Homeless Harare mother fears for daughters as family sleeps in the open

Homeless Harare mother appeals for help after family ends up on the streets

A 39-year-old Harare mother who has been living in the open with her four children for the past week says her three daughters are facing daily threats from men and youths allegedly attempting to lure them into sexual exploitation. Nyarai Dimingo said her family became homeless after the Westgate property where she had worked as a domestic worker since 2012 was sold, leaving her without employment or accommodation.

The family is now sheltering near Mt Pleasant Post Office in Harare, relying on well-wishers for food while searching for work and a place to stay. Dimingo said her greatest concern is the safety of her daughters, aged 11, 13 and 19, who she claims are being approached by intoxicated youths and adult men during the night.

"During the night, drunken street kids and some men have been threatening the girls," she said.

"They offer them money, not for help, but in exchange for sexual favours."

Residents living near the shopping centre told H-Metro they had witnessed men approaching the girls and feared they were attempting to exploit the family's vulnerable circumstances.

The youngest of Dimingo's four children, an eight-year-old boy, is also living on the streets with the family.

According to Dimingo, none of her children has attended school since 2024 because of financial hardship and unstable living conditions. She said she separated from her husband, Nolan Eleven, in 2019. At the time, the couple both worked in Westgate, with Dimingo employed as a housemaid while her husband worked as a gardener.

When her employer sold the property, she said she was left with nowhere to go.

"I left Westgate with a few belongings, including one blanket, and we have been sleeping outside," she said.

The family initially sought shelter elsewhere before relocating to Mt Pleasant in search of a safer environment.

"We moved to Mt Pleasant Post Office because the street kids started to torment us during the night."

"Drunkards are also making our lives unbearable. We are now relying on well-wishers for food."

Child protection organisations have long warned that homelessness significantly increases the risk of children, particularly girls, being exposed to sexual exploitation, trafficking and gender-based violence. According to UNICEF Zimbabwe, children living on the streets or without adequate adult protection face heightened risks of abuse and are often forced into unsafe situations to survive.

Social welfare experts say families facing homelessness require urgent intervention, including temporary shelter, psychosocial support, access to education and protection services to safeguard children from exploitation. Dimingo has appealed for employment, saying she is willing to take any honest job to provide for her family.

"I am looking for any kind of work. I can work as a housemaid, a till operator or do any other job that can help me look after my children."

Her plea comes amid growing economic pressures that continue to leave many low-income households vulnerable to homelessness and food insecurity. Authorities and organisations providing child protection and social welfare services have not yet commented on the family's situation.

Homeless Harare mother