Makokoba Health Care Initiative transforming lives
Published: 22 June 2014 | by Janine Dube
OneVybe Magazine managed to catch up with Angela Phiri and Siphiwe Mhlanga, who are doing some great work with the Makokoba Health Care Initiative (MHCI) in Zimbabwe.
MHCI was established by a community of Zimbabweans in and out of the country after being contacted by Makhox Kasi who wanted to address some of the issues faced by Zimbabweans.
Angie told OneVybe Magazine: "Firstly, I was invited by Makhox Kasi to be an admin in one of the Makhox Pages after I had written to him about starting a page that will empower women and girls academically and economically.
"From there we got to talk a lot about the problems back home in our communities, including unemployment, especially among the youths, HIV/AIDS orphans, health issues for children and the elderly, socio-economic problems like drug abuse, etc.
"Then we sought ways to help eradicate those problems. We then came up with MHCI together with other admins in various Makhox Facebook pages."
Initially, it was a challenge for the organisation to gain support but through sheer perseverance and fruitful results of their great work, they have prevailed and have managed to get the Thabiso Youth Centre in Makokoba, Bulawayo off the ground though it is still a work in progress.
MHCI hands over equipment to the Thabiso Youth centre
Angie said: "You know when you start a charity organisation, there is a lot of speculation whether one is genuine or not.
"And the other issue was because we were all just ordinary people who are not in the limelight, so convincing the public that we are doing it for the community was a bit tricky.
"But I guess that is what made us perservere with our projects. I need to mention though, that our first support came from our Makhox Pages Fans.
"The ordinary people who were willing to donate as little as R10 just to push our programmes.
"They helped us go through those challenges and gave the public and even us the confidence to continue in what we are doing for our communities back home."
Siphiwe added: "Yes it was very hard at first even when we were talking to the Thabiso youth committee members at first they were not sure if we were genuine or just an organisation that wanted to benefit from donors using their name.
"But today we are happy because they have seen the results and we have a good working relationship with them."
Today MHCI is an organisation that aims to provide healthcare information and assistance and put in place a recreational facility and sports development centre.
Angie and Siphiwe welcome anyone who would like to get involved.
Siphiwe added that "next month (July) we are having a sack potatoes growing training workshop for the community of Makokoba and it will be held at Thabiso youth centre.
"In August we will have a detergents and candle making training workshop, we are doing this so as to create employment through projects."
There are various ways well wishers can help and Angie said: "With our first project, that is Thabiso Youth Centre in Makokoba, we need to refurbish the centre into one of the renowned centres in the world. To bring back its former glory days.
"We need building material to renovate the structures, to set up sporting facilities that can accommodate including the handicapped youths, sports materials which includes equipment and uniforms, computers, musical instruments, printers, internet access, books, stationery, furniture, indoor games and volunteers to equip our youths with skills in sports and other cultural activities."
"Because MHCI is a community project, we appeal to everyone that can assist to come forth, we need a lot of people to get the projects running.
"We need people with skills, motivational speakers, vocational trainers, sports coaches, people in the health, education and social welfare departments. Anyone and everybody is invited to be part of us."
Some of the great work MHCI has done include the assistance given to Alpha Ndhlela in 2013.
Alpha Ndhlela before and after MHCI got involved
The Makhox Brand administrators are based in South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom and they have so far contributed money to host at least two fund-raising functions, one in Johannesburg and the other in Bulawayo on the 8th of December 2012 and 15th of December 2012, respectively.
MHCI trustees, Makhox Admins and fans and friends of Makhox Brand were able to pay for Alpha's artificial leg worth US$410 and also provided her with blankets, towels from South Africa and $350 cash.
In total, US$813.00, was raised from the functions and an additional R2800 from Dr Ross Potgieter, a Doctor of Chiropractic who has a practise in Randburg, South Africa.
MHCI have also managed to pay school fees, buy uniforms and stationery for Alpha's daughter who had dropped out of school due to fees arrears and for transport costs to and from the United Bulawayo Hospitals where Alpha received her exercises in using the new limb.
MHCI has partnered with Agencia which was founded by Ruth Daniel and Change The Record which was co-founded by Lucy.
For more information and how to get involved, please visit:
makokobahealthcareinitiative.org
- OneVybe Magazine/MHCI
MHCI was established by a community of Zimbabweans in and out of the country after being contacted by Makhox Kasi who wanted to address some of the issues faced by Zimbabweans.
Angie told OneVybe Magazine: "Firstly, I was invited by Makhox Kasi to be an admin in one of the Makhox Pages after I had written to him about starting a page that will empower women and girls academically and economically.
"From there we got to talk a lot about the problems back home in our communities, including unemployment, especially among the youths, HIV/AIDS orphans, health issues for children and the elderly, socio-economic problems like drug abuse, etc.
"Then we sought ways to help eradicate those problems. We then came up with MHCI together with other admins in various Makhox Facebook pages."
Initially, it was a challenge for the organisation to gain support but through sheer perseverance and fruitful results of their great work, they have prevailed and have managed to get the Thabiso Youth Centre in Makokoba, Bulawayo off the ground though it is still a work in progress.
MHCI hands over equipment to the Thabiso Youth centre
Angie said: "You know when you start a charity organisation, there is a lot of speculation whether one is genuine or not.
"And the other issue was because we were all just ordinary people who are not in the limelight, so convincing the public that we are doing it for the community was a bit tricky.
"But I guess that is what made us perservere with our projects. I need to mention though, that our first support came from our Makhox Pages Fans.
"The ordinary people who were willing to donate as little as R10 just to push our programmes.
"They helped us go through those challenges and gave the public and even us the confidence to continue in what we are doing for our communities back home."
Siphiwe added: "Yes it was very hard at first even when we were talking to the Thabiso youth committee members at first they were not sure if we were genuine or just an organisation that wanted to benefit from donors using their name.
"But today we are happy because they have seen the results and we have a good working relationship with them."
Today MHCI is an organisation that aims to provide healthcare information and assistance and put in place a recreational facility and sports development centre.
Angie and Siphiwe welcome anyone who would like to get involved.
Siphiwe added that "next month (July) we are having a sack potatoes growing training workshop for the community of Makokoba and it will be held at Thabiso youth centre.
"In August we will have a detergents and candle making training workshop, we are doing this so as to create employment through projects."
There are various ways well wishers can help and Angie said: "With our first project, that is Thabiso Youth Centre in Makokoba, we need to refurbish the centre into one of the renowned centres in the world. To bring back its former glory days.
"We need building material to renovate the structures, to set up sporting facilities that can accommodate including the handicapped youths, sports materials which includes equipment and uniforms, computers, musical instruments, printers, internet access, books, stationery, furniture, indoor games and volunteers to equip our youths with skills in sports and other cultural activities."
"Because MHCI is a community project, we appeal to everyone that can assist to come forth, we need a lot of people to get the projects running.
"We need people with skills, motivational speakers, vocational trainers, sports coaches, people in the health, education and social welfare departments. Anyone and everybody is invited to be part of us."
Some of the great work MHCI has done include the assistance given to Alpha Ndhlela in 2013.
Alpha Ndhlela before and after MHCI got involved
The Makhox Brand administrators are based in South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom and they have so far contributed money to host at least two fund-raising functions, one in Johannesburg and the other in Bulawayo on the 8th of December 2012 and 15th of December 2012, respectively.
MHCI trustees, Makhox Admins and fans and friends of Makhox Brand were able to pay for Alpha's artificial leg worth US$410 and also provided her with blankets, towels from South Africa and $350 cash.
In total, US$813.00, was raised from the functions and an additional R2800 from Dr Ross Potgieter, a Doctor of Chiropractic who has a practise in Randburg, South Africa.
MHCI have also managed to pay school fees, buy uniforms and stationery for Alpha's daughter who had dropped out of school due to fees arrears and for transport costs to and from the United Bulawayo Hospitals where Alpha received her exercises in using the new limb.
MHCI has partnered with Agencia which was founded by Ruth Daniel and Change The Record which was co-founded by Lucy.
For more information and how to get involved, please visit:
makokobahealthcareinitiative.org
- OneVybe Magazine/MHCI
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