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Bernard Muchemwa in SYDNEY, Australia
The Zimbabwean community in Victoria, the second biggest state in the Australian Federation, has set up a fund to donate to victims of the ravaging bush fires.

The fires have left Australia reeling and counting heavy loses both quantitatively and qualitatively in an area that is home to scores of Zimbabweans.

Courage Monga, coordinator of the programme said: “Australia is burning. The nation is being ravaged by the most devastating bush fires the country has ever seen. Many people feared dead, millions of animals have been killed and communities displaced.

“Let us rise as a community and lend a helping hand, and when the fires have cleared, restore hope and unity in our Australia together.

“We, the Zimbabwean community in Australia, stand with you through this difficult time. 100 percent of all funds raised will be collected by Ebenezer Charity Foundation and donated directly to the NATIONAL BUSHFIRE DISASTER APPEAL.”
Monga said the Zimbabwean community has set a partnership with Ebenezer, a registered charity.

Ebenezer is a well-known charity organisation formed to help disadvantaged children aged 6 to 15, families and the financially disadvantaged in the community.

Monga secured this partnership for transparency and accountability purposes.
Zimbabweans living in Australia created a Go Fund which channels all the funds to Ebenezer and set an initial target of AU$2 000.

This is a good gesture which will help in many ways to quench Australia in its darkest hour in a decade.
As more states join in the campaign, the community is expected to raise thousands of dollars.

Zimbabweans living in Australia are putting together further strategies to help combat the aftermath of the bush fires, which have left a trail of destruction of gigantic proportions.

Australia has five large states and three territorial states namely Queensland, New South Wales, Australian, Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory, all occupied by a significant number of Zimbabweans.

While we have not heard of a particular Zimbabwean affected directly by the disaster, the fires have far reaching ramifications to Australia and Zimbabweans in particular.

The 2011 census noted that there were 30 252 Zimbabwe-born people living in Australia.
The vast majority are skilled and educated, with 74,5 percent of the Zimbabwe-born aged 15 years and over, possessing higher school qualifications, compared to 55,9 percent of the Australian population.

Adding to that, are the children born in Australia some who are now adults.
Most adult Zimbabweans hold a job due to Australia’s economic stability and strengths coupled by the level of skills they have inherited from home, a phenomenon which seems to have had a contagious effect on their off springs.

The bush fires are not good news for Zimbabweans in Australia. It is estimated that the damage from this calamity will cost over Au$4,4billion.

A lot of economic factors will be affected, like consumer confidence, which is one of the drivers of the Australian economy, leading to less investment and a fall in job rates.
Air pollution will affect industries, farms and tourism.

At least 8,4 million hectares of land have been charred and so far 25 people have been pronounced dead, although we have not heard of a Zimbabwean fatality.

Houses have been razed to pulp, millions of animals roasted and other properties torched.
The skies are soggy and the outlook darkened. The sun and the moon are red and the atmosphere is emitting a lot of gases which are not welcome.

This might impact negatively on the economic well-being of Zimbabweans if the Australian economy echoes these downsides, hence the interest Zimbabweans might have to such a horror.

Together with Australians, Zimbabweans in that country are waiting with bated breaths.
At the moment it looks like there is no end in sight to this cataclysmic event which will leave an indelible mark on everyone on this vast continent.

Therefore, the clarion call by Zimbabweans in Australia is commendable and it dovetails well with our Ubuntu motto handed down from generation to generation.

Zimbabweans are famed for being generous, a people with breath-taking empathy and easy to mix in and take charge in new environments, as well as being easy to integrate, a call by their host government which leads to harmonious relationships with people of diverse backgrounds.