Who are we?
At mukundi, we seek to address the needs of orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. Our aim is to provide safe environments where orphans can develop skills and mindsets that help them become resilient individuals who can deal with real-world complexities. Hence the name of our organisation, Mukundi, is a Shona word which means one who overcomes or rises above challenges.
What we do?
Our idea of orphan care is holistic and sustainable, in that the focus is not only on providing immediate needs but also on the future of the individual. This will be guided by the following interlinked pillars i.e. health and wellness; exploration; enhanced competencies; integration and self-actualisation
Vision-mission
Vision: We envision a world where orphans can grow in environments, where they can realize their full potential thus enabling them to become resilient individuals with self-determined futures. Mission: To create environments where orphans not only access their immediate needs but also develop the necessary skills and mindsets to navigate real-world complexities with confidence as they transition into adulthood
Our Projects
Residential facility
At Mukundi’s shelter will be offered in the form of an open space home, creating a sense of security/belonging by creating room for constant engagement. Our beneficiaries will have access to their needs e.g. mental and physical health; nutrition; support and love. Between the ages of 15-18, the beneficiaries will start living independently in tiny homes/cottages located a distance away from the main home. Our first pilot project will be starting in the year 2024, we will be taking in three orphans under our care. These three will be Mukundi’s first beneficiaries under our residential program. We have received both monetary and in-kind donations to start our project. If you would like to contribute you can contact us or click on the following link;
Skills training
At Mukundi skills are developed through exploration and experience. Through themed camps, our beneficiaries embark on nature, culture, science, information and technology expeditions that are highly interactive and involve a wide array of games, sports, art, music, and dance. These camps enhance a range of skills e.g. cognitive skills, interpersonal skills, hard and soft skills. We have carried out our sessions for our pilot-themed camp on plant germination. Through our activities, we were able to identify our target group’s interests and existing knowledge about the plant germination camp we are currently initiating. Our focus now is on implementing our three-year themed camp project which is going to include different topics i.e. Information technology, plant germination, water cycle/conservation, food literacy, living organisms, landforms, climate, and health to mention but a few.
Community engagement
Our beneficiaries will engage in community development projects with the community. This will allow them to integrate into the community; develop social skills; empathize with other people’s needs, and critically question their contribution to society. As one of our first pilot projects, we will be carrying out a sex education project which is most commonly referred to as Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights with the young people in our area of operation. This comes from the research that there are still some issues surrounding the prevalence of HIV/AIDS among young people in Zimbabwe. We managed to engage a few young people in discussing issues/challenges relating to their sexual health affecting them. We identified that there a still a lot of taboos surrounding sexual health that pose a challenge in fighting against the spread of HIV/AIDS and other forms of sexually transmitted infections.
