Former BBA Amplified Contestant Vimbai launches charity project

HARARE - Former Zimbabwe Big Brother Amplified contestant, Vimbai Mutinhiri is launching her charity project entitled The Zimbabwean Dream Campaign. Vimbai will launch the charity initiative at Matthew Rusike Children’s home in Epworth tomorrow (Thursday) with part of the money she received from President Robert Mugabe.

 She said the charity campaign drive was created by Zimbabwean youths and designed for the young people.Vimbai used part of the money she received from President Mugabe to purchase toys, books and sporting equipment to be donated to the children.“ The broader concept is to empower young Zimbabweans to dream. We want to encourage youths to venture into other sectors that are non-academic. There is sport, music and other areas that one can prosper in if one was allowed to dream.” 
Vimbai was given $10 000 by President Mugabe at a function where Wendall Parson the winner of this year Big Brother and super athlete Steven Muzhingi were rewarded $50 000 each. “I used part of the money I was given by the President because I needed to start acting. The President encouraged us to keep dreaming so I want to share this dream,” she said

Vimbai has not yet garnered financial partners for the project but she hoped by acting she could lure the corporate world into the project. “The best way is to act and hopefully the project will attract people. It is not good to knock on people’s doors when you do not have something going on. People will put more into our project once they realise that we are dedicated,” she said.

The model would make donations and do workshops with youths. “I will engage different people with expertise on areas of empowerment. I will make use of people I was with in Big Brother Amplified so they come and share their expertise with the youth.” Vimbai said three former BBA housemates have already agreed to visit Zimbabwe and share with youth in her campaign.

“Luclay from South Africa is an actor and he has agreed to come and share with the youth. Hanni from Ethiopia is a singer and law student; she will serve as a role model and would share her wealth of experience. Zeus from Botswana is an entertainer; he has also agreed to come to Zimbabwe and converse with the youth,” she said.

Vimbai hoped to rope in other housemates with different expertise to mentor youths in Zimbabwe. The major challenges for youths in Zimbabwe are that they do not have a platform for anyone who is talented in other disciplines other than academic. “I feel that the youths in Zimbabwe do not have a voice to express themselves. She hopes to do her part in helping Zimbabwean youths realise their dreams,” she said.

The Matthew Rusike Children’s Home is managed by the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.It was founded in 1950 by the late Reverend Matthew Rusike who took orphaned and abandoned children into his own home for care.The numbers rapidly became too large for his modest minister’s home compelling him to build and formalise an orphanage later to be named after him.