Sponsor Covid-19 Testing for Zimbabwe

SPONSOR CORONA VIRUS TESTING FOR ZIMBABWE CAMPAIGN

A new disease, later named coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the World Health Organisation (WHO), was first reported by health care workers from Wuhan, China in November 2019.Researchers from China later reported around December 2019, that the disease was caused by a novel coronavirus. The WHO declared coronavirus as a pandemic on the 11^th of March 2020.

Globally, as of 2:00am CEST, 16 April 2020, there have been 1,954,724 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 126,140 deaths, reported to WHO. COVID-19 has spread to over 200 countries and territories of the world. During the same period, Africa has recorded 17,245 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 3,556 recoveries and 913 COVID-19 related deaths.

By the 15^th of April 2020, Zimbabwe had 23 confirmed cases, 1 recovery and 3 COVID-19 related deaths. The 23 cases represent an increase of 5 (almost 30%).

In terms of provincial spread, Bulawayo has 10 cases followed by Harare with 8, Mashonaland East is third with 4 while Matabeleland has 1 confirmed COVID-19 case.

In its efforts to intensify the fight against COVID-19, the Government of Zimbabwe (GOZ) announced a target to test at least 40 000 people by the end of April and has adopted a strategy to do 1 000 or more rapid COVID-19 tests daily. This is against the background that the country has only managed to test a total of 716 for the period 15 March-15 April 2020.

Like other countries, Zimbabwe also faces shortages in accessing testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical staff and medical supplies for the confirmed COVID-19 patients. At a strategic level, the Zimbabwe Against COVID-19 (#ZimAgainstCovid-19) Trust identified that Zimbabwe not only has a weak health system but was running behind in terms of its preparedness for the COVID-19 outbreak. The trust also noted that most Zimbabweans are aware that the system has meagre resources and have begun to mobilise themselves and engage in fundraising activities.

In response to the call by the GoZ and as concerned citizens the #ZimAgainstCovi-19 Trust was set up to provide Zimbabwean citizens (both at home and in the diaspora), corporates, and donors and well-wishers with an efficient, inspiring, hope-filled vehicle for supporting initiatives aimed at preventing and fight against COVID-19 in Zimbabwe.

The vision of the Trust is “to mitigate the loss of life and limit suffering on Zimbabweans during the outbreak of COVID-19 ” while its mission is “to crowdsource financial, material and manpower support for the COVID19 response in Zimbabwe”.

This is a call to Zimbabweans and friends of the country to sponsor a COVID-19 test and PPE items for our front-line staff (medical personnel), as follows:

• COVID-19 Testing Target Amount: USD70,000.00
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Target Amount: USD25,000.00.

THE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE COVID-19 TESTING KITS WHICH WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL THE PROVINCIAL HOSPITALS IN ZIMBABWE

Apart from contributing, you can also help in getting the word out, through sharing the link to your all your social media pages. Let’s celebrate Zimbabwe’s Independence through giving and fighting this pandemic. Thank you for your support.

Profile of Trustees

Chairperson

FADZAYI MAHERE (Fadzie) is a lawyer practicing as an advocate at the Harare Bar, having held roles in at commercial law firms, the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations. She has worked at the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in the Hague and for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She was awarded a Pegasus Fellowship from the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in London, which enabled her to work in various Chambers in London, including Essex Court Chambers and Doughty Street Chambers. In addition to her practice as an advocate, Fadzie was a lecturer in administrative law and property law at the University of Zimbabwe.

In addition to her professional commitments, Fadzie was the spokesperson and a leading political activist in the #ThisFlag citizens’ movement between 2016 and 2017, where she led a political activism campaign against top government officials including the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Fadzie is also an international speaker on African development and has spoken at the Harvard African Development Conference 2017 and the University of Cape Town Zimbabwe Society. She regularly gives talks at schools on the importance of civic engagement by young people and women’s rights. She ran for the post of Member of Parliament for Mt Pleasant Constituency where she contested as an independent candidate in the 2018 election. Fadzie has since joined Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, where she has been appointed the Shadow Secretary for Education, Sport and Culture.

Fadzie holds a master’s degree in International Law from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Zimbabwe. She recently received the Hubert H. Humphrey Distinguished Leader Award and was invited by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to participate in the International Leaders Programme. She is part of the inaugural cohort of political leaders selected to participate in the Amujae Initiative run by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Presidential Centre for Women and Development.

Other Trustees

TINASHE GEDE (Doctor Tinashe) is a specialist physician, public health expert and immunologist. He is currently serving as the Chairperson of the St Anne's Hospital COVID-19 Expert Committee. Until recently, he was the Chairperson of the Parirenyatwa Hospital COVID-19 Response Expert Committee and Co-Chair of the National Physicians Association of Zimbabwe (NAPAZ) Covid-19 Case Management Guideline Development Committee. Doctor Tinashe is mainly responsible for the public health aspect on the Zim Against Covid-19 Programme.

TINASHE MURAPATA (Cde Tin) entrepreneur in financial services and an economist. He is the founder and Chief Executive of Leon Africa. Passionate about start-ups, he has successfully promoted and grown all of the initial business units under Leon Africa. Before becoming an entrepreneur, hee was a banker employed by Barclays Bank PLC in their London office. He was educated at UZ, WBS, HEC (Paris). Cde Tin is mainly responsible for the administration, logistics and ICT on the Zim Against Covid-19 Programme.

CHERYL DAWE (Chez) is a 34-year-old preschool teacher and owner. She is currently setting up a new business for the youth of Zimbabwe. Chez went to school at Gateway Primary and Dominican Convent High School. She is blessed with two daughters, Tori and Lexi, who keep her constantly both busy and content! In Chez’s own words “I’m committed to helping my country and its people, with whatever it takes. I believe that alone we can do so little, together we can do so much”. Chez is mainly responsible for the fundraising and disbursement of resources to Covid-19 facilities and frontline staff.

EDMORE MAHEMBE (Eddie) is a pastor, development economist, researcher, entrepreneur, education activist and a development advocate. He holds a Doctorate Degree (PhD) in Development Economics and MCom in Economics both from the University of South Africa (Unisa), a BCom Honours in Econometrics from the University of Pretoria (UP), BSc Honours Degree in Economics from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), and a Certificate in Banking. He has twenty (20) accumulative years of experience in banking, development consulting, economic research and surveys. He is an active member of the following professional bodies: The Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA), Econometric Society (International), South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA), Economic Society of South Africa (ESSA), and Zimbabwe Economic Society (ZES). Eddie is mainly responsible for the finance, international fundraising and of resource mobilisation on the Zim Against Covid-19 Programme. He is the only trustee based outside Zimbabwe.