Cephas Shava
28 April 2017, MWENEZI – People who have been receiving monthly allowances from Zimbabwe Red Cross in Mwenezi since October last year have expressed despair as the programme is scheduled to come to an end this month.
The Zimbabwe Red Cross – funded by the British Red Cross through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society – has been helping about 985 households in accordance with the organisation’s schedule.
Ward 14 councillor Admire Matutu thanked the organisation for its charity work in his area but said people were still in need of assistance as the agricultural yields have been affected by recent floods.
“The Red Cross has helped a lot of people in this area but there is still more that needs to be done. It is quite unfortunate that they will be leaving us soon. Our people are desperate.
“A lot of households have been dependent on the initiative and a huge gap will be felt when they are gone,” said Matutu.
Zimbabwe Red Cross provincial programmes manager Fungai Maregedze said chances that the programme will be extended beyond March were slim.
“There were suggestions forwarded to us during our provincial drought relief committee meeting to extend the end of March deadline to May. Though we are willing to prolong the relief aid, it’s highly unlikely that we will be able to go beyond March,” said Maregedze.
The organisation has been giving cash to about 985 households in wards Five, Eight and 14.
Red Cross has been catering for at most five people per poor household with each person getting US$7.health
