TOUCHED by the plight of the elderly and ailing in her community, Hwange councillor Rhoda Sibanda (ward 9) was left with no option, but to extend a helping hand, as part of her efforts to show them love and affection in their time of need.
Sibanda said giving to charity strengthens her personal values of seeing everyone in her community affording a smile.
“To me, giving to the needy is more of a calling. I was touched by the squalid conditions, which some of the elderly in my ward were living in and I decided to mobilise donations from well-wishers, so that we could assist them,” she said.
Sibanda was accompanied by ward 9 Junior Councillor, Kgosto Karabo Nare, who is also the local authority’s Junior town secretary.
The policymaker managed to source basic household commodities and cash for four septuagenarians, one of whom is ailing.
“The donations were in the form of basic household commodities or in cash. I realised that these elders can hardly fend for themselves or worse still, afford a decent meal as their next of kin are probably living elsewhere,” she said.
Sibanda stated that she wanted to cultivate a culture of giving to the less-privileged in her ward as a way of promoting togetherness in the community.
“It should be a moral duty for everyone to care for those who are less fortunate and who are struggling to meet their basic needs,” she said.
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Sibanda urged residents in her ward to ensure regular companionship and social interaction with the elderly in their community.
“Loneliness and social isolation can significantly impact the mental health of senior citizens,” she said.
“As individuals grow older, maintaining social connections becomes increasingly important for their overall well-being,” she said.
Sibanda said she was also mobilising funds from all households in her ward to purchase kitchen utensils for use at funerals in her area.
“We are in the process of collecting US$1 from each household in the ward to enable us to buy kitchen utensils such as pots, plates and spoons that will be used for cooking and serving food at funerals.
“As a community leader, I have over the years been assisting by offering my wares, but we now want to take a more sustainable route,” she said.
The passion which the policymaker has about her community has endeared her with most residents around Hwange urban to an extent that she is mostly referred by her first name, Rhoda.
