As schools reopened this week, vulnerable children across several communities in Zimbabwe received a boost after the Chinese Loving Moms Association distributed rice and other supplies to children's homes, orphanages, churches and community feeding programmes.

The donations were delivered to communities in Hatcliffe, Goromonzi, Chitungwiza, Seke and Epworth, targeting organisations providing daily meals and support to vulnerable children and families.

The outreach, which included rice donated from China, also highlighted the growing people-to-people ties between Zimbabwe and China, with Chinese organisations and communities supporting grassroots initiatives beyond government and business relations.

On Wednesday, the Chinese Loving Moms Association visited Hosanna Love in Africa Children's Home in Hatcliffe before proceeding to Nhaka yeVana Orphanage in Goromonzi.

Nhaka yeVana caregiver Ruvimbo Takadii welcomed the donation, saying the support from the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Loving Moms Association had come at a critical time as children returned to school.

She said the children required food every day before and after attending school, making the donation an important contribution to the orphanage's feeding programme.

The team also visited One Family Fellowship, popularly known as Mhuri Imwe, where rice was donated to support its work with vulnerable people.

Pastor Wonder, founder of One Family Fellowship, expressed gratitude for the assistance.

“I am very happy with this gesture. May their pockets never run dry,” Pastor Wonder said.

The outreach continued on Thursday in Chitungwiza and surrounding communities, reaching Murisa Village in Seke.

Among the beneficiaries was Zimbabwe Future Foundation International, which runs a children's project providing free meals to vulnerable children.

Founder Michael Bolton Mapuranga said the organisation provides breakfast and lunch to children every day, making the donation important in sustaining its feeding programme.

“Today, we have received a donation from the Loving Moms Association and we are very thankful for this donation because it is going a long way in supporting our programme,” Mapuranga said.

“It is really hard for us, as people operating at grassroots level, to mobilise resources, but this donation has been very meaningful to us. It is going to support us in the long term.”

Mapuranga said stronger partnerships could help organisations working with vulnerable children expand their programmes.

“We would ideally like to continue working together and partnering so that we can do the best for the children in our community,” he said.

The association also distributed rice through APDO, a group of Apostolic churches whose programmes support less privileged people.

APDO chairman Bishop Charakupa thanked the association and encouraged church members to work together in assisting vulnerable people in their communities.

Carrie Li of the Zimbabwe China Business Association also urged community members to focus on creating sustainable livelihoods.

She said people could submit their qualifications through APDO for assistance in seeking employment opportunities with Chinese-owned businesses and companies, with the Loving Moms team supporting the initiative.

The outreach also extended to communities affected by emergencies.

Miracle Mission received 500kg of rice for survivors of the Kariba ferry accident, while Kuyamura Trust in Epworth received 300kg to support vulnerable people in the community.

The donations provided immediate food assistance to institutions and community groups that rely on external support to feed vulnerable children and families.

For the beneficiaries, the intervention offered more than food supplies, with the organisations also seeing an opportunity for longer-term cooperation in improving livelihoods and supporting children in need.

The initiative further demonstrates how Zimbabwe-China relations are extending into communities, with people-to-people exchanges complementing the two countries' broader government and business ties.