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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
CHINOTIMBA Old People’s Home in Victoria Falls is now failing to provide decent meals for 15 elderly people housed at the facility.

Sometimes the home skips a meal while relish is now limited to soya chunks and vegetables.

The old people’s home used to get donations from individuals, hotels, tour operators, tourists, churches and schools who are now not helping as they have been incapacitated by Covid-19 restrictions.

Some doctors from Victoria Falls Hospital who used to take turns to visit the home during weekends have also stopped because of commitments in the fight against Covid-19.

A Chronicle news crew visited the home and spoke to members of the board who said the elderly lack access to medication and are facing food shortages.

“We no longer have any company coming to donate or spend time because of the lockdown caused by Covid-19. It’s now tough for us and we are just surviving by grace. Our major challenge is on medication and food, especially relish,” said Mr James Nyoni, a board member.

“We need gloves, medication including pain killers and adult diapers because some are bed-ridden. These are elderly people who are actually sick and we should be having pain killers at any given time.

Five of them are on mental health treatment and we have to buy pills and injections every month which needs foreign currency that we don’t have. On average each injection or tablet is US$10 per month per person.”

He said before the lockdown they used to get some forex from tour operators, hotels and tourists who visited the home and would use the money to buy medication in Zambia where it’s cheaper than locally.

Mr Nyoni commended TM Pick n Pay supermarket which has maintained a RTGS$2 000 monthly grocery voucher donation which they use to buy mealie-meal.

He said the home desperately needs assistance.

“As much as we observe lockdown rules, we desperately appeal for donations. If we don’t get help some might die of hunger. We have no stocks anymore as the lockdown closed out people who used to help us hence, we are just managing the little we have to survive. Each time we are not sure if we would manage to serve them the next meal,” said Mr Nyoni.

The home has a vegetable garden but baboons destroy the crops.

They are also struggling to refill a gas tank which they use for cooking.

The eldest is nearly 108 years while the youngest is an Angolan, estimated to be in the late 50s as he doesn’t have identification particulars.

Other board members are Mrs Nettie Chindedza, Mr Goodbye Chikwengera and Ms Eveline Nyathi. Ms Concilia Nkomo and Mrs Rebecca Msimanga are domestic workers. — @ncubeleon