Zimpapers Logo

Herald Reporter

For most human beings, the mere thought of a child suffering brings mental anguish. 

But most of us are resigned to the fact that the world is full of challenges and you can’t solve them all. 

Therefore, it takes a special kind of person to acknowledge that and roll up their sleeves and decide that they will do what they can to change things in their corner of the world.

Loving Mums are doing exactly that. 

The group of women who came together out of compassion for suffering children has touched so many lives over the past few years.

Founded in April 2014, Loving Moms is an association of Chinese women in Zimbabwe that has chosen to focus on assisting vulnerable children.

Their flagship venture has been the Hossana Love in Africa Children’s home in Hatcliffe where with the help of others who have seen their sterling work, the Loving Moms established an orphanage and turned it into a true home for the resident children. Loving Mums came together with Miracle Missions to make the home a reality.

Officially handed over to the government in August 2016, the orphanage which houses 20 children and also offers education facilities to others from the surrounding community has remained at the heart of the Loving Moms and through them many others in the Chinese community in Zimbabwe.

A good number of organisations have come in with funds, furniture, construction material, playground apparatus and food to help the Loving Moms realise their dream of creating a real home for disadvantaged children in Hatcliffe. 

They support the home with monthly donations of provisions.

Mr Rusty Markham says the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese community have impacted positively on the disadvantaged community

The children’s home administrator, Mr Abel Chivambo, said the Loving Moms and their friends have made a big impact in the community.

“Since most of these are neglected and rejected by parents and community they turn to the streets. But the Loving Moms had a passion to take those children through social welfare to come to this place.”

The Loving Moms have facilitated treatment for some orphans with various ailments.

Mr Chivambo says the construction of a fish pond at the home by the Loving Moms has helped the centre look beyond charity towards self-sustenance to ensure that they can use the infrastructure in place to take care of many generations of vulnerable children. 

In addition to the fish project, the centre also has chickens and goats.

The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe has also stepped in to buttress efforts by the Loving Moms and the other organisations. 

The embassy has come in to donate foodstuffs and other items to the home and community. 

But the embassy is determined to do more and has committed to develop the institution with more structures. A ground breaking ceremony for an upgrade through the addition of a classroom block was held in November 2019.

Speaking at that occasion, the spouse to the ambassador of China to Zimbabwe, Counsellor Wang Wei, said that the Chinese Embassy has long been committed to working with Zimbabweans to make the world a better place for all.

 “The Hossana Children’s Home Upgrade Project aided by Chinese Embassy will greatly improve the children’s living and learning conditions,” she noted.

The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe is funding the upgrade project, including the construction of new dormitories, repair of classrooms and installation of fences.

The Chinese have provided government scholarships to students from Zimbabwe to study in China, assisted in the construction of infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and donated food, daily necessities and other materials to vulnerable groups in Zimbabwe. 

The Chinese government is also involved in other projects of national import including upgrade of the Victoria Falls and RGM international airports, power generation projects in Kariba and Hwange and construction of the impressive new parliament building in Mount Hampden.

In addition to the establishment and continued support of the Hossana Love in Africa home, the Loving Moms have also carried out many other acts of kindness.

These include the annual orphans’ party at Long Cheng Plaza where different children’s homes would be hosted before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Another time more than 700 orphans from 10 children’s homes benefited from a recent donation made by the Loving Moms. The donation included five tonnes of mealie-meal, 928 bottles of cooking oil, 1160 bags of sugar, 580 bags of salt, stationery and other things.

The Loving Moms have also refurbished the Mabvuku Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children and the Marondera Orphanage.