Providing Care For Children In Need Of A Good Home
Harare Children’s Home aims to provide a place of safety for its children, looking after their needs and helping them to grow into independent adults.
Our History
The Weslyan Methodist Synod established the Harare Children’s Home in 1919, after the 1919 flue epidemic and post-World War 1 depression had left 11 children homeless. A committee was formed, comprising 15 Ministers and laymen. Reverend Glyndr Davies chaired it. In January 1921 the first general meeting was held and the first constitution was also adopted. The Home was originally located in a building on Victoria Street (now Mbuya Nehanda Street). When the needs of the Home outgrew its location it was moved to a building on Jameson Avenue (now Samora Machel Avenue).
Once again, the needs of the Home outgrew its location and in 1956 the Home moved to its present location at 2 Daventry Road, Eastlea, in Harare. The Home’s present capacity is 110 children. Each House is made up of a family of 17 to 22 children, cared for by a House Matron and an assistant. Currently, the staff establishment of 29 employees enables the home to care for 81 children.
To complete the puzzle, the Home has acquired household equipment such as stoves, refrigerators and other kitchen utensils and has started a pilot project whereby it is introducing smaller units for the children to create as much of a family atmosphere as possible. This restructuring has been completed at Muriel House and is beginning in the other Houses. These units will enable the House Matrons and workers at the Home to give individual attention to the children thereby making the situation at the Home much closer to that of a real family. This will enable each child to identify with a family from the first time he/she is admitted to the Home. The dining hall and laundry services however remain centralised within the Home for now.
Our Premises
Our Premises
The Harare Children’s Home is set on 15 acres of fenced land with a clearly marked entrance and a security guard at the gate. The premises include well-maintained gardens, an administration block with offices, a staff lounge, and a children’s dining hall. The children’s residential houses, made of brick and double-storeyed, are situated on both sides of the main building. Each house contains large dormitory-style bedrooms upstairs for the boys and girls, while the downstairs area has living rooms, playrooms, and additional rooms for staff. Behind the main buildings are a private nursery school and crèche, laundry facilities, a car park, and the Gwen Ward Memorial Hall used for various events and activities.
Key Staff Who Make Our Home What It Is
Maria G. Sithole
Tsitsidzashe Chikumbo
Adrian R. Watson
Kumbirai Tipedze
Sibusiso
Moyo
Our Organization Relies On Donations And It Is
Good Samaritans Like You That We Survive
Your generosity directly impacts the lives of children in need. By donating, you are helping provide essentials like education, healthcare, nutritious meals, and emotional support. Every contribution, no matter the size, creates opportunities for these children to thrive, grow, and achieve their full potential. Whether it’s a one-time gift or ongoing support, your donation makes a meaningful difference.
Our Children Need More Than Just Food, Clothing and Shelter
Having provided the children’s physical needs: bathing, eating, sleeping and clothing, the mental needs of the children do not seem to have been addressed. Some of these children are at such a young, formative age that both their mental and physical needs are of equal importance. By mental needs I am referring to the individual attention and mental stimulation, especially where babies and toddlers are concerned.
The same concept applies to the older children. Individual attention, letting the children know that what they say and do is important, that someone is there watching them – is of crucial importance. Hence, it is of utmost importance that the Home engages the services of a resident psychologist.
