As the nation’s power utility company ZESA grapples to meet electricity demands from customers, its a different story south of Limpopo as South Africans march in protest not just energy but for clean energy. Greenpeace Africa and other civil society organisations in South Africa took to the streets In Johannesburg on Saturday 10 November in support for a just energy solution.  (Picture: Greenpeace Africa)

The Zimbabwe Market Fair 2012 held in Harare brought together women and young entrepreneurs from all over Zimbabwe. High quality locally made Zimbabwe products were on display. I managed to interact with these three talented groups of women.

1. The Zubo Trust
Zubo hails from Binga, and does Tonga basketry, which they fuse with contemporary stuff to come up with designs for handbags, cell phone cases, cosmetic bags, fruit baskets etc. Available at the Binga Craft Centre or the Craft Designer on 0713 877 949.

2. Gracious Women Institute
These women brought in a unique kind of art to the fair. The seed craft are from Bulawayo. Grace Kamanga who runs the institute also offers training in the following areas: straw art, vase making and flower arrangement. Contact them on 0772 896 798.

3. Stitch in Time Fashions
Ruth Mlambo, an entrepreneur based in Harare’s Hatcliffe Extension, is into fabric design and colouring using the Batik method. Her designs capture Zimbabwean arts and culture. Contact Ruth on 0775 643 709.

I recently interviewed the energetic and vivacious Chenaimoyo Mudede co-founder of With Love Foundation, a dynamic organization dedicated to helping those less fortunate.

Background and Objectives
With Love Foundation is a charity organization, which came into existence in 2012 and has been operating for the past seven months. After getting education and exposure to different cultures overseas, the organization’s founders came back to Zimbabwe and realized that the country is living in a selfish generation where people are not willing to share with the less privileged or dedicate time for voluntary activities. Driven by the passion of improving the quality of life and bridging the gap between communities and the marginalised members of the society, With Love Foundation is a collective idea, which is mainly driven by young people, mostly women, with the ambition of building better communities. The foundation aspires to make a difference in Zimbabwean society through engaging ordinary people in voluntary work. With Love mainly runs three programmes in Harare namely the Soup Kitchen, Zim Clean and One Million Pieces in various areas in Harare.

Programmes
Under its Soup Kitchen programme the organization receives donations of cabbages and mealie-meal from local farmers, which they distribute to the disadvantaged. Assisted by volunteers, the Soup Kitchen runs every Tuesday in Mbare and it provides hot meals to orphans and the less fortunate. So far the organization has been working with the Lutheran Church in Mbare to implement the programme while Childline also chips in identifying the marginalised children.

In order to complement efforts by City of Harare in trying to return the sunshine status of the city, With Love engages in a once a month initiative under the banner of Zim Clean to clean Harare’s streets. Volunteers dedicate their time for this worthy cause, which has received commendable support from the corporate sector in the form of cleaning materials. The organization has also received support from the Zimbabwe National Army and the Mayor’s office

One Million Pieces is such an initiative packaged to address some of the economic challenges being faced by the elderly and orphans. Items of clothing from donations from well wishers are distributed to orphanages and old people’s homes in the country.

Highlights and Future Plans
Recently With Love Foundation hosted the L.O.V.E Funfest aimed at raising funds and donations for the less privileged. Before the end of the year the organization is planning on spreading love through hosting a charity dinner and a Christmas party for children at Stoddart Hall in Mbare.

An alert from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights:

HIV/AIDS ACTIVIST ARRESTED AT COPAC CONFERENCE

POLICE on Monday 22 October arrested Douglas Muzanenhamo, a Zimbabwean Aids activist for distributing constitutional material at the ongoing Constitution Select Committee (COPAC)’s Second All Stakeholders conference.

The arrest took place after some delegates at the conference asked Muzanenhamo for copies of the Working Peoples Red Amendments to the COPAC Draft Constitution prepared by trade unionists, constitutional reform activists, women’s organisations, students and HIV/AIDS activists in October 2012 under the Working People’s Constitutional Convention.

Muzanenhamo was immediately taken into custody and the police intend to charge him with Inciting Public Violence.

In September 2012, Muzanenhamo filed a landmark case in the Supreme Court challenging the denial of anti-retroviral drugs to suspects in police cells. His case was based on the horrendous treatment he received when he was arrested in February 2011 and charged with treason together with 45 other human rights activists including University of Zimbabwe lecturer and ISO leader Munyaradzi Gwisai, where he was denied his medication.

Tawanda Zhuwarara, a senior lawyer with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, who is representing Muzanenhamo, is working towards his release and making contingency arrangements to ensure that he is not denied his medication once again as happened in 2011.

Some excellent suggestions from Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA):

1. The government of Zimbabwe should take the responsibility and acknowledge the incapacitation inspired by the underfunding of local authorities and declare the water issue as a national crisis. This will definitely bring on board international partners who will assist the government of Zimbabwe to mobilize funds for water infrastructure, rehabilitation and provision. The government of Zimbabwe released only 18 million for the rehabilitation of water pipes in Harare but the figures coming in from council shows us that the local authority is in need of more than USD 200 million to deal with water alone.

2. Collaboration with residents Associations in forming community water groups responsible for water conservation initiatives and education will go a long way in saving the water we have in its small quantities.

3. Construction and funding of the Kunzvi Dam water project (the Zambezi river water project for Matabeleland) will go a long way in easing pressure on the current water sources we have.

Toindepi – Where are we headed? is a short sixteen minutes documentary directed by Tenford Chitanana. The film won the Documentary Short Film Award at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival held in California, USA. The documentary focuses on the day to day hardships faced by young people in Zimbabwe after Operation Murambatsvina left them homeless and jobless. The film is a reflection of the shattered dreams of many young people in Zimbabwe who are struggling to make their presence felt in a society where decision-making is done by the elite and powerful. Operation Murambatsvina took place in 2005 leaving many young people wallowing in poverty as their sources of income were destroyed resulting in many resorting to crime and prostitution for survival.