Goromonzi is a rural community 20 miles southeast of the country’s capital city of Harare, and covers an area of 35 square miles. It has a population of 178,000.  The people who live in the region are principally from the Shona tribe.

Until 1999 the economy and many of the jobs of Goromonzi were based on commercial farms growing flowers and gourmet vegetables in greenhouses for export to Europe. These commercial farms are no longer operational due to the government land redistribution policy. Local unemployment is at 80% or more. Traditional farmers work on smallholdings growing corn, pumpkins and other crops that are dependent on rainfall.  At the current rate of inflation the cost of fertilizers and seeds are prohibitive. There is limited access to market.

The AIDS epidemic in the Goromonzi district has decimated the adult population with devastating effects on the community and family structures, the economy, and the general morale. Based on our census of the district we estimate there are more than 1,000 orphans and vulnerable children and 44 child-headed households in the area. There are also many vulnerable young adults from the ages of 18 to 24 who were orphaned as young children.

Food is the most critical concern of the people of Goromonzi. Unemployment, lack of transportation, the fact that there are few adults between the ages of 25 and 60, and a lack of farming knowledge passed from parents to children have all contributed to the difficulty in obtaining and producing food. Many children and adults are malnourished due to the scarcity of food in the region. Most have only one meal per day.

Three medical clinics are available for the community. Resources are strained to serve such a wide area; and some people have to walk 12 miles or more to get care. Although malaria is not a serious problem due to Goromonzi’s altitude, schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is widespread and goes untreated along with a multitude of parasitic infections and other easily treated illnesses.

Water is obtained by digging wells. There are two types of well; hand drawn and electrically operated. When a well fails, there are not always the financial resources to dig a new one. Electric pumps are subject to lightning strikes and mechanical problems. Goromonzi is on the electric grid but individual homes are not connected, and it is too expensive for most families.

The roads in Goromonzi are dirt or strip roads (strip roads are dirt roads with a narrow strip of tar for each wheel) and are in poor condition. There is little traffic, as few people have the resources to own or operate a truck. Public transport is by commuter taxi. There are a few oxcarts. Walking is the standard, and it is not unusual for children to walk 3 or 4 miles to school, or for hungry family members to walk the same distance for food.

There are ten schools in the Goromonzi area: five primary and five secondary schools that serve 6729 students, ages 5 to 22. There are 50 or more students in each class with one teacher. Textbooks, workbooks and other learning materials are noticeably absent. The school libraries are sparse. The cost of school fees, uniforms and textbooks are out of reach for many families, so it is unusual for a child to attend school without interruption or to complete all of his or her schooling.