By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Prison is not a great place to be, even for those deserving to be behind bars. In some outposts of the world, jail is something you wouldn’t even wish on your worst enemy.
Jail is an establishment where errant people are kept, legally, as punishment for offences committed, as well as rehabilitation.
But unlike a prison, an Old People’s Home is for the elderly, sometimes the destitute. Therefore, the dignity of the occupants should be upheld and respected in those homes.
For it is a retirement home where old people are taken care of and loved, so that they enjoy the rest of their life surrounded by affection and comfort.
It is in this light that the story of Bumhudzo in Chitungwiza is way too depressing. This home, in this small but buzzling town outside Harare, resembles a prison atmosphere. The elderly who live there are unable to go in and out.
The usual routine of waking up, taking a shower and dressing up is not all that the elderly yearn for.
A big of recreational facilities will do the trick and make an old people’s home like Bumhudzo more habitable.
A recent tour of Bumhudzo Old People’s Home courtesy of Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited was an eye-opener!
While the elderly confessed that they were being looked after well in terms of their health and wellness, they also wish they could be allowed to go out and touch base with the outside world.
According to 93-year-old Gogo Betty Samombe, who spoke on behalf of her fellow housemates, recreational activities were just as important as food.
She raised a lot of issues, including a tour bus and also a poultry project which she said was sustainable in raising funds for the home.
“We are in dire need of a tour bus so that we can travel around Harare and see the city and the people,” she said. “Every day we wake up, we eat and we sleep and this is not good for us. We want to be able to travel also but since our bus has broken down, we have been stuck here for so long.
“We appeal to well-wishers to at least assist with the new bus so that we travel to and from the city and other places. Our lives here have become almost like a routine. We would want to run a poultry project, not just to supply protein, but also for resale. We could do layers or broilers at least that would keep us busy and fit.”
She appealed to Schweppes Zimbabwe Corporate Affairs Executive Ropafadzo Gwanetsa, who in turn reached out to other corporates to join and assist the home.
Gwanetsa said it was time for corporates to pull their resources together and assist so that the elderly’s needs are taken care of as part of the broader CSR’s programmes. Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited also donated some juices and Mazoe at the home.
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