Feed Starving Girls in Zimbabwe

GCN was able to determine the most vulnerable and needy girls at risk of starvation in Chitungwiza and who were also noted to be the most susceptible and prone to abuse and the threat of death. Based on the needs assessment, GCN had initially developed a database of 100 very vulnerable girls, and the number increased to 120 following many more very vulnerable girls who continued making the same appeal for relief food aid before the commencement of the project.

With your support, GCN then went on to procure basic foodstuffs (Food Kit per beneficiary composed of mealie-meal 10kg, sugar 2kg, flour 2kg, salt 1kg, cooking oil 750ml, dried fish 1kg and beans 1kg), basic medicines and sanitary ware. However, GCN noted that it was now relatively cheaper to purchase the basic items locally instead of neighboring Botswana as initially stated in the project work-plan. This decision was also necessitated by the fact that food availability in Zimbabwe has significantly increased and that prices were now just slightly above Botswana prizes and buying locally would also cut on fuel and other logistical costs involved in purchasing items from outside the country.

In April 2009 and May 2009, GCN focused on helping the 120 very vulnerable girls at risk of starvation by providing them with basic foodstuffs, medicines and sanitary ware. Due to the different death-causing factors among parents in Chitungwiza, including the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS, many of the beneficiaries were mostly orphaned girls, with a few being survivors of abuse and severely underprivileged.