About 35 Chivi families in Masvingo Province received a timely lifeline following the donation of blankets, cooking utensils, foodstuffs and makeshift tents from several NGOs like World Vision and churches last week. Chivi homesteads were destroyed by a hailstorm that hit the area recently.

Speaking at the handover of the donations, Chivi Central MP Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said more handouts were still required to assist the villagers to reconstruct their homes.

“While we got a good response from the NGOs, churches and the Civil Protection Unit, a lot still needs to be done as the situation remains critical. There ought to be money to reconstruct their homes and to roof their houses as some of the villagers are old and incapacitated to do so,” Mangwana said.

“The Civil Protection Unit gave each family USD100. We also mobilised 180 blankets from the villagers which were donated by World Vision, meaning each family gets five blankets. The Salvation Army church also gave 10 kg bags of mealie-meal per family, as well as Action Faim.

“The Red Cross provided tents for makeshift tents. The Grain Marketing Board will also provide at least two bags of maize per family for the coming months,” Mangwana said.