Nyanga More than 300 orphaned children in Kazozo area of Nyanga North are in need of humanitarian assistance. Local MP Douglas Mwonzora (pictured) said the children, orphaned by HIV/AIDS, are in desperate need of food, shelter and school fees.Most of the homes they are living in are headed by children and they need humanitarian support, said Mwonzora, who has been in touch with several non-governmental organisations to ask for support. I am also appealing to well-wishers to give any form of assistance to these disadvantaged children. Most of them are not going to school because they have no source of income and are finding living difficult, he said.
Kazozos proximity to the border with Mozambique has made it a hot-spot for HIV/AIDS. Although more than a million children are estimated to have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, traditional obligations of foster care for orphans remain strong. Despite this, an increase in households headed by children as young as ten remains a major challenge.
While most orphans did have extended family to help, some children preferred to live alone for fear of losing household property.