Tusa Munyandi members are guardians of orphans and vulnerable children. Members tend to be aunties and grannies of the children. They meet regularly under a tree near their small 6′ x 8′ office to discuss the issues facing the various children and to strategize on how to:
- provide moral and material support to the children
- help reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in the community
- reduce hunger among members of the association by providing them with micro-loans and business skills
- raise funds to support the vulnerable and orphaned children as well as the operations of the association.
Ernest Maombe and Arusius Chivundu
Ernest and Arisius are the dedicated leaders of Tusa Munyandi. They are themselves both guardians of children. Arisius’ daugher died in 2008 and he looks after her children. Ernest takes care of his nephew.
Both are retired: Ernest from 30 years of teaching, and Arisius from 25 years as a book-keeper for a textile company. After retiring, they both trained as home care health counselors in which they help people who have HIV/AIDS and TB. They volunteer at the clinic and visit people in their homes.
Ernest became very concerned about the children in the community, seeing that they were not going to school and that the elderly women looking after them were really struggling. He sees education as critical to the children’s future and joined Tusa Munyandi to help in a more formal way. He drafted their constitution and he soon became the director.
Ernest encouraged Arisius to help with Tusa Munyandi and together they have provided sound leadership and have been very generous with their time to us when we visit.
Meet a few of Tusa Munyandi’s members:
Mary ZaZa 
Mary has nine people living in her house, including three grandchildren whose parents passed away. She had 14 children. Six died after childbirth and three died from illness later in life. Her husband died in 1992. She works everyday selling vegetables and kapenta (dried fish) in the market and struggles to make enough to feed those in her household.
Olipa Sciakasamba
Olipia takes care of the two children of her siblings (who both died of HIV/AIDS) and has eight children of her own. Her husband is a carpenter but after three accidents, struggles to get regular work. Olipia started her business of selling vegetables in 2003 with 10,000 Kwacha (a few dollars). She received some business skills training with GS Giving Circle support and learned about recording what she sells, how to save money to buy more supplies, and so on. She is applying what she learned but feels there is limited upside potential to selling vegetables. She is very appreciative of the support she has received from Tusa Munyandi.
“The money being sent is helping a lot and I am very grateful for that. The assistance I receive for the orphans (books, blankets) also helps a lot.”
Fetika Saulu
She is a also a marketer and sells dry beans, dry kapenta, tomatoes, onions, soda, dry and fresh vegetables, caterpillars and more. She is currently taking care of 5 grandchildren whose parents died sometime back. She is known to be “a strong marketer”. She is 61 years old and a widow.
Eneless Mulena
Eneless has been a widow since 2000. She was left with 8 children – a boy and 7 girls). She sell fresh fish from May to November and sour milk from December to April. She lives with her younger sister and mother and helps to support multiple children including her niece, Rachel, and her nephew whose parents passed away.
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