Exist to Exist - Birth Registration in Zimbabwe

Trinity Project is increasingly aware of the complex family situations facing children in obtaining a birth certificate which is essential to register for primary education. Reading Sandile’s story of how she sadly became a single mum demonstrates the vital support of Trinity Project to both Sandile and her son Sabelo.

Sandile is a 30 year old woman who is a single mother of Sabelo a 6 year old son. At a young age Sandile was diagnosed with epilepsy. Sandile was cohabitating Takudzwa in South Africa. They were blessed with a baby boy and unfortunately their relationship started to fall apart when Sabelo was just three months old. Takudzwa started beating up Sandile claiming that she was cheating on him. At first Sandile thought she could bear the beatings but with time she started fearing for her life and her son’s life.

At that time Sandile’s epileptic attacks also started to recur more frequently and she knew she could not live like that. She feared that someday she could be alone when the seizures started and she could not bear the thought of dying and leaving her son. She then decided to come back home to Zimbabwe to live with her father. She knew that her parents were going to be heart broken when they heard that their daughter had been cohabitating with a man and had a child out of wedlock, but she was willing to go back home and face her parents. It would have been far worse to live with the fear of not knowing when Takudzwa would beat her up or when she would be attacked by seizures while alone.

The problem she had when she came to Zimbabwe is that her son had no birth certificate and since she was not working, she could not afford to pay for the external birth registration and the admission of guilt as she had crossed the border with Sabelo who did not have a passport. When she came to Trinity Project, the organisation funded her case and Sabelo now has a birth certificate! Though she is still trying to get a job so that she can pay school fees for Sabelo, she has one problem off the list.

Though Sandile is struggling to make ends meet she has peace of mind that Sabelo has a birth certificate.

Please give today to help other single mothers and their children. Thank you.