Tears welled in my eyes as I sat in that little hut listening to Sarudzai's story. It is as if I was having a bad dream, a nightmare and it would go away. But no, it was not a nightmare it was a true story of a young girl, thrown into adulthood before her time. This was a new Zimbabwe not the one I knew.
I reflected to when I was a 13 year old girl. I had the privileges of which Sarudzai now can only dream about. I was young and care free; I attended one of the best schools in Zimbabwe. I had plenty of food and I ate three square meals a day. I was surrounded by abundance of food, beautiful home, and good parents who nurtured me.
Sarudzai is a 13 year old girl, orphaned due to HIV/Aids which killed her parents at a tender ages – Mother aged 33 and Father aged 35 respectively. She is now left to look after her three young siblings, Modekai – 11 years old, Simba, 9 years old and Chipo 7years old. There is no adult in sight and Sarudzai said she has to look after her two brothers and a sister. Since their parents died she stopped going to school and she misses all her friends very much. She said she had an uncle who lives in Rusape town. He works there and only comes once every month to bring them some food. Sometimes he does not come because he has got his own family to look after. The uncle told Sarudzai that he did not make enough money to be able to help them, so they had to stop going to school.
During my time relatives used to look after their people, but now it is no longer possible due to economic constraints.
Sarudzai’s wish is to go back to school and just live a happy normal childhood.
Please help us to make that possible for her, by donating what you cannot afford to give many children like Sarudzai a hope and future.
Roseline Ndoro