Letters for Survival: My Recent Report on the Crisis at Bopoma Orphanage.
Letters for Survival: Bopoma Orphanage Appeals for Help Amid Deepening Hunger By Chiwara Lawson | Lowveld Checkpoint DANDA, ZAKA — In a quiet but determined effort to survive, Bopoma Orphanage has begun writing letters to institutions around Danda Village, appealing for food donations as hunger tightens its grip. The orphanage, home to vulnerable children, has been living on handouts—many of which are no longer sufficient. The appeals are simple and urgent: requests for mealie meal, sweet potatoes, rice, and other staples. Churches, schools, and local organizations have received these letters, each one a plea for solidarity. Among the first to respond was the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe’s Jichidza Congregation, which donated maize—a gesture that brought temporary relief and renewed hope. But the need remains vast. Staff continue to stretch limited resources, preparing sugarless porridge and rationing supplies. A recent incident at Danda Secondary School underscored the crisis: a Form 1...