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Isdore Guvamombe

They grew up in the dusty streets of Unit M, Chitungwiza, playing mock house, boxes and little everything else with girls of their age.

In fact, they did all domestic chores that girls in their locality did and played like others did. But they also concentrated on school.

Being in the early 1980’s the embraced the education for all concept and went the distance in school with their male counterparts.

Today, the Chikwature sisters, Vimbai, Dorcas, Chipo Tendai and Angela have made a mark through their charity organization Generous Heart, which has become an envy of many a parent in Unit M and beyond.

The organisastion has donated water and food hampers to ease Covid-19 lockdown woes.

After high school and attaining professional qualifications, most of the sisters left for Europe as professionals, way before the great treck of the 2000s and have been working there since then.

Realising that the community they grew up in was reeling under critical water and food shortages, worsened by the Covid-19 lockdown, the sisters have undertaken to supply 50 000 litres of water per week for free in Unit M.

They also give food hampers to 60 elderly and disadvantaged people in the high density suburb.

“From our various bases in the Diaspora, we realised that we could make a difference for the people in our original community back home.

“We are not rich, but we give the little that we have back to the community hoping it will make a little difference.

“We bought water and food hampers. It is not much but we realized it makes a difference especially under the Covid-19 lockdown which makes it difficult for people to travel freely or to work for their families.

“We grew up as girl children in our community and we hope to send the message that girls can contribute to the well-being of their communities if given equal opportunities with to go to school and develop professional alongside their male counter parts,’’ said one of the sisters, Vimbai.

In an interview one of the beneficiaries Mrs Gracious Mupfunye said the girls had shown great kindness and respect for the community they grew up.

“We are touched by the gesture. These girls grew up here and left for the Diaspora and now they have remembered us.

“They have set the bar high for others and it is indeed a challenge to all pour girl children in this community that education can take you to greater height.

“We wish them well in all their future endeavours. We also hope they will continue remembering us. God bless them,’’ she said.

Over the past few years the Chitungwiza municipality has been failing to supply adequate portable water to its residents.

Day and night, women queue for water hours on end at the few boreholes drilled in the town and others have become so desperate to the point of fetching riverbed water.