The Dzikwa Trust Fund

   
 

The Dzikwa Trust Fund - our partner in Zimbabwe

The Dzikwa Trust Fund, or simply Dzikwa for short, was established as a legal entity and began operations in Zimbabwe in September 2002. It was decided to establish a trust fund because an official channel was needed through which the programme could receive donations and make investments or longer-term contracts in Zimbabwe. A copy of the charter is available to sponsors on request. 

In Shona, a language spoken throughout Zimbabwe, the word “dzikwa” means being on firm ground/having a strong foundation. Seppo came up with the name originally as an abbreviation of Dzivarasekwa, the name of the Harare township where we are based. It was only afterwards that Stephen Chifunyise explained what the word actually means.

 

 
 

The Dzikwa Trustees are currently:

Mr Stephen Joel Chifunyise

Playwright and former Permanent Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. Mr Chifunyise is responsible for the children's cultural and sports activities. He is Dzikwa's Chairman.

Mrs Yedzai Ruwadzano Dune

Teacher. Contact person since 1993. Mrs Dune attends to extra lessons for the primary school children. She is also Acting Head of St Giles School for the Disabled. She is Dzikwa's Vice-Chairperson.

Mr Seppo Ainamo

Founder and programme director. Mr Ainamo oversees field work in Dzivarasekwa and maintains contact with sponsors in Finland, Germany, England, Scotland and Norway.

Mr Eben T. Francisco

Assistant director of the Valuations & Estates Division of the City of Harare. An expert in the real estate sector and legislation, Mr Francisco is a Dzivarasekwa resident.

Mr Unity Sakhe

Lawyer and partner in the law firm Kantor Immerman.

Mrs Marah Hativagone

Managing Director of the private chemicals firm Codchem Ltd. Past President of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs Oili Wuolle

Retired capital adequacy specialist from the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority. Mrs Wuolle is Dzikwa's chief fund-raiser and co-director. She coordinates the collection of funds and provides information to sponsors and other bodies interested in Dzikwa's operations. She acts as the Secretary of the Dzikwa Board of Trustees.

In 2009, Dzikwa Trust held six Board meetings. Seppo and Oili attended all of them. 

Dzikwa's permanent staff members are:

Mrs Priscilla Takawira, procurement and boarding school pupils

Mrs Petronella Moyo, field officer for primary school children

Mrs Levita Chenera, field officer for secondary school children

Mr Assan Mponda, accountant

Mrs Piona Matienga, shelter matron

Camelsa Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) audits the Dzikwa Trust Fund's accounts in Zimbabwe.