THEIR STORIES

The boys at the orphanage have experienced more pain and difficulties than any child should ever have to experience. At the orphanage, they get the change to start over again, with the challenges and possibilities that comes with it. Here are their stories:

Wilson
I am Wilson Tshuma aged 17 years old. Currently I am doing form 3. When I first came to the orphanage I was a very small boy. Now I’m grown up. There are many challenges I faced when I was living in the streets. Some of the times I would spend a day without eating though sometimes I would manage to get food. Sometimes the bigger boys who were bullies would beat me up and take all my food. During the cold season I would face more challenges like no warm clothes, no blankets and no shelter at night. Before my parents died life was not as difficult as I experienced in the streets. It was a rural set up but it was better than living on the streets. The reason why I had to leave home was that there was no one to take care of me and I had stopped going to school whilst other children of my age from our neighbourhood were going to school. I met Mr Ndou (Question) in 2006 in the streets of Gweru and he spoke to me and I decided to go to the orphanage. I started going to school and we were eating nutritious food and the people there are so loving and caring. I feel very safe at Midlands Children Hope Centre. I want to thank all the people who support us.

Tafadzwa
My name is Tafadzwa. I am 15 years old. After my mother passed away
I stayed with my father and my stepmother. Sometimes my father would
go to South Africa and my stepmother would abuse me very badly, beating me, giving me too much work to do, and denying me food. I could not bear this anymore and I ran away and I went to stay with my grandfather. My father came back from South Africa and took me back home but my stepmother did not stop her abusive culture. I then decided to run away and I went to the streets of Gweru. There I met some street kids who I became friends with. They took me to the Drop in Centre and I met Mr Emmanuel Muchemwa who asked me some questions about my life. He took me to Mother Ndou (Happiness) who asked me whether I want to go to the orphanage. I was very happy because I did not enjoy street life. Now here I am at the orphanage going to school, having food, clothes, shelter and people that I now call my parents who cares about me. Now I can see a bright future.

Piniel
My name is Piniel. I am 16 years old. When I was living in the streets I had no decent place to sleep and I would just sleep in pavements with other street kids. I had no one to teach me about life and the good and bad things. I would do anything that I thought was alright for me and some of those things were bad. At times I was failing to control myself and I would get myself in trouble. Life was difficult in town and I cannot explain the pain that I went through at home and on the streets. I ran away from home because my stepmother was very violent and rough. She would beat me and she hated me so much. I don’t know where my mother is and my father would not defend me or protect me. The only solution was to run away from home and start another life. By then I was 8 years old. Now I am a big boy. I went to the drop in centre with other boys living in the streets and Mr Question Ndou took me to the orphanage after I told him my story. I am a happy to stay at the orphanage and all the staff members are very good and they show us love and care.