Sibekezelinkosi Dube
The girl’s grandmother, Mode Ndara (80) from Dzikamidzi village in ward 19 Chironde, who has made various appeals for financial and material assistance in the media, can eventually smile after five years of non stop anguish.
The child’s mystery condition had caused the family great trauma and has also prevented the little girl from attending school due to constant ill health and monetary problems.
In a telephone conversation between this journalist and VOAC executive director, Emily Mapfuwa in the UK, she blasted local doctors for their greediness: “This is the highest level of greediness. Imagine a Harare skin specialist charging $60 for a consultation. Telling a vulnerable, stressed old woman who is desperately looking for help for her grandchild, that an operation is going to cost her $1 000.00 amounts to abuse. Why can’t the doctors help the child for free. It is disgraceful,†said a passionate Mapfuwa.
Although the grandmother, Ndara and her ailing granddaughter are part of a society consisting of government ministries, state institutions, organisations, churches, famous and rich ‘men of God’, civil society and public and private agencies, none of these have lifted a finger to assist the child and her family and have shown only indifference.
Fortunately the Voice of the African Child is determined to help the little girl.
“What has happened to the heart of my people? Where is the spirit of Unhu/Ubuntu? Anyway, as I speak we have already starting raising funds for the treatment of this child so that we can pay those very rich doctors who run clinics, but who cannot treat a desperately ill child for free. We need $ 1000 for her treatment only. This excludes travelling and accommodation costs,†Mapfuwa added.
Despite the economic challenges bedevilling this country, there is need for us to revive and embrace the culture of helping each other, of safeguarding and upholding values, of practising and formulating strategies that promote cohesion, mutual social accountability and responsibility that our African Unhu/Ubuntu philosophy promotes, for the common good of the entire Africa and African society.
Post published in: Featured