fbpx
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeFeatureReflections; growing up in a children’s home

Reflections; growing up in a children’s home

A candid talker with an air of self assurance Claudine Ndawa is the epitome of confidence. Bred in the confines of children’s home she does not believe in self pity. She smiles throughout  the interview occasionally breaking into laughter as she narrates her experiences being raised among hordes of different other children up till she managed to be weaned off starting life on her own and finding her feet.

By Pretty Chavango

Now aged 25, Ndawa runs her own media agency “Claudictions Media”, dealing with digital media and advertising.

But it was an uphill struggle. Ndawa found herself at Emerald Hill Children’s Home in 1999 at the tender age of 9 after losing her family in Burundi where she was born, a country which has experienced unrelenting civil war since 1994. Being a vocal person by nature Ndawa managed to settle in quickly with the other children despite the language barrier.

“I soon discovered that when you grow up in a crowd you have to be loud enough to be heard.”

She recalls life at Emerald Hill Children’s Home being just as warm as any other normal parentage, despite the strict rules that kept them within the home’s enclosure only visiting the nearby shopping centre under strict supervision.

“We were raised in a very religious environment. Each person was groomed to bring out the best in them. My aim was to educate myself, and in the end I was the only person in my stream of 7 who progressed to university level. One of us unfortunately got pregnant in Form Two, “recalls Ndawa.

Ndawa obtained her degree in Media and Society Studies at the Midlands State University free and away from the sister’s watch, however the freedom she had wished for before was no longer appealing.

“I never went out clubbing with the others until my fourth year when I realised I was about to graduate without experiencing the social life of university. I guess lessons from the home remained instilled in me. Even now whenever I do something I look back as if for approval,” she says.

ALSO ON 263Chat:  Investigating Drug Trafficking Corridors, Monitoring organized crimes across Zimbabwe’s borders

Ndawa still visits the home and is the President for the youth club. Although now living with her foster family, she urges follow up therapy for those who leave the home as that is the time when most look back to reflect on the changes that have transpired in their lives .She herself speaks of how difficult it is to trust people or let anyone get close to her as she finds it hard to trust people., Some areas of her past are still touchy subjects. Her bubbly character makes up for the protective shield enclosed around her.

Ndawa’s story reflects the unheard voice of thousands of orphans in the country. Some who are not so lucky end up on the streets and are prone to abuse.

Emirates

Farai known by his peers as “Fatso” has been living on the streets for over two years now. According to him, he grew up in an orphanage in Norton where they lived cramped in a small house which was meant to accommodate at most six people but in this case had more than 17.

“I was abandoned by my relatives after my mother passed away. I never knew my father,” Farai recalls.  By the way he talks about life back at the orphanage one can tell it is now a place long forgotten, “I dropped out of school in Form Two as the woman who took care of us had passed away. We were left in the care of her older children who unfortunately were not willing to shelter us. On my 18th birthday I was asked to leave. I have been living in the streets since then” says Farai.

ALSO ON 263Chat:  Are child policies being implemented?

Zimbabwe has an estimated 1.6 million orphans most of whom have lost one or both parents due to HIV and AIDS.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public service, Labor and Social Welfare, Mr Ngoni Masoka says registered children’s homes in the country have a total capacity of 5,000 children at any given time. This means a lot more who cannot be accommodated in the homes end up on the streets.

While it is not clear how many children live on the streets, United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reports that in Harare alone there are at least 5,000 street children, and  an estimated 12,000 in the whole country

Besides an average of 150 children leave children’s homes per year when they turn 18. Some reunite with their families or make new families through foster care and adoption while others are forced onto the streets.

“Children’s homes are administratively limited to taking care of children below 18; this however does not translate to throwing the children out into the streets upon turning 18. Each case will be handled individually but the best practice is that before the child turns 18 their case is continuously reviewed for better options? Most institutions have set up shelters for older children, a reasonable distance away from the younger ones.” said Masoka.

The worsening economic conditions in Zimbabwe, coupled with rising unemployment and poverty have contributed to the growing number of orphans in the country.

The government in 2004 approved the National Action Plan for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (NAP for OVC) programme which is currently running its second phase.

Under the plan the government seeks to improve the welfare of children whilst living in and after leaving an institution.

Share this article
Written by

263Chat is a Zimbabwean media organisation focused on encouraging & participating in progressive national dialogue

No comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

You cannot copy content of this page