The Event: The fifth anniversary celebration of “Vanavevhu: Children of the Soil” drew nearly 80 supporters to the law offices of Latham & Watkins in Chicago on June 18. The mission of this Chicago-based non-profit is to teach economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship to children in Zimbabwe who are thrust into the position of being heads of household.
Cause Célebre: “When you talk about democratization sometimes you have to make sure that the people you’re offering human rights and democracy to actually value and understand it, and I think they do (only) if they’ve built something for themselves,” said Elizabeth Mhangami, founder and executive director of Vanavevhu, who splits her time between Bulawayo and Palatine, Il.
Mhangami took the skills she learned as the “boots on the ground” for Chicago’s Housing Authority back with her to help her native land.
Vanavevhu accepts children after age 14 only once they have demonstrated an ability to survive and the drive to help their families. To date, the organization has changed the lives of 500 Zimbabwean youth and the 20 families they take care of in the absence of parents or a social services safety net.
“(Vanavevhu) has been a great way for us to employ, educate and invest in youth who, I think, in 20 years will be the leaders of our country,” said Mhangami.
Michael Faris of Oak Park is Vanavevhu’s board chair and past president of the Rotary club of Chicago. “Through Rotary we look at the whole world as a group of communities (and) kids here are just like kids there except the kids there have very serious problems that, frankly, only somebody from a country like the United States can help with — so I think it’s our obligation.”
Bottom Line: The event raised $17,831 for Vanavevhu’s mission and programs. More information at vanavevhu.org.