By Staff Reporter
MWENEZI – A Mwenezi mother whose seven-year-old son has albinism is appealing for help
to secure a pair of protective sunglasses so that he can go to school properly, as she watches her
child’s health and education slip away under the scorching sun.
Speaking to TellZim News, the mother, Vester Majoni, said she was struggling to make ends
meet and that the immediate challenge was the need for sunglasses, which cost US$70, a sum she
simply does not have.
“My son has a problem with his eyes. He used to have the sunglasses, but now they are damaged,
so I cannot afford to replace them, and this has affected him so much, especially when it comes
to going to school,” said Majoni.
The boy is doing Grade One at Vilivili Primary School. Majoni said the school had allowed him
to enroll despite fees challenges, and that his father was in South Africa but had been affected by
xenophobic attacks and was not working.
She said she was even struggling to put food on the table and had another child who is supposed
to start school next year.
“We are surviving on nothing. Some days we sleep without eating, and I look at my son and
wonder what kind of future he will have. I have tried everything, but there is no work. I rely on
menial jobs, and even those are hard to come by these days,” she said.
Majoni said she had taken the child to a doctor who visited Mwenezi recently, and the doctor
asked her to go to Masvingo and get the spectacles on Saturday, November 7, but she has no
money for transport or the glasses.
“I do not know what to do. The appointment is on Saturday, but I have nothing. I cannot even
afford the bus fare to Masvingo, let alone the specs. I am appealing to well-wishers to help,” she
said.
Another crippling challenge is the distance her son walks to school. She said he travels about
four kilometres to school in the scorching heat, which affects his eyes and skin generally.
She said she used to get his sunscreen cream at the hospital, but they last received supplies in
February, and soon she would run out of the cream. She said the creams are expensive for her to
buy, as she relies on menial jobs which are currently hard to come by.
“He needs protection from the sun, and without the cream and glasses, his skin and eyes will be
damaged. I am begging for help from anyone with a heart. Even a small contribution can change
my son’s life,” she said.
Those who wish to assist Majoni can get in touch with her on 0780155005 or contact TellZim
News on 0719355808.
