Zimbabwe Child

Written in 2011 after years of devastation of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe's rule.

Zimbabwe Child

Papa cross the Limpopo
not fear crocodile
say, get work
gone whole year.
No letter for Mama
no medicine.

Miriam, she eight
sweep floor, clean baby
wipe Mama’s brow
spoon mankata* broth.
No school for Miriam
no medicine.

Beggar bowl for maize
I dig in dirt
find siboyani root*
to feed scorpion in belly.
No maize for make nsimi*
no medicine.

Baby sick like Mama
before she go to clinic
not come home
baby cry dry tears
No milk for baby
no medicine.

No one see
no one care
throw away Zimbabwe child.
No letter, no school
no maize, no milk.
No medicine.
---- Judi Van Gorder


36 Lines
Free Verse sixains

Background ▶︎

This was written in 2011. At that time a child died every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe. Once known as the "bread basket of Africa" the farm lands lie fallow and unworked, taken from the farmers and given as prizes to the military vets who fought the revolution. Life expectancy was age 45 and unemployment is 80%. AIDS and starvation were rampant. The inflation rate since 1978 was 231 million percent. Robert Mugabe had been president since 1978. He was running for reelection at the age of 87. Elections were corrupt and violent. Even after he lost an election he refused to step down.

Mugabe finally was forced to resign in November 2017 at the age of 93 and is currently under military arrest. 2013 International Health Organizations through much effort instituted health reforms that reduced drastically the transmission of AIDS from mother to infant and continued efforts have brought the infected rate to 13.7% of the population. In 2017 the life expectancy was age 59 so there has been improvement. Zimbabwe still has a long way to go.

The Limpopo is a crocodile infested river on the patrolled border between Zimbabwe and South Africa which was the most popular route for starving Zimbabweans looking for work, many died from the crocodiles. Others were caught and placed in refugee camps that were little more than internment camps and still others were simply turned back.

*siboyani root, - native African plant, the root is dug up and must be boiled 5 hours before it can be mashed in the broth.

*mankata root, - native African plant, the root is found in swampy areas.

*nsimi - is a kind of dumpling or bread that is made from cornmeal with oil and water then rolled into balls and eaten dipped into vegetable broth

Multicultural Merit Badge
Presented to Tinker1111 on February 3rd, 2018 by Louise Wiggins
For raising our awareness and for writing with the understanding that everyone matters.