
A homeless woman, who became pregnant by a street child, gave birth to twins and the family was taken off the streets for the children.
Violet Chikanzi, 23, was sleeping in Harare parks when she became pregnant.
She was in a relationship with a street kid.
She gave birth to her twins four weeks ago.
Violet, whose father was of Malawian descent, told H-Metro that her mother was also homeless when she died.
She left her life on the streets.
“I was born on the streets, and when my mother died I had nowhere to go but live on the streets,” Violet told H-Metro.
“My first born is a five-year-old boy and these twins, one is a boy and the other is a girl.
“I was picked up by a street child.
“I had to visit the Domburamwari clinic in Epworth, shortly after the birth, and the babies were examined and found to be in good health.”
She added: “One of the vendors took me to her home in Epworth where I gave birth.
“The neighbors found me giving birth to my first child and helped me with my second.
“I went back to the streets, where I slept with them under the Siki Road bridge, and then moved to Harare Gardens.
“A passerby directed me to the offices of the Twins Association of Zimbabwe, located on Park Street, and promised to help me because I had given birth to twins.”
Violet returned to Epworth after Twins Society officials encouraged her to take the children to a safe place and avoid exposing them to harsh conditions.
The heads of the Twins Association – Lawyer Farai Katunha and Mayor Tendai Katunha – visited Violet yesterday and donated baby clothes, groceries and diapers.
“The twin children have the right to better shelter, access to health facilities and good nutrition, which is why we encouraged her to leave the streets with the children,” Katona said.
“We have been able to get groceries, baby clothes and diapers for her children and will find her a place to stay.
“We are appealing for more support from individuals, churches and businesses to make sure the twins do not grow up on the streets like their mother did,” Farai said. h metro