Chrispen Tabvura, Bulawayo | Of the hundreds of Zimbabwean children affected by social neglect, I bumped into four children who are living in hell, after their mother abandoned them for her country of birth, Zambia.
This was after the death of her husband who was the bread winner.
The father of Mozambique origin and married to the Zambian woman, were both staying in Bulawayo’s Magwegwe suburb before this sorry situation that left the kids in this state.

The father whose real name was Adrea Fernando, was blessed with four children, Shelton 15, now in grade 3, Yolanda 12, in grade 2, Samuza 9, in grade 1 and Malvin 5 is still to be assisted by well-wishers to go to preschool.
All the four children are without birth certificates, as Zimbabwe’s laws only authorize the biological parents to acquire the documents, leaving the disadvantaged and orphans to struggle.
Councillor Concilia Mlalazi, who is the community leader in Bulawayo’s Ward 18, where the orphans are staying with a sick relative who cannot afford a meal for them, in an interview said the children are in need of help.
“The situation is really bad my son, as you can see for yourself. We are fighting hard to source funding from kind people to rescue this situation. We have more than 500 households who are in total poverty, as their bread winners died and some are child headed, she said.
“All this is taking place while political leaders are feasting and buying expensive cars, and failing to help the disadvantaged,” said Mrs Sikhumbuzile Sibanda a Community Health Worker.
Another resident, who is also a Community Health Worker and a Child Counselor Mrs Joice Moyo told this reporter that until the day government sets aside funds for the aid of these disadvantaged children, the situation will worsen.
The father, Fernando died of the Aids pandemic, leaving the children in the hands of their mother who also could not stand the problems and escaped to Zambia, leaving the children to fend for themselves under Zimbabwe’s harsh economy.