Helping to restore dignity!

In October 2013, I travelled to Zimbabwe for a family wedding. Just as I was about to leave my apartment, I noticed my bag was torn. With no time to fix it, I reluctantly closed the bag in a makeshift way. As I was leaving, I went to the bathroom to double-check that I had everything, only to find a piece of underwear I had forgotten to pack. Since placing it in my torn main bag wasn't an option, I decided to put it in my handbag—something I had never done before.

When I arrived in Zimbabwe and went to collect my luggage, my bag was missing. For the next four days, I only had two pieces of underwear, which I washed and dried daily. Each morning after bathing, I would go outside to look for a spot with enough sunlight to ensure that my underwear would dry and be ready for use the following day. The four days I was home without my basics felt very long and uncomfortable.

A year later, in October 2014, I talked to a friend who mentioned donating her daughter’s second-hand underwear to orphanages in Zimbabwe. I could not imagine someone wearing secondhand underwear. My experience of the year before continuously flashed in my mind and reminded me how uncomfortable I was having only two pieces of my own underwear. How much more uncomfortable were these children feeling by wearing someone else’s underwear? What kind of health risks were they being exposed to?

The whole weekend I was bothered by how bothered I was regarding children without new underwear. Surely there were other dire situations I should be concerned about taking into consideration that I was a trauma mental health professional. However, I could not shake away God’s prompting that I needed to do something to address the needs of the orphans in Zimbabwe.

On Monday, October 13, 2014, while on my way to work, I posted a plea for help on Facebook. I had no plan, no target area, and no funds—just a strong desire to restore the dignity of orphans. With the help of a friend, I named the initiative Ruremekedzo’ which means dignity in Shona. I was amazed when people began reaching out, asking how they could contribute.

In December 2014, I travelled to Zimbabwe to distribute the donations. A total of 120 children received care packs containing three pieces of new underwear, and girls over the age of 9 received three packets of sanitary pads. This marked the beginning of my journey to restore dignity. Over time, my focus expanded to providing care packs for women and children displaced by humanitarian crises. My work with refugees and asylum seekers had made me aware of the extreme conditions displaced people face, often with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

For the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to witness God at work through Ruremekedzo. I have also been deeply touched by the generosity and support I have received from people I have never met, friends, colleagues and family from all over the world. In the past 10 years, through their support & partnership from different institutions, we have provided care packs & other donations to beneficiaries in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Türkiye and Zimbabwe.

The journey continues...

To mark Ruremekedzo’s 10th Anniversary, I am running a drive to provide care packs for 500 displaced women, men, and children affected by the ongoing conflict in Sake, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I have partnered with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), who will deliver and distribute the care packs. The care packs will contain the following essential items:

? Towel x 1

? Sunlight green bar soap (500g) x 1

? Toothbrush x 1

? Colgate 100ml toothpaste x 1

? Nivea Roll-on x 1

? Underwear x 3

? Reusable sanitary wear for women x 3

Thus far, 500 toothpastes and 500 toothbrushes have been sponsored.

DRC is facing a humanitarian crisis, particularly affecting women and children. Gender-based violence, forced marriages, and domestic abuse have been worsened by ongoing conflict in areas like Sake. Children have limited access to education and healthcare. Since February 2024, the situation has deteriorated, displacing many into camps. Despite efforts from international organizations and SANDF under the Southern African Development Community Mission to provide aid and support, there are still many people in need of assistance. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

How to get involved:

1. Purchase Palesa reusable cloth sanitary pads by visiting the following link: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/DRC_Drive_2024. Each box costs R129 and contains three pads.

2. Buy towels online from Clicks - https://clicks.co.za/clicks_home-cotton-face-cloth-red/p/214248

? Clicks currently has a promotion offering 3 towels for R50. It would be great to purchase the towels before the promotion ends.

? Choose the 'collect from store' and select Tygervalley Mall.

? Send me the collection pin code.

3. Contact me to donate underwear, roll-on and Sunlight bar soap.

Contributions need to be made by Friday 08 November 2024. Please feel free to contact me for more details.

Your generous support will make a significant impact on the lives of people who have been displaced in Sake, who have already endured immense hardship.

Can I count you in?

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do good; commit yourselves to seeking justice. Make right for the world’s most vulnerable—the oppressed, the orphaned, the widow.