By Desire Tshuma
Philanthropist Xoey Chirenda Chimombe on Saturday donated early Christmas baskets to twenty-five vulnerable community members in Seke Kraal under Chief Seke.
Under her organisation, Va Chirenda Centre for Hope Foundation, Xoey who is the founder managed to donate to twenty-five vulnerable community members who include the vulnerable young women, the orphans and the elderly. The event was held at Chief Seke’s homestead which is the venue for all community activities.
She said as the daughter of the late Lieutenant Colonel Harold Chirenda – a liberation war hero, she is very patriotic citizen and values the Ubuntu, hence giving back to society.
The guest of honour, Chief (Mambo) Seke graced the event with the local leadership witnessing the occasion including the Honourable Member of Parliament for Seke-Chikomba, Hounorable Anastasia Tatenda Mavetera.
”I am very grateful for what my daughter Xoey Chirenda has done to this community. She grew up here in Seke and has emulated what her selfless late father Lt Col Cherenda did to liberate our country from colonialism,” said Mambo Seke.
The Thanksgiving Christmas Basket coincided with the chief’s birthday. Mambo Seke turned sixty-five years on that day. The Hon Member of Parliament for Seke North, Hon Anastasia Tatenda Mavetera also thanked Xoey for the kind heart that she showed to her community.
”I thank Xoey. She has done wonderful humanitarian work for assisting our vulnerable people in Seke. I urge every Seke member who is able to help his or her community to emulate Xoey,” said Hon Mavetera.
On the very event the wives of the chief’s council members also took the opportunity to share cooking utensils that they had bought for themselves using the savings cooperative scheme called Mukando which most women do every month till the end of the year before sharing.
Xoey is based in the United States of America. Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, she had to delegate some of her friends who are part of the Va Chirenda Centre for Hope Foundation to distribute the goodies.
This reporter managed to talk to Xoey over the phone.
”My vision is to build a centre in memory of my late father in the Seke community that will be used as a home to the homeless. It will be a centre of hope for young girls, adolescents, vulnerable young boys and girls as well as the elderly.
“The centre will also bring about development to the community in form of land for agriculture activities, and a vocational training centre for skills development and job creation,” said Xoey.
Xoey is the third born in a family of nine. Her father Lt Col Cherenda was a liberation war icon who was born on August 1, 1944, and passed away at the United Bulawayo Hospital on 1 January 2014 after a long illness.
