GOOD Shepherd Orphanage in Chinhoyi has appealed for exemption from paying its water bills to the local authority, citing serious financial challenges.
BY NUNURAI JENA
The orphanage’s co-ordinator Eshwin Makozho made the plea during a Christmas party for the 34 orphans, saying as a donor-driven organisation, their source of funding was unreliable.
“We are very grateful that the piece of land we built this orphanage on was donated by council, but we are appealing again to the council to exempt us from paying water bills, as looking after these orphans is a tall order,” he said.
Makozho said besides looking after the orphans, they also face challenges of school fees for the children and sometimes they fail to acquire birth certificates for the children, most of whom were abandoned after birth.
“We also face problems of school fees and acquiring birth records to facilitate acquiring birth certificates for most of these children. Remember, some of them are brought here after being picked from the streets,” Makozho said.
The children’s Christmas party was hosted with the help of the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund and a donation by Collin Harper from Britain.
Chinhoyi council spokesperson, Tichaona Mlauzi said the orphanage should write to council and the authority will consider the request.
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“Anyone with a grievance or request is free to write to us and we will channel it to the relevant committee for consideration before we give feedback,” he said.
Makozho’s plea came as many charity organisations were reeling under economic hardships as government failed to issue grants to the charities.
