I totally stumbled on this programme by accident yesterday. As I am one of those that believe everything, no matter how inconsequential that thing may seem, happens for a reason, no matter how insignificant that reason may seem, this stumble did happen for a reason. Here is my letter to the charity that sprung out of this documentary, and other documentaries like it; the reason for me is at the end:
The Zimbabwe’s Children Fund
True Vision
49a Oxford Road South
London
W4 3DD
Dear Sir/Madam,
I watched the documentary of Zimbabwe’s Children yesterday on BBC4 and for the first time in a long time, a TV programme has compelled me to put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard.
This documentary was raw, emotional and heartbreaking. I do applaud the producer and others involved in bringing this story to us. The detail was upsettingly graphic but I think there really was no other way to show the extent to which children are being denied the right to be children in our country, and unnecessarily so. I am Zimbabwean by birth, and though I grew up during the time of the ‘hondo’ (war), and do remember some of the challenges we faced at that time, particularly in rural Zimbabwe, I NEVER as a child had the burden of looking after ill relatives, going without anything less than 3 full meals and in betweens a day, worrying about not getting to school, not being able to play and most importantly not fulfilling my dreams. Like the producer, the achievements that I, my sister, cousins and thousands of others of my generation have made today were born out of the fabric and sheer determination (like Obert’s grandmother) of that society through our parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers and neighbours, IN SPITE of the terror that surrounded us at the time. And for those goals we have not yet attained, that society taught us that you never stop striving to reach them, because there is nothing that you cannot do.
These children, 30 years later, are faced with a unique and horrifying terror, one that takes away a childhood and thus dreams and hopes and eventually for some the will to live and be a productive member of society . I pray really hard that enough of us that watched or glimpsed or read or heard of this programme can take small steps, and that these small steps can become one big enough step to change the lives of some of these children. Because if we can bring about such a change before all innocence is lost, we can reignite the magic of childhood such that perhaps one, any, of their dreams can come true, one day.
My one criticism is that this programme did not spend enough airtime on local home grown charities that are taking active steps to help children like Esther, Obert and Grace. Many of my family members starting with my late grandfather ran and continue to run organisations to help deprived children in Zimbabwe. Perhaps because of the current situation, those involved in the charities could not speak out. However, some word on what action is being taken by these organisations may have left the viewer with a feeling that there is compassion within our society towards our brothers and sisters that are less fortunate despite the lack of compassion that the politics of our nations seem to exhibit. I know that the aim here was not to make the viewer feel comfortable. However, many of these groups have to provide services with very little and any chance to raise their profile would enable them to reach further and wider across the desolated human and physical landscape depicted by your programme.
I for one would be humbled to have the opportunity to contribute towards a change for one of these children. Please accept my enclosed donation as small as it is. But I know that it can go a long way in paying for school fees and some books for Obert and Grace, or medication for children like Esther and Tino.
Finally I am running the Virgin London Marathon in April this year; up to now I had not been able to decide on which charity to raise funds for. After today, that decision has been made.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
Rhoda Molife
True Vision
49a Oxford Road South
London
W4 3DD
Dear Sir/Madam,
I watched the documentary of Zimbabwe’s Children yesterday on BBC4 and for the first time in a long time, a TV programme has compelled me to put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard.
This documentary was raw, emotional and heartbreaking. I do applaud the producer and others involved in bringing this story to us. The detail was upsettingly graphic but I think there really was no other way to show the extent to which children are being denied the right to be children in our country, and unnecessarily so. I am Zimbabwean by birth, and though I grew up during the time of the ‘hondo’ (war), and do remember some of the challenges we faced at that time, particularly in rural Zimbabwe, I NEVER as a child had the burden of looking after ill relatives, going without anything less than 3 full meals and in betweens a day, worrying about not getting to school, not being able to play and most importantly not fulfilling my dreams. Like the producer, the achievements that I, my sister, cousins and thousands of others of my generation have made today were born out of the fabric and sheer determination (like Obert’s grandmother) of that society through our parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers and neighbours, IN SPITE of the terror that surrounded us at the time. And for those goals we have not yet attained, that society taught us that you never stop striving to reach them, because there is nothing that you cannot do.
These children, 30 years later, are faced with a unique and horrifying terror, one that takes away a childhood and thus dreams and hopes and eventually for some the will to live and be a productive member of society . I pray really hard that enough of us that watched or glimpsed or read or heard of this programme can take small steps, and that these small steps can become one big enough step to change the lives of some of these children. Because if we can bring about such a change before all innocence is lost, we can reignite the magic of childhood such that perhaps one, any, of their dreams can come true, one day.
My one criticism is that this programme did not spend enough airtime on local home grown charities that are taking active steps to help children like Esther, Obert and Grace. Many of my family members starting with my late grandfather ran and continue to run organisations to help deprived children in Zimbabwe. Perhaps because of the current situation, those involved in the charities could not speak out. However, some word on what action is being taken by these organisations may have left the viewer with a feeling that there is compassion within our society towards our brothers and sisters that are less fortunate despite the lack of compassion that the politics of our nations seem to exhibit. I know that the aim here was not to make the viewer feel comfortable. However, many of these groups have to provide services with very little and any chance to raise their profile would enable them to reach further and wider across the desolated human and physical landscape depicted by your programme.
I for one would be humbled to have the opportunity to contribute towards a change for one of these children. Please accept my enclosed donation as small as it is. But I know that it can go a long way in paying for school fees and some books for Obert and Grace, or medication for children like Esther and Tino.
Finally I am running the Virgin London Marathon in April this year; up to now I had not been able to decide on which charity to raise funds for. After today, that decision has been made.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
Rhoda Molife
