GCN boss Betty Makoni embezzles donor funds

Betty Hazviperi Makoni the Girl Child Network boss is said to be in United Kingdom after misappropriating donor funds that she amassed for the upkeep of desperate girls in Zimbabwe.

[Tendai Chinzou -GCN Comms]

Following story that you posted on the website please look at story below as it looks like kwayedza has gone on the ground and discovered truth
It is always best to write such articles after thorough investigations and story defaming other people unnecessarily
We hope that you do a translation of this story so that readers know facts on the ground
Given the great work Betty Makoni has done for girls in Zimbabwe and given the work she is doing we should desist from such unfounded reports
The board ,directors and girls benefitting from Girl Child Network with support from Betty Makoni are all shocked and its good Kwayedza paper in Zimbabwe have made things clear
Please email us for accurate information on [e-mail] or [e-mail] or visit our website on www.gcn.org.zw

Ndorumwa nechekuchera —
neMunyori weKwayedza
NYAYA yekubuda kwemutungamiri wesangano reGirl Child Network munyika muno achinovaka musha mutsva kuUnited Kingdom svondo rino yakatora gwara idzva zvichitevera humbowo hutsva hwakapihwa nesangano iri richipomera mumwe wevashandi varo kukonzeresa nyonga-nyonga dzose dziri kuitika mukati maro.
Muzvare Betty Hazviperi Makoni vakabuda muZimbabwe kuburikidza nenyika yeBotswana vakananga kuUK uko vanoti vave kugara nemhuri yavo zvichitevera kuwana kwemurume wavo, Irvine Nyamapfeni, basa saEngineer kukambani inonzi EDF.
Mudzimai uyu, muhurukuro nepepa rino svondo rino - iyo yakatora awa rose - anoti haana kutiza nyika yechizvarirwo nekuda kwenyaya dzematongerwo enyika kana chimwe chikonzero kwete, asi kuti ane tariro yekudzoka kumusha kana kondirakiti yaNyamapfeni yekugadzira zvivakwa zveLondon 2012 Olympic Games ichinge yapera.
Kubuda kwaMuzvare Betty chinyararire kwakakwezva runyerekupe rwekuti vainge vaenda nehomwe yemari, vana vavairiritira pamwe nevashandi vachisiiwa vachidya nhoko dzezvironda. Asi izvi svondo rino zvakabuda zvisiri-zvo. Zvisinei, mudzimai uyu muhurukuro akaburitsa zvizhinji achiti:
"Nyaya iri apa ndeyekuti pane munhu mumwechete anga achitsvaga chigaro changu musangano (GCN), asi nekuona kuti mikana yake yebudiriro yaondoroka, osarudza zvino kusvibisa zita rangu iro rakazvinakira samare.
"Handina kutsvaga hupoteri sezvazvinotaurwa zvichiitwa, asi kuti ndakabva muZimbabwe zvakanakanaka ndichienda nekuBotswana, kunove kwandiine mapepa emvumo yekugarako zviri pamurawo (residence permit).
"Chinhu chinosuwisa zvikuru kuti mushure mekunge ndazvipira kwemakore gumi ose aya kubatsira mwanasikana ari kumbunyikidzwa nekumupa hupenyu nefundo zviri nani, mumwe munhu anoona zvakakodzera kundiripa nekusvibisa zita rangu seizvi.
"Chimwe chinonyanyondirwadza ndechekuti munhu uyu, Ropafadzo Mapimhidze, ndakamugamuchira muGCN, ndikamupa basa nerubatsiro rwunosanganisira kumurapisa, mushure mekunge auya kwandiri achiti kubasa kwaaimboshanda (aishandira pepanhau reThe Herald) aibatwa neseri kweruoko nekuda kwekuti aive mudzimai mumwechete pakati pevanhurume vane zvigaro zvepamusoro.
Read more on Kwayedza of today friday 14 May 2009

[Paola Gianturco]

This report is garbage--obviously invented to defame Betty Makoni's excellent reputation. A more accurate testimony to her important work is the fact that she was just honored by the Dalai Lama (the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize). I have known Betty for years; she has the highest integrity and is selflessly devoted to the Girl Child Network and its members.

[HChigege]

Paola personally I dont think just because someone was honored by the Dalai Lama they are perfect.Yes you might know Betty Makoni personally but that doesn't mean she is innocent.Do you know how she was running the finances behind closed doors? She could be selflessly devoted to Girl child network but that doesn't mean she was not misusing donor funds.

[HChigege]

Tendai Chinzou

It is not only Kwayedza that wrote this story.Betty Makoni's mismanagement of donor funds has been written in various Zimbabwe news sites before Kwayedza did.

Zimdaily also wrote a story about the same issue sometime back in 2008 I think.You can check with them for the story to see if they lied.They wrote it before Kwayedza.

The Zimbabwe financial gazette wrote a story about the same issue on 10 November 2008.You can check with themto see if they lied too.

[HChigege]

Tendai Chinzou

Financial gazzette ran this story on 10 NOVEMBER 2008

NGOs abusing donated funds

By Nelson Chenga, Staff Reporter

A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are abusing donated funds before projects are implemented, disadvantaging the intended beneficiaries in the process.

The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations confirmed the disturbing trend describing it as a big issue, damaging the image of the civic society.

"It's a huge challenge because of the volatile economic environment given the many temptations in the value of the United States dollar," said the association's spokesman, Fambai Ngirande.
Recently, the United States-based Kellog Foundation, which bankrolled projects in southern Africa amounting to US$350 million since 1986, withheld funding after uncovering financial irregularities on some of its projects.

The Associated Press reported last week
that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS and other communicable diseases is demanding that Zimbabwe return millions of dollars in donations it says were misused.

Story continue below

[HChigege]

cont/Financial gazzette 10Nov 2008

The Fund says it wants US$7,3 million back from the $12.3 million it donated to Zimbabwe although David Parirenyatwa, the Health and Child Welfare Minister, professed ignorance over the missing funds.

Investigations by The Financial Gazette have unearthed questionable events at the Girl Child Network (GCN), led by Betty Makoni.

GCN senior management warned Makoni that delays in bankrolling some projects were threatening the survival of the organisation but the director ignored their advice before she relocated to Botswana in March claiming her life was in danger.
In one of the documents, a senior management team at GCN said,

"We note that the current non-implementation of programmes is a double-edged sword for GCN.We feel it is important not to abandon girls in this time of great need."

The team was reportedly dissolved for questioning Makoni's decisions while its proposed programme of action for this year was stuffed in the bottom drawer.

It is also alleged that school fees for hundreds of girl child beneficiaries under some of the donor-driven projects have not been paid for two whole terms.

This has prompted some GCN employees to agitate for donors to institute independent audits and to scrutinise the organisation's projects.

In e-mailed responses, Makoni dismissed
the enquiries as part of "a long standing campaign from unnamed quarters seeking to pillage what she has built. For all the questions you have we have supporting documents.You should see them for yourself lest your source exaggerated." wrote Makoni.

She said GCN was experiencing problems paying top-up fees because the donations were not catering for the impact of inflation on the country's schools. GCN insiders told The Financial Gazette that ever since Makoni relocated to Botswana, operations have slowly been grinding to a halt. Workers went without salaries for two months in March and April.

"There is no way to get you paid if the finance team has not done the books and followed up with funders. When all funders send in money we can use some to pay staff and some for programmes," Makoni informed GCN staff by e-mail.

The organisation's monitoring and evaluation grants checklist indicates that GCN major donors Stephen Lewis Foundation, Oxfam Novib, Rotary Club International, the US State department, the British Embassy and Canadian International Development Agency advanced thousands of US dollars to the organisation.

GCN spokesman, Kumbirai Mudzingwa refused to disclose the amount of funds funnelled for its projects over the phone.But according to the grants checklist made available by Makoni tabulating external funders and their contributions, GCN has had more than US$1 million advanced and pledged by donors for the period August 2007 and December 2009. The US State department advanced a US$152 000 grant to help fight child trafficking in Zimbabwe through awareness campaigns, training and rehabilitation of rescued girls for the period September 2007 to August this year.

Sources at GCN say the outreach programme never materialised because Makoni withheld funds from personnel on the ground.

No reports on the progress of the project have been made although the period over which the grant was supposed to have been used has since passed with not even one girl child trafficking victim on its records.

[Tom Sanga]

jUNE 7, 2009: "Betty Makoni blames Ropafadzo Mapimhidze for donor funds abuse" http://www.zimbabweonlinepress.com/index.php...

[HChigege]

Thieves usually blame someone for their failures.Mugabe also blames Britain for his thieving.

[Observer]

Betty Makoni is a person of the highest integrity who has made many enemies along the way because of her tireless work. The story of abuse of funds was, in September 2009, refuted by Zimpapers publications which offered an apology to Betty and GCN for publishing unverified accusations emanating from a former GCN worker who had, coincidentally, also worked for these newspapers before. Those of us who know her personally will testify how Betty forgoes many personal comforts and funds victims sometimes from her own modest savings.

[Michealene Risley]

I have worked with closely with Betty and GCN for a number of years. She has never taken money, I have seen how she lives and she gives everything she has to these girls. Unfortanely life is Zimbabwe is such that people lie out of desperation and they get paid to do so.
I met such a woman when I was there, who actually befriend me and helped with the filming of a documentary on Betty. It was only later after I was imprisoned in Zimbabwe, I learned she worked for the CIO and her brother ran human resources for the CIO. She got me arrested.
Betty did not flee the country because of mis-use of funds-she fled because she was getting death threats. Mugabe has taken the bank accounts of many NGO's on the ground. It is a wonder that anyone can help people over there with his thugs.
I stand by Betty and will continue to!

[Michealene Risley]

HChigege wrote:

Thieves usually blame someone for their failures.Mugabe also blames Britain for his thieving.

Lest you know the facts you should not spread the rumors. Don't tarnish people who have worked their lives to save children. What you have done?

[HChigege]

My friend my job is not to tarnish good people's works.One thing you should know is that even good people can steal or murder and that will make them bad people.Open your mind and analyse facts.

Michealene Risley wrote:

<quoted text>
Lest you know the facts you should not spread the rumors. Don't tarnish people who have worked their lives to save children. What you have done?

[tula msindo]

HChigege wrote:

Thieves usually blame someone for their failures.Mugabe also blames Britain for his thieving.

short precise and ever so devastating !! nice

[HChigege]

Yea at times some people just have to be given short nice ones.Ha hahaaha

tula msindo wrote:

<quoted text> short precise and ever so devastating !! nice

[renee]

this woman is strong and a believer she is my role model.

[HChigege]

Quite interesting.Some war veterans also tell us that Mugabe is their role model.It's good that people have different role models.Some have those who embezzel donor funds as role models,some have murderers as role models,some have priests as role models.This makes our good world go round.

renee wrote:

this woman is strong and a believer she is my role model.

[juan]

what is the problem she was misusing the money? with what moral autority you say something when you don't even do .....to help the people, at leats she is trying to save the girls that have been rape for so many year and at the end she save thousands of people and you dare to judge her. For women like you this world is so ignorant, before you make a comment like this think on the motives that people have to do good things, don't think in the motives that you hear from other people, think for youself

[De Minimus]

I for one well and truly hopes that this is not in fact the truth. It would be so sad if it was and I would even call it the epitomy of cruelty. Something worse than what these girls would have experienced. I say so simply because to be given hope and strength after abuses not deserved is something that goes a long way in restoring faith in humanity. If this turns out to be a scam, a ploy for one to exploit money, then the betrayal one feels is too painful to fathom. One will forever have trust issues thereby affecting their ability to form and sustain meaningful relationships in life. How cruel and insensitive does one have to be in order to live with this.

Ambuya, kana makaba mari dzevana, please dzorai moyo wenyu. Kangaidzei venyu vana vachawira mumatambudziko akadai. Hamungadewo here kuti vave newekuzembera anovimbisika? It is so much better to own up now if you did it rather than deny it and ruin your Godly mission for generations to come. Where there is money, temptation is rife. I would understand if you gave into that temptation. After all, you are only human. I believe in rehabilitation and forgiveness over punishment. Zvaakwamuri ambuya, show us not all Zimbabweans are like Mugabe when it comes to facing up to their shortcomings; if you are guilty that is. If not, very sorry someone is out to get you in this manner.....I trust you will do the right thing..

[HChigege]

If you don't see the problem if she is misusing the money then I'm sorry to let you know that you are too shallow minded to deserve a meaningful response from me.

juan wrote:

what is the problem she was misusing the money? with what moral autority you say something when you don't even do .....to help the people, at leats she is trying to save the girls that have been rape for so many year and at the end she save thousands of people and you dare to judge her. For women like you this world is so ignorant, before you make a comment like this think on the motives that people have to do good things, don't think in the motives that you hear from other people, think for youself