The Sunday Mail
Livingstone Marufu
Air Force of Zimbabwe Wing Marshall Dr Auxilia Vuyiso Sibanda has donated a US$55 000 clinic to the Bathhurst Chivero community of ward 14 in Norton.
The donation comes as the Zimbabwe Defence Forces embarked on a week-long programme of donations to communities within the context of Defence Forces Day.
The clinic will cater for more than 6 000 people in ward 14 and surrounding areas.
Wing Marshall Sibanda, a doctor in the AFZ, said she helped the Chivero community after seeing many people dying before making it to clinics, and while giving birth in their homes.
Another motivating factor was the rate at which mothers in the community were transmitting HIV to their children.
The donation is part of the Defence Forces’ efforts in fighting HIV and Aids and in line with the Zim-Asset target of providing health facilities to the people.
“I was not happy with the rate at which many people lost their lives on their way to hospital. People had to walk long distances on foot, in wheelbarrows, scotch-carts and bicycles to areas as far as Norton, Chegutu and Selous . . . and many did not make it there alive.
“As a woman I was hurt by the rates of HIV transmission from mother to child, hence I decided to save some money for this donation, specifically so that women living with the infection do not spread it to their newly born babies.
“We have discipline as an air force, we support our programmes and Government programmes to give back to the community and to provide infrastructure as a part of efforts to support government’s economic blue print, Zim-Asset,” she said.
Wing Marshall Dube thanked her husband, Engineer Charles Shamu, for his contribution and support he gave towards building and equipping of the clinic.
Defence Forces’ Community Week is an annual event in which the military gives back to communities in various ways, including offering social services.
