Matthew Rusike Turns Support Into Futures for Vulnerable Children through Delta Corporation
For St Matthew’s Rusike Children’s Home, development exceeds providing shelter to vulnerable children, it is about creating an environment where they can heal, receive an education and eventually become independent, responsible citizens.
The institution currently accommodates 59 children, with a capacity of 100, and provides care for children referred through the Department of Social Development.
The children come from different circumstances, including abuse, neglect and homelessness, with the institution providing them with a stable family environment through six residential houses.
Speaking during a donation handover ceremony from Delta Corporation Limited at the home, St Matthew’s Rusike Children’s Home Director, Rev. Mutenzwa, said the organisation’s ultimate goal is to prepare children for a productive future.
“Some are abused, some are neglected, some are taken from the streets, and we try to give them a life in the future,” he said.
The children live in a family-based setup, with caregivers providing day-to-day care while social workers and other staff offer additional support.
Beyond residential care, Matthew Rusike has developed a range of programmes aimed at giving children opportunities to develop skills, access education and eventually transition into independent adulthood.
The institution has a secondary school which is being developed into a boarding school. The school currently has about 400 students, with approximately 200 already benefiting from boarding facilities.
Plans are also underway to expand an academy currently offering education from Early Childhood Development to Grade 3 up to Grade 7.
Mutenzwa said the expansion would help provide quality education to children who have experienced trauma while also extending the institution’s reach into surrounding communities.
The home’s work extends beyond its residential facility in Epworth, with community outreach centres operating in Chachacha in Midlands Province and Nyathi in Matabeleland South.
Through these programmes, they supports vulnerable children who remain within their communities, working alongside families and caregivers to provide interventions where needed.
The organisation also operates a foster care programme in partnership with the church. Children are placed with foster families during school holidays, allowing them to experience different environments while developing relationships outside the institution.
The programme also plays an important role when children leave institutional care at the age of 18, with some foster families continuing to provide support as the young people transition into adulthood.
Against this background, Delta Corporation Limited has continued to support the institution’s development through a partnership spanning more than 20 years.
Delta Corporation General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Patricia Murambinda, said the company had invested approximately US$70,000 in the institution over the past seven years.
She said the company increased its annual contribution from approximately US$5,000 to US$10,000 from 2019.
The investment has supported a range of projects, including the installation of a CCTV security system, construction of a classroom block, solarisation of the children’s home and school, greenhouse improvements, borehole solarisation, water infrastructure and repairs to agricultural projects.
Murambinda said the projects were intended to strengthen the institution’s ability to provide a safe and sustainable environment for the children.
“Today we are not simply handing over infrastructure and equipment. We are investing in people. We are investing in our children who are vulnerable. We are investing in a future where every child has the opportunity to grow in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment,” she said.
Security was one of the first areas addressed through Delta’s support, with the company installing a CCTV system after the institution experienced break-ins.
The company has also invested in education through the construction of classroom infrastructure, while its solarisation projects have helped improve access to a more reliable source of electricity.
For Delta, the renewable energy investment forms part of its broader sustainability agenda, particularly its focus on climate action and clean energy.
Agriculture has also become an important component of the partnership.
Delta supported the installation of a shade net for the institution’s greenhouse, helping strengthen vegetable production and food security.
The company also supported repairs to the piggery, poultry facilities and fish ponds, which contribute to both nutrition and income generation.
Murambinda said the agricultural projects aligned with Delta’s own dependence on agricultural value chains, including sorghum, barley and maize.
She said it was encouraging to see the greenhouse producing vegetables that contribute to the children’s nutrition.
Water security has similarly been prioritized, with Delta supporting the solarisation of boreholes, piping infrastructure and water storage tanks.
The interventions have helped strengthen the institution’s access to clean and reliable water while reducing dependence on conventional electricity for pumping.
For Murambinda, the partnership demonstrates the importance of businesses working alongside communities to address practical challenges.
“We firmly believe that businesses flourish when the communities around them flourish. That belief continues to guide our investments across Zimbabwe,” she said.
The Delta executive also highlighted the achievements of young people who have passed through Rusike, including former residents who have progressed to university.
She said their achievements demonstrated what could be accomplished when vulnerable children are given access to education, stability and encouragement.
Addressing the children, Murambinda urged them not to allow their circumstances to determine their futures.
“Never allow your circumstances to define your future. Within each one of you lies enormous potential. Continue to dream boldly, work diligently, value your education and believe that your future is brighter than your present,” she said.
She added that Zimbabwe needed the talents, ideas and leadership of the young people being nurtured at institutions such as Rusike.
The partnership between Delta and St Matthew’s Rusike therefore extends beyond individual projects, bringing together investment in education, renewable energy, water, agriculture, security and child welfare.
As Rusike continues to expand its residential, educational, foster care and community outreach programmes, its focus remains on ensuring that vulnerable children are not defined by the circumstances that brought them to the institution, but by the opportunities they receive to build better futures.
