Woman walks 17 kilometres to deliver donation to Cyclone Idai victims

Mama Gogo treks for 17km to give aid for flood victims. Photo: Courtesy

The say no act of compassion, no matter how small it is, get wasted. These words cannot be better understood, in Zimbabwe, without picturing a lady identified as Mama Gogo.

Her compassion goodwill and bold step of giving her best to save victims of Cyclone Idai have won the admiration of many.

She is not rich. It is not clear if she is poor. But for now, she is the picture of true generosity and humanity, to the victims of Cyclone Idai that has claimed hundreds of lives.

When calls urging the world to join hands in helping the victims were made, she did not think twice. Her inability to afford the fare to the victim's camps did not discourage him. The weight of her donation, packed in a sack, was not heavy to be a turning back factor.

Reports have it that she travelled a journey of approximately 17km from Mbare in Harare to give hope to the hopeless and something to those left with nothing.

Moved by her generosity, the founder of Econet, a telecommunication company in Zimbabwe, promised to build her a house and give her a monthly allowance of Sh100,000 for the rest of her life.

Strive Masiyiwa Founder and Executive Chairman of Econect Zimbabwe. Photo: Courtesy.

Strive Masiyiwa, Econet founder and Executive Chairman, made his pledge during an interaction with his Facebook follower who had asked him to recognize the woman’s generosity.

“Gogo came to give. This is the biblical “widow’s mite”! She gave more than us all. What she did is one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen. When this is over, I’m going to find her, and invite her to come and see me, if possible then I will spend time in prayer with her. Then I will build her a house, anywhere she wants in Zimbabwe. It will have solar power and running water”, Masiyiwa wrote.

“Then I will give her a monthly allowance of $1 000 for life because I admire people who are moved to act in a crisis. God bless you if you are moved to act as she did. It is not about how much you have.” He added.

Described as the deadliest disaster of 2019, Cyclone Idai has left trails of death and massive destruction of properties in the Southern African nations.

According to Reuters, at least 686 people have been killed and thousands displaced as of Tuesday.