By Richmore Tera.
Harare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South) –
THE charity work that the late Roman Catholic nun and missionary Mother Theresa did for the poor, the orphaned and the sick, especially those infected by HIV and Aids and other serious diseases, continues to impact many lives today years after her death.
Born in Macedonia on August 26, 1910, Mother Theresa formed the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 with the purpose of giving love and care to those who had no one to look after them.
When she eventually passed away on September 5, 1997, the world was left poorer of a peace-maker, philanthropist and caregiver in the form of Mother Theresa, the Nobel Prize winner.
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Now it is exactly 11 years since Mother Theresa breathed her last but the legacy that she left behind still lives on with the passion of an eternal flame.
A woman based in Harare’s dormitory town of Chitungwiza is walking in the path similar to that which Mother Theresa walked.
Mrs Definite Mverechena has embarked on charity work. She runs a children’s home where she has adopted orphans and abandoned children under her roof and where she gives them parental care and guidance.
The orphanage, which is currently running under the name, Tinevimbo Foundation Trust, is based in Zengeza 5 in the sprawling town.
Indeed, Mother Theresa must be smiling in her grave because Mai Tinevimbo, as Mrs Mverechena is fondly called by members of her community after the name of her charity organisation, has to date adopted three orphans, with the latest being an infant who was abandoned by his mother when he was only about 10 days old.
“This child was discovered wrapped in plastic sheets and Good Samaritans rushed him to hospital where he was kept until the time I adopted him through the Social Welfare Department. We have named him Denzel,” she said.
Denzel is now three months old and a ‘proud’ son belonging to a new home complete with a caring mother, father and siblings to have fun with and enjoy a new life.
“Actually, I am married to Richard Mverechena and together we have our own children, three of them. Now the family has grown to six children; that is when we include the other three who have joined us (adopted).
“Their father (Richard) is a very caring father and loves them all whole-heartedly. In fact, he is very supportive of what I am doing for these children,” she said.
Mai Tinevimbo explained why she decided to start an orphanage.
“I was abandoned by my mother while I was still an infant of about four months. This was in October 1980, before being taken to Chinyaradzo Children’s Home. I stayed there for five years before one of my aunts took me into her care. She looked after me until I grew up into a woman that I am today before getting married to Richard,” she said.
Tinevimbo Foundation Trust was registered in March 2016 to look after children who are of a similar background to hers.
She also has a spot in her heart for girls and women who are sexually abused, impregnated and ditched.
“These girls suffer a lot by carrying such pregnancies. This is one of the major causes of abortion and baby dumping. These girls need to be counselled once such a thing happens to them. They should not know that it is not the end of the world,” Mai Tinevimbo explained.
She lamented the rate at which rape cases involving young girls as victims were occurring.
“They fall prey to the perpetrators who, apart from impregnating them, also infect them with sexually-transmitted diseases and even HIV. This is a very sad and worrying situation which the Government should seriously look into.
“Yes, the courts are passing deterrent sentences to rapists but no amount of punishment seems to be stiffer enough to stop them from committing this heinous crime,” she said.
*Mai Tinevimbo can be contacted on 0772 891 552
Below: Mrs Definite Mverechena or Mai Tinevimbo holding babies Sharma and Denzel (L); flanked by nurses (C) and donating sanitary pads at Chitungwiza Central Hospital’s pediatric ward recently.
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