Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding talks with children at Hossana Love in Africa Children's Home in the north suburb of Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Nov. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)
HARARE, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe on Tuesday donated a consignment of food, stationery and other basic necessities to the Chinese-aided Hossana Love in Africa Children's Home, an orphanage.
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding handed over the goods to the orphanage at its premises in the Hatcliffe suburb, which lies 25 km outside Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.
The Chinese embassy and the Chinese community in Zimbabwe started to make donations to the children's home in 2016 and since then, they have been offering support to the orphanage.
"In the past seven years, the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese community have provided continuous assistance to the children's home by renovating facilities, upgrading water and electricity supply systems, donating daily necessities, livestock and poultry to meet the needs and promote self-sufficiency of this loving home," Zhou said in a speech at the donation ceremony.
The embassy and the Chinese community were proud that through their support, the children's home has achieved remarkable progress with a growing number of children benefiting through education, knowledge and life skills transfer as well as better childhood experiences, Zhou said.
He said their support to the vulnerable children at the orphanage and many others in the country was testimony to the long-standing friendship between China and Zimbabwe, which started during the days of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle in the 1960s and continued to flourish in the post-independence era, with China supporting Zimbabwe's economic growth and social progress.
The Chinese government has funded numerous projects to help Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean people, with the most recent projects including the new Parliament building, the new Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and the new 600-megawatt Hwange power station.
"Our profound relations also embody our effort to care for the disadvantaged groups and promote the well-being of the Zimbabwean people. What we have been doing here for the children's home is the epitome of these consistent efforts," Zhou said.
He pledged China's continued support to the orphanage and other disadvantaged groups in Zimbabwe and challenged the children to become exemplary promoters of China-Zimbabwe friendship.
With the donation coming just a few days before the celebration of World Children's Day on Nov. 20, the Chinese ambassador underscored the need for continued efforts in caring for disadvantaged children.
Starting with just 12 children at its inception in 2016, the care center has seen its number of children grow to about 40, with decent infrastructure set up through the joint efforts of the embassy and the Chinese businesses.
Some of the children from the home have since graduated from universities of higher education and many have started to give back to society.
Sharon Chivambo, the administrator of the Hossana Love in Africa Children's Home, told Xinhua that they were grateful to the Chinese support, but required more support to build more classroom blocks and further upgrade the water system. ■
Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding poses for a group photo with children in front of the teaching building donated by China at Hossana Love in Africa Children's Home in the north suburb of Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, Nov. 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping)
