Zim celebs partner with youth charity

Musicians Diana Samkange, Mudiwa Hood and model Jackie Tinovimbika Ngarande were chosen to become ambassadors of the campaign.

Speaking to Music In Africa, Samkange, who is best known as Mangwenya, said her participation in the campaign was important for her own humanity.

“Being a part of the Simuka Africa charity campaign is a huge transition for me as a person,” she said. “It’s a personal decision I made in my life to try and involve myself to donate to charity, hence linking with Simuka Africa. I now have full passion of helping the needy either as an individual or sourcing for help wherever I can, on behalf of Simuka Africa and Mangwenya Music. It’s a great beginning for big things for both my brand as a musician and Simuka Africa as an organisation.”

Mudiwa Hood, whose real name is Mudiwa Christian Mutandwa, said he had already made plans to help the underprivileged. “I made a pledge to God to feed at least 100 families before I launch my album in August, so I felt working with Simuka Africa was in line with my plans.”

Ngarande, who comes from a difficult background, owns the eponymous Jackie Ngarande Foundation, which aims to assist the disadvantaged. “It’s quite a privilege because personally I believe more in giving than receiving,” she said. “I have managed to prop up my personal brand with the desire to only help those in need. Right now I am looking forward to helping two musicians so that they can push their music.”

Simuka director Zekiya Mudimu said the association had chosen the three celebrities because young people would see them as both peers and role models. “We look at these guys as young people who can play a big role in encouraging other youths positively,” Mudimu said. “We are a group of young professionals and the young generation is the one that is more economically active, so we want them to influence more young people to join us.”

“They have been helping us a lot in gathering things to donate to the less privileged, hence we think they can also influence their peers in the arts industry to say, ‘As much as we are rising, we should not forget our fans and where they come from’.”

Mudimu said that the campaign would also extend to girls who are forced into marriage. “We are trying to stop child marriages and we have seen that poverty is one of the factors causing parents to give away their children before they are mature, so the campaign is meant to cater for the families who are vulnerable and food-insecure.”

Launched three months ago, the Skip a Meal Campaign was created to provide young people with programmes and facilities that can help them to realise their potential. Its objectives are to establish, develop and maintain a team of community volunteers who will intervene in issues such HIV/AIDS and underage pregnancy. So far, the organisation has donated groceries, blankets and shoes as well as paid electricity bills for 450 struggling families.