After years of enduring overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, nurses at Chiredzana Clinic in Ward 31, Zaka South, are finally celebrating the completion of new housing units built by SolidarMed.
The healthcare workers, who had long described their previous accommodations as “living like mice,” shared their relief and joy during the commissioning ceremony for the new staff quarters.
Since the clinic’s establishment in 1963, it has served over 90 villages with an estimated population of 13,000, but it lacked adequate housing for staff. For decades, only two houses were available for six nurses and their families to share. These structures became increasingly dilapidated and unsafe due to neglect by responsible authorities, until SolidarMed intervened to build three new houses.
One of the senior nurses, Felistuz Gwamuri, who has worked at the clinic for nearly 20 years, described the challenges of living in such conditions. She explained that the two houses were insufficient to accommodate staff and their families, leading some nurses to use clinic wards as makeshift living quarters.
“The houses were overcrowded and in poor condition, forcing us to use part of the clinic for accommodation to ease the congestion,” said Gwamuri. She also recounted harrowing experiences, including a near snake bite while she was sleeping and an incident where her children narrowly escaped injury when a ceiling collapsed on them.
The cramped and unsafe living conditions also meant that the nurses had little to no personal privacy, with work and personal life frequently overlapping. “It was distressing to live without the personal privacy that every human being deserves,” Gwamuri said.
Ward 31 Councillor Tumai Madzikona expressed gratitude to SolidarMed for funding the housing project and praised the community for its cooperation during the construction process. Madzikona highlighted how the new houses protect the nurses from extreme weather and provide a more suitable living environment compared to the old, substandard structures with broken doors and ceilings.
“The new staff quarters have rescued the nursing staff from the storms that have been damaging structures across the district,” Madzikona said.
SolidarMed Project Coordinator Justin Mahuni noted that the new housing would significantly improve staff morale and retention. “The improved living conditions will enhance the nurses’ motivation and ultimately lead to better service delivery,” Mahuni said.
The new staff quarters mark a significant improvement in the quality of life for healthcare workers at Chiredzana Clinic, ending years of hardship and setting a foundation for better community healthcare.
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