Staff Writer
A Nyanga family afflicted by a rare condition that leaves them with cracked heels and palms which are often bloodied and painful received a welcome relief after Impala Car Rental through the Alfred Dondo Foundation handed over food and other goods during the weekend.
The family, with more than eight members living with the same condition, was facing acute food shortage due to recurrent droughts that have hit their area over the years while their medical problem makes it difficult to fend for themselves.
Located in Ruwangwe, east of tourist resort town of Nyanga, the family has no decent accommodation and they cannot walk straight due to their condition.
Ronica Kembo, the mother to the family, said while they depend on food hand outs, their situation has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen pressed families failing to assist them.
“We were surviving on fruits because we had no food. I went to the nearby village last week but the people were not willing to assist as they have also been affected by the COVID-19. We used to get assistance from Emmanuel High School but they have not been operating since the outbreak of the pandemic,” she said.
Reduced to prayer as her only hope, Kembo could only watch helplessly as her two daughters, Chisina and Nhamo, and their several children who suffer from the same condition, almost starved to death.
Kembo’s daughters, have suffered from rejection from the men who are their children’s father after the women pleaded with the men to help them conceive and move on with their lives.
The only child not affected by the diseased crossed the border into Mozambique and has never returned home.
“All my children and grandchildren suffer from the disease so no one can take care of us. We only survive on hand outs and of late, wild fruits,” she said.
Guaranteed of ‘food for her family, Kembo’s biggest prayer is for someone to help them finish off building their house after the initial stages initiated by businessman and politician Killer Zivhu.
“He (Zivhu) bought all the material but now it cannot be finished we don’t know why. That is my prayer to have the house finished,” she said.
“As you can see our houses are dilapidated and we have nothing to do, during the rainy season we use plastics to cover up. At least if the other one is finished we get closer to the clinic,” she said.
Accessing health care has also proved to be a huge task for the family as they do not have access to US dollar cash which mostly demanded by transporters.
“The other house is near the clinic and it will help us a lot because whenever we try to go for medical check-ups we are charged in US dollars by transporters and we cannot afford,” she narrated,” Kembo said.
Impala Car Rental brand and projects manager Tracy Ngoma said through their Alfred Dondo foundation they found it proper to assist the family.
“Touched by their plight, we thought it was necessary for us to bring some food staff to the people. The situation here needs people to come together and assist the family. Through the foundation we will continue working with the family in assisting them with their needs,” she said.
Ngoma said they will also engage the people who started building the house and see how best they can assist to have the house finished.
“We will see how best we can engage those who started the project. We can as well try to give our hand so that the family can get decent accommodation,” she said. Impala Car Rental has been assisting several underprivileged through the foundation.
