Qoki ZiNdlovukazi

Qoki ZiNdlovukazi

Formation	December 2016 (2016-12)
Founder	Sithule Tshuma
Founded at	United Kingdom
Type	Nonprofit
Legal status	Charity
Purpose	Humanitarian, Peacekeeping & Women empowering
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Location	UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Membership (2016)	4000
CEO	Karen Khumalo
Website	qokizindlovukazi.org
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Qoki ZiNdlovukazi is a community organisation for women founded by Sithule Tshuma on December 2016 .The organisation is based is UK and comprises women who come from Matabeleland and Midlands regions of Zimbabwe. The group has branches in in Canada, America and Zimbabwe. Currently the organisation has more than 4000 members.

Qoki Zindlovukazi community organisation purpose

Initiallly it was just a group created by ladies to provide a support system and networking amongst them. Qoki aims at responding to various challenges that are faced by women from economic disadvantages and various social issues. Qoki has grown up to be a strong organisation which took a greater role to respond and tackle positively the social and economic challenges faced by the people of Matabeleland and Midlands, try the best way to assist them within their capacity.

The group is driven by Ubuntu, which is a philosophy that grounds them. Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu term meaning "humanity." The Ubuntu philosophy articulates such important values as respect, human dignity, compassion, solidarity and consensus, which demands conformity and loyalty to the group . Qoki utilises social media especially Facebook to raise awareness and address challenges faced by women in different communities.

The main objective of Qoki is to empower women. Qoki does so by providing support to women initiatives, and assisting them as they engage in various projects that help to build Matabeleland and Midlands. They have the philanthropic side to the business and in that area what they have done is for example have a hospital project. This is one the things they started off with in 2016. They decided to give back to the community that made them.

Challenges in Matabeleland and Midlands

The region has suffered socio-economic challenges due to the impacts of climate change, lack of access to water, food insecurity, poverty, education and health facilities. Most of general commodities, fruits and vegetables sold in Bulawayo are imported from South Africa, because farms immediately around Zimbabwe’s second city cannot meet demand. Locals are paying high prices as a result. Shortage of medical supplies has been a major challenge to health institutions in Matabeleland South where some clinics have gone for months without basic medication like Paracetamol among other drugs. To address these challenges, the Qoki Zindlovukazi Community has organised and empowered its members to take a leading role in fund raising to enable execution of identified projects.

Fund raising

The fund raising comes from different forms, from its more than 4000 members’ group monthly contributions, donations from companies and individuals.

Projects

Qoki ZiNdlovukazi have engaged in various support projects like Qoki Zimbabwe Hospital Project, Qoki Tsholotsho disaster support and also provided support to individuals with compelling circumstances. Qoki Zimbabwe Hospital Project has donated 1,300 blankets to 14 different hospitals in Matabeleland and £1,000 worth of groceries. Due to the dire economic situation in Zimbabwe, poor vulnerable patients were being requested to bring their own blankets to the hospital. The group has tremendously helped the hospitals. Recently Qoki Zindovukazi donated to Mpilo hospital, Thorngrove, St. Lukes, ST Pauls hospital food, as a way to assist patients during the 21-day nationwide lockdown. On March 2017, Qoki donated 360 blankets to district hospitals in Binga, Filabusi, Silobela and Tsholotsho.

Qoki donated to Tsholotsho district flood victims of 2017, blankets, food, tents for shelter and medical health care support. Qoki Tsholotsho disaster donations were made to assist villagers that lost their homes. The Qoki founder Sithule Tshuma, believes that people should always stretch out, reach out to those in need. Qoki has always acted when they see people who cant help themselves. In June 2019, Qoki ZiNdlovukazi opened Qoki Medical Healthcare Centre is in Bulawayo with more branches expected in other cities in future.

On Friday March 30, 2020, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a 21‐day “total” lockdown, curtailing movement within the country, shutting most shops and suspending flights in and out of Zimbabwe. By then only 6 people had contacted the Corona virus and one person had died. As a results Qoki saw the serious implications lockdown brought as it would restrict access of food hospitals. Therefore, Qoki saw the need to assist hospital patients with food because the number of visitors would be limited in hospitals during the lockdown days. Qoki through their social media platform are raising awareness of Covid 19 and trying to rescue Matabeleland North health centres in the fight against Corona Virus. They have engaged in the fundraising for the purchase of personal Protective Equipment for hospitals. On June 2020, Qoki ensured that residents have access to clean water by delivering 20 000 liters to 750 households in Old Luveve, New Luveve, Luveve 5 and part of Gwabalanda. This good gesture was welcomed by residents, it came as a relief and helped them in every way because they feared consuming unclean tap water.

The group has also helped women come with different projects that empower them economically like poultry farming. Some women are now into poultry business. They realised that by putting their moneys together, they can earn a decent living. . Qoki has visited different schools asking teachers because it came into their attention that many girls were not attending school for long days, missing lessons. This group was tasked to investigate the issues surrounding these absences which turned out to be sanitary. Qoki come up with a solution to donate sanitary ware to the affected schools. Qoki has other projects which are being realised like QOKI borehole project, Qoki solar panel/geyser project, QOKI cattle farming project, etc which will empower women in the region. Qoki has Qoki express, an onlineshopiing site which sells different products. Qoki SA Clean It started manufaturing their own cleaning detergents. Detergents include; Pinegel, Washing Powder, Sanitizer, Bleach, Dishwasher, Foam Bath, etc.

Awards

Qoki ZiNdlovukazi has won various awards, i.e.

• The Zimbabwe International Women’s Award (ZIWA)
• The Be It Purpose Excellence Recognition (BIPER) award.
• The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards 2018
• Qoki ZiNdlovukazi Community Organisation Award
• The CommunityChampion Award went to Sithule Tshuma

  

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