Celebrate and support mothers in Zimbabwe this Mothering Sunday

In Zimbabwe, hundreds of thousands of children will not be celebrating Mother’s Day this year. Nearly one million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. And 3,000 more people are dying from AIDS every week. Traditional safety nets are unravelling. Extended family and communities are struggling to care for the thousands of children who are left without parents.

In the face of this adversity, women across rural Zimbabwe are uniting to form a new kind of safety net and are giving thousands of orphans and vulnerable children in their communities the chance to go to school. These women’s responsibilities are already immense. But they are determined to care for these children and give them every opportunity in education.

Camfed is providing support to a network of 99 Mothers’ Support Groups across 14 rural districts of the country. By making and selling a range of items – from soap and peanut butter to shoes and honey – the groups buy essential school items such as pens, text books and writing pads that keep children from dropping out of school.

They also visit families in crisis, including households headed by the very young or the very old, or those with sick members. The women bring food and cook for these families, wash their clothes or simply talk to them about the problems they face – all vital support for families who are feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

To give you an example of one of the 99 groups we’re working with, a Mothers’ Support Group comprised of 40 women has formed in the village of Chigwendere. Out of a total of 339 students at the local secondary school, 40 are orphans and 60 have lost one parent. We are currently supporting 31 girls at the school with fees and uniforms, and the Chigwendere Mothers’ Support Group has been able to extend help to 85 more needy pupils, providing them with food parcels or extra school books and stationery.

Camfed is working in partnership with groups like the one in Chigwendere across Zimbabwe. They are working hard to support thousands of children who would otherwise be forced to drop out of school. But they need your help to do even more.

This Mother’s Day, instead of buying flowers or chocolates, you can honour your mother by complementing the efforts of mothers across Zimbabwe. Your own mother will receive a card explaining your gift and describing what it will do for the extraordinary work of these women.