Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. Zimbabwe means “House of Stone” in one of the country’s 16 official languages, Shona.

Once known as the bread basket of the region, Zimbabwe was initially one of the most successful democracies in Africa. 

However, around the turn of the century the country began suffering from rapid economic decline and chaos due to many factors both in and outside of government control.

Hyperinflation reached triple digits, and middle class citizens were plunged into poverty . Cholera and AIDS outbreaks created a generation of orphans, and drought and massive food shortages stretched families to the brink.

This is why Kuda Vana works in Zimbabwe - we hope that by doing for a few what we’d like to do for many, we can change the future one vulnerable child and one family at a time.

• Population of 15 million: half are below 21 years of age

• 16 official languages, more than any country in the world

• Home to five UNESCO World Heritage sites

• Home to the largest waterfall and the largest man-made lake in the world

• One of the last African countries to attain independence from British colonial rule in 1980

• Home to the second-largest elephant population in the world at more than 85,000

• Believed to be the location of the Biblical city of Ophir, where King Solomon procured ivory, gold and other precious items

• Slightly larger in terms of land mass than the country of Germany

• South Africa’s largest concentration of ancient rock art, with thousands of sites across the country

• More than 1.6 million children (about 10% of the total population) have lost the care of their parents due to extreme poverty, AIDS and other factors

• Cultural norms and poverty prevent many Zimbabweans from adopting outside of their extended family: only a handful of legal adoptions are processed in the country each year

• Zimbabwe has the lowest number of social workers to children in the region

• 24% of children suffer from stunting due to malnutrition

• 28% of children are engaged in child labor, instead of learning

• Orphan stigma and sexual abuse are rampant. Please read our FAQ in regards to common orphan stigma and misconceptions