The Brisbane Lions Football Club helped put smiles on the faces of the children of Zimbabwe over the Christmas holidays when they donated footballs, Lions jumpers and other gifts to children living in poverty.

Brisbane Lions Community Programs Manager, Tawanda Karasa, visited the country to catch up with family and also deliver items to disadvantaged children living in the Hatcliffe Extension.

“It was amazing how many smiles you can put on these kids’ faces despite the everyday struggles they have to face,” said Karasa.

In 2005, the community of Hatcliffe Extension was destroyed under the government’s Operation Murambatsvina (translated as ‘Operation Clean Up’). During Operation Murambatsvina, families were forced to destroy their homes and turn it all to rubble, losing their property and belongings.

The operation has had long-lasting effects on the community. Today the area is home to more than 30,000 people. They have no access to piped water, electricity and communication facilities and the majority of families live in plastic shacks. There is also no formal school, with the limited access to education making it even harder for Children to access livelihood opportunities later in life.