Mother of four, Laiwa Musenza, depends on aid from a local NGO to feed her family as Zimbabwe’s drought worsens. “Imagine hearing your children crying from hunger when you cannot do anything about it,” she said.
At a farm near Harare, children and the elderly queue for small portions of macaroni and soybean stew, their main or only meal of the day. This feeding station is one of five run by Samantha Muzoroki’s Kuchengetana Trust, established after crop failures led to widespread hunger.
Residents at Karibone Farm, who usually work part-time at nearby farms, found no jobs this year due to the drought. Kuchengetana Trust, which serves 1,500 children daily, faces funding shortages, with donations dropping from $600 to $400 every three months, straining their capacity to provide even one meal a day.
Zimbabwe is part of a drought-affected region in Southern Africa, worsened by El Nino. President Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster, needing $2 billion in aid, with 7.6 million people requiring assistance. The UN has appealed for $429.3 million, and UNICEF launched an $84.9-million appeal for urgent interventions.
In Epworth, families skip meals and children miss school as food becomes scarce. “We eat once at midday and once before bed, sometimes we don’t have food,” said Letwin Mhande, a mother of four.
