The Village of Love – Chikombedzi, Zimbabwe
A place where children find family, where education creates opportunity, and where love provides the foundation for a brighter future.
The Beginning –
A Vision Born from Compassion
Nestled in the rural landscape of south-eastern Zimbabwe, near Chikombedzi in the Mwenezi District, lies Lirhanzo Children's Village – a place whose name carries a beautiful meaning. In the local Shangaan language, Lirhanzo means love, and the Village has become affectionately known as the Village of Love.
The story of Lirhanzo began in the late 1990s, when its founder, Ezelle Schimper, became increasingly aware of the circumstances facing orphaned and vulnerable children in the surrounding communities.
At the time, the region was experiencing enormous social and economic hardship. The devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic had claimed the lives of many parents and caregivers, leaving countless children without family support, security and resources they needed. Many were growing up without adequate food, shelter, healthcare or access to education.
Living at Edenvale Ranch, Ezelle began taking responsibility for children from the surrounding area who had nowhere else to turn. What began as a personal commitment to protect and care for these children gradually developed into something much bigger: a vision to establish a permanent, purpose-built home where vulnerable children could grow up in safety, surrounded by love, stability and opportunity.
It was a vision that would take many years of determination, considerable sacrifice and the support of an entire community to bring to life.
Building the Village
Creating Lirhanzo Children's Village was a considerable undertaking, particularly given its remote location and the difficult circumstances of the time.
The development of the purpose-built Village took approximately eleven years of work by Ezelle, her family, local community members and supporters. The project involved constructing suitable accommodation and facilities that could provide children with a stable home environment rather than temporary shelter.
Much of the construction was undertaken using locally available materials, with members of the surrounding community contributing their labour and practical skills.
Ezelle's family and friends at Edenvale Ranch also played an important role in bringing the project to fruition.
However, progress was not straightforward. One of the greatest obstacles was obtaining the necessary government recognition and formal registration required for the Village to operate legally as a residential children's home. Years of administrative difficulties, regulatory requirements and local mistrust delayed the approval process.
During this period, more than twenty children were being accommodated temporarily while the permanent Village awaited formal approval.
After years of perseverance, official registration was finally granted on 15 September 2009.
On 10 June 2010, Lirhanzo Children's Village was formally opened in a celebration attended by approximately 400 people, including government representatives, local community members, the children, their guardian mothers, Ezelle and those who had worked tirelessly to make the Village possible.
It was a significant milestone, marking the culmination of more than a decade of commitment and determination.
At the time of opening, the Village accommodated 21 children, ranging in age from just one day old to 16 years, with four guardian mothers responsible for their daily care. The newly completed facilities included children's dormitories, communal cooking and dining areas, access to fresh water from the Mwenezi River and space for vegetable cultivation and farming.
What had started as one woman's effort to care for children had become a recognised, established home with a permanent place in the community.
A Home, a Family and a Sense of Belonging
At the heart of Lirhanzo Children's Village is the belief that every child deserves more than somewhere to sleep. Children need affection, encouragement, security, guidance and a sense of belonging.
The Village has developed a family-centred approach to caring for children, with dedicated guardian mothers providing the daily nurturing, supervision and emotional support that children need as they grow.
These women are far more than caregivers. They are mother figures, mentors and an important part of the children's lives, helping create the stability and continuity that many of the children may previously have lacked.
Over the years, the guardian mothers have formed close and lasting relationships with the children, with some having dedicated more than fifteen years of their lives to caring for them.
Children grow up together, developing strong friendships and sibling-like relationships that continue as they get older. Older children also learn the importance of responsibility, kindness and looking after younger members of the Village.
The objective is to give every child the opportunity to experience a childhood in which they feel safe, valued and loved, while helping them develop the confidence and life skills to become independent, responsible adults.
Importantly, the relationship with Lirhanzo does not end when a child grows up. The Village remains a place of connection and belonging for those who have spent their childhood there.
Education -
Creating Opportunities
Education has become one of the most important parts of Lirhanzo's development.
Recognising that access to education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and disadvantage, the Village has progressively expanded its educational facilities to provide opportunities not only for its own children but also for young people from surrounding communities.
In its early years, a junior school was established alongside the Village. At the time of the Village's official opening in 2010, the school was already providing education to approximately 120 children from Lirhanzo and neighbouring communities.
Since then, the school has expanded considerably.
By 2024, more than 260 children were attending the Lirhanzo primary school across two school buildings. The school had developed to include ten primary teachers, with both government-appointed and independently supported teaching staff.
Access to clean running water has also improved educational facilities. A solar-powered water pumping system now supplies drinking water and handwashing facilities to the school, helping improve hygiene and the overall learning environment.
Teacher accommodation has also been developed to help attract and retain qualified teaching staff in this remote rural location.
The Development
of a High School
One of the most significant developments in the Village's educational journey has been the introduction of secondary education.
For many children living in the surrounding rural communities, continuing their education beyond primary school has historically been extremely difficult. The nearest established secondary school in Chikombedzi is approximately 35 kilometres away, making daily travel or boarding arrangements expensive and often inaccessible for families living in poverty.
As a result, many children were forced to abandon their education after primary school and return to family farming and other household responsibilities.
The introduction of secondary education at Lirhanzo represents a significant step towards changing this.
In 2024, the Zimbabwean Government authorised the commencement of high school education at the Village and appointed five additional teachers. Approximately 35 students were able to begin their secondary education, even while the new school building was still under development.
This initiative is particularly important for girls, who can face additional barriers to education in disadvantaged rural communities, including financial pressures that can contribute to early marriage and interrupted schooling.
By bringing secondary education closer to home, Lirhanzo is helping give young people a better opportunity to complete their education and pursue futures that may otherwise have been out of reach.
Beyond School – University and Further Education
The Village's ambitions extend well beyond primary and secondary education.
Over the years, children who have grown up at Lirhanzo have progressed into further education, including university. Some of these young people have subsequently been able to contribute back to the Village and the community that helped raise them.
These achievements represent one of the most meaningful measures of Lirhanzo's success.
The ultimate goal is not simply to provide children with a safe childhood, but to equip them with the education, confidence and qualifications to become independent adults, pursue careers and contribute positively to their communities.
Every child who progresses through education and develops the opportunity to build a better future represents another step towards breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
Growing Food, Building Independence and Supporting the Community
From its earliest days, Lirhanzo's vision extended beyond providing accommodation and basic care. An important part of its development has been creating sustainable ways to provide for the children and strengthen the surrounding community.
Agriculture has played a particularly important role.
The Village established vegetable gardens and farming areas, using water from the nearby Mwenezi River to irrigate crops and support food production. These initiatives were designed to improve food security, provide nutritious meals and gradually reduce reliance on outside food supplies.
Over time, the agricultural activities developed into a much larger commercial garden.
The garden now serves several purposes. It produces fresh food for the children, provides surplus vegetables for sale within the surrounding community and creates opportunities for practical agricultural education.
Children are encouraged to participate in the growing process, learning about planting, cultivating, maintaining and harvesting crops. These activities give them practical experience and an appreciation of the work involved in producing food.
The introduction of solar-powered water pumping has also been an important development, helping improve access to water and reduce the ongoing costs associated with irrigation.
Other income-generating initiatives have included poultry farming, with chickens raised for sale and eggs providing an additional source of nutrition for the children.
A grinding mill has also been developed as part of the Village's wider agricultural and commercial activities, providing a service to surrounding farmers and helping create local employment.
These initiatives reflect an important philosophy: building a community that can increasingly support itself through its own resources, skills and enterprise.
Empowering Women and Developing Local Skills
The Village's contribution to the community has also extended beyond farming and education.
One particularly meaningful initiative has been the development of sewing and garment-making activities involving local women.
The sewing project initially provided opportunities for women to produce school uniforms and basic clothing for children and families in the local area.
As the initiative developed, the women began generating an income from their work and expanding their potential customer base to include other schools and members of the surrounding community.
This created opportunities for women to develop practical skills, earn an income and contribute more independently to their households.
Projects such as these are important because they recognise that improving children's lives also means strengthening the families and communities in which they grow up.
By creating opportunities for education, employment and economic independence, Lirhanzo's impact reaches well beyond the boundaries of the Village itself.
The Challenges Along the Way
The success and development of Lirhanzo have not come without significant challenges.
Its remote rural location presents ongoing difficulties. Access to essential services, construction materials, transport, healthcare and qualified professionals can be complicated by the considerable distances involved.
Economic hardship in the surrounding communities also continues to place pressure on families and local resources. For many households, the cost of food, education, healthcare and essential living expenses remains a significant burden.
Water security and agricultural sustainability have been recurring concerns. The Village relies heavily on farming to supplement its food supplies and generate income, making it vulnerable to unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry periods and crop failures.
In 2024, poor agricultural conditions affected local harvests and disrupted operations at the grinding mill. The commercial garden, however, continued to make progress, demonstrating the importance of developing reliable food-production systems and diversifying sources of income.
Education has presented another considerable challenge. Expanding from primary to secondary education requires additional classrooms, teachers, accommodation and resources. Even when teachers have been appointed, providing suitable housing in such a remote location has not always been straightforward.
Healthcare is also an ongoing consideration, particularly given the distance from larger medical facilities. Maintaining access to appropriate medical care is essential to ensuring the wellbeing of the children and the surrounding community.
Perhaps the greatest achievement has been the determination to keep progressing despite these difficulties. Rather than allowing challenges to define what is possible, Lirhanzo has continued to adapt, develop new initiatives and create opportunities for its children.
A Success Story Built Over Generations
Since its beginnings in the late 1990s, Lirhanzo Children's Village has grown from a small, personal effort to care for vulnerable children into an established residential home, educational centre and community development hub.
Its achievements can be seen in many different ways: children who have grown up in a safe and nurturing environment; young people who have progressed through school and into university; a primary school educating hundreds of local children; the introduction of secondary education; agricultural projects providing fresh food and income; and initiatives that have helped local women develop skills and financial independence.
Perhaps most importantly, the Village has helped create a lasting sense of family and community for children who may otherwise have grown up without the security and opportunities that every child deserves.
The story of Lirhanzo is also a story of the people who have made it possible. From the dedicated guardian mothers and teachers to the local workers, community members and individuals who have given their time and skills, its development has been built on years of commitment and collective effort.
Today, the Village continues to look towards the future, with an emphasis on expanding educational opportunities, strengthening its agricultural activities, improving its facilities and ensuring that the next generation of children has even greater opportunities than the generation before them.
Lirhanzo Children's Village is much more than a place of care. It is a home, a family, a school and a source of hope for an entire community. Its greatest achievement is not simply what has been built, but the lives that have been changed and the futures that have become possible.
Lirhanzo – The Village of Love.
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