Zimbabweans in Ireland have launched their own community organisation. The new Zimbabwean Community Network Ireland (ZCNI) will aim to represent the over 2,000 Zimbabweans who are estimated to live across the country.
“At the moment we don’t know how many of us are here exactly,” said Punch John, a Zimbabwean living in Swords. “With over 10 big ethnic groups in Zimbabwe, we speak to each other in English anyway, so at first it’s hard to say if you’re from Zimbabwe or from Kenya or another African country”.
One of the purposes of the network will be to encourage Zimbabweans across Ireland to get to know each other.
John said most Zimbab-weans came to Ireland at the height of the economic boom at the turn of the century. He added that 90 per cent were qualified professionals working in areas such as engineering and IT.
According to Masimba Mwadiwa, a Zimbabwean in Naas, nearly every county council in Ireland has employed a Zimbabwean engineer at some point.
An informal Zimbabwean network has been operating in Ireland since 2002, but most of the gatherings were on sombre occasions, to raise funds for the burial of Zimbabweans who died in Ireland while having no family here.
The ZCNI will continue this practice, but will also act as a social club organising events and celebrations – most notably Independence Day, which is celebrated by all Zimbabwean ethnic groups on 18 April.
A steering committee was elected by those present at last Saturday’s community gathering. Johannes Nyawata, who lives in Co Mayo, was elected chairman of the ZCNI board.
For more information please visit:Zimbabwe Community network
