By Wellington Zimbowa.
Australia.- (News of The South) – NO doubt the lady has given patriotism a new definition, where one’s love for their kith and kin knows no location or distance barriers!
Despite having an Australian citizenship after marrying an Australian husband and with a tight schedule as a paediatric nurse in the fast paced and opulent city of Victoria in Australia, Oferya Kicheni-Parr, cannot afford turning her back on Zimbabwe.
Her giving hand stretches out across the great gulf of oceans to bring goodies, personally bought or sourced from well-wishers, friends and colleagues for the marginalized in Zimbabwe.
“I left Zimbabwe at the peak of the economic crises in search of greener pastures. But I was taken amazed by the lavish lifestyle here as I was pampered with gifts from colleagues who sympathized with my situation as a new employee.
“But the dire situation back home had me sending many of these gifts to my sister back home to help people in the community,” said Parr.
Not only was the packaging laborious as the goods which included second hand clothes, toys and electronic gadgets had to be put in big containers, but it was also costly.
A natural giver she is, Parr, however did not chicken out taking her passion to greater heights instead.
At her 50th birthday anniversary, she said, she got perturbed by the question of what she had done for her community, family and God.
“Manurse magara munongoita zvakanaka wani,” (You nurses are always doing good things anyway) was one friend’s calming response to the agitated Parr.
But she remained restless.
And in 2012, Days of Hope in 2012 , a charity organisation was founded together with friends and relatives to assist the marginalized back home in Zimbabwe.
Its secretariat spread between Australia and Zimbababwe, has different roles of fundraising, for the former, and identification of beneficiaries for the latter.
Although, the charity traces its roots from Dzivarasekwa which was the major concern, the messianic mission has spread across Harare, with over $300 000 in goods’ worth and shipping expenses having spent to date.
Mother Theresa Preschool in Dzivarasekwa is a regular beneficiary. In return a deal was struck that the preschool takes in three pupils each year from disadvantaged backgrounds for free education.
Chief among donations made, was a book donation to Makundano Primary School in Mufakose, with Agnes Chikanda a former teacher tasked with vetting each book’s suitability to the Zimbabwean school kid.
Recently Nhamburiko and Gillingham primary schools all in Dzivaresekwa were all smiles following book donations worth thousand dollars.
The Chitungwiza based Bumhudzo Old people’s Home which cares for about 50 elderly people benefited from an array of donations comprising clothes, bathing soaps and wheel chairs.
Paar and Kudzai Noko who once worked at the Harare Hospital children’s ward said the charity is also eyeing the adoption of the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, a move that is set to unlock international support to the strained referral hospital.
Tapping on its international links, the charity says it has already sourced more efficient health equipment including scanners which are being phased out in the first world but very much still useful the lagging countries, particularly Zimbabwe.
But Days of Hope is not out on a blind mission as the charity is working on long term sustainable development.
“In as much as we are giving, we want to nurture the spirits of self reliance.
“Ultimately, we would want to eradicate poverty though empowering our beneficiaries with viable skills and projects such as sewing, cooking and farming so that they can also go back into the society and help the vulnerable,” said Noko another trustee.
But according to Days of Hope ‘brand new’ second hand state-of- the art equipment, sourced in Australia is lying idle as the charity is yet to get the city fathers consent to have a piece of land to build a training center.
The envisioned training center will also train the girl –child in making reusable sanitary pads, using an internationally acceptable model and template which originated in Europe.
Kicheni-Parr who has been featured in major Australian media channels is grateful with support from Zimbabweans in Australia, mainly through helping with the packing of containers prior to them being send home.
But as the charity celebrates its third anniversary this October, Kicheni-Parr says Days of Hope future campaign is to move away from the foreign aid dependence syndrome and encourage local humanitarian interventions.
Spurred by the founding Christian belief that every being has some inherent God given talent, sport and art grooming is another facet of the charity programme, with music kit donations and training taking center stage.
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