied. They go and compete with other football clubs in Mhondoro, and they are always winning. We are very proud of that. We want to do anything to keep them busy, so that they don't think of doing other things, which are bad practices.

What dreams do you have for the future of Shungu Dzevana Trust?
My future dreams for Shungu Dzevana are big and vast! My first wish is to get the land, which is across the road. I want this land because I want to build a children's village, which will have about 15 houses with 5 bedrooms, so that every house will be hosting about 8 children. Just a normal house like everybody else, so that all these children may grow up not feeling like they are in a home, but in a family. So that they can have that family setup. My other wish is to have a clinic at that village, which will help the children in the village and people surrounding us. My third wish is to have a school from Form One to Form Six. Our children will attend that school, and other neighbouring children can come at a minimal fee, so that everybody will be able to afford to go to school. Another immediate priority is a truck and a bus, to ferry the children to school, especially when it is raining or it's cold.

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