The humanitarian work of the Olinda Chapel Foundation has come to an emotional and abrupt end, sending shockwaves across communities that have, for years, relied on its quiet but far-reaching support.
In a deeply personal and emotional statement shared publicly, Olinda Chapel announced the shutdown of the foundation she built using what she repeatedly described as her “hard-earned money”, revealing a woman exhausted, wounded, and finally choosing self-preservation over sacrifice.
“It’s with a very heavy heart and coming from a broken place… From today’s date I need to look out for me and my children only,” she wrote.
A LEGACY BUILT IN SILENCE, NOT SPOTLIGHT
For many, the name Olinda Chapel Foundation has long been associated with action rather than publicity. The foundation’s footprint stretches across some of Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable spaces, feeding the homeless, paying school fees, supporting funerals, offering free nurse aide training, assisting HIV and AIDS patients, and advocating against domestic violence affecting women and children.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when hunger and fear tightened their grip on communities, Olinda says she fed thousands of families and homeless children, sometimes reuniting children with their families. She mentored young people, supported small business start-ups, and stepped in where systems failed.
All of it, she insists, came at a personal cost.
“Taking food off my own children’s plate to support those in need… That would have been my legacy,” she said.
“PLEASE STOP ASKING ME FOR HELP”
Perhaps the most heartbreaking part of her message was not the announcement itself, but the plea that followed.
Olinda asked people to stop sending requests for help, explaining that she is no longer in a position to give, emotionally, financially, or spiritually, especially as her own daughter is now suffering.
“How am I to help or support when my own daughter is suffering?”
It is a raw admission that exposes the often-ignored emotional toll borne by community benefactors who operate without institutional backing, donor funding, or structured support systems.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, LOUD SPECULATION
Notably, the reasons behind the shutdown were not clearly stated in her message. However, the announcement comes at a time when Olinda Chapel is embroiled in a legal battle involving allegations of cyberbullying against Dyonne Tanaka Tafirenyika and Kelsea Tafirenyika.
While no direct link was drawn between the legal proceedings and the closure of the foundation, the timing has inevitably raised questions and intensified public debate. For now, those questions remain unanswered.
What is clear is that the emotional weight of the moment extends beyond legalities, it speaks to burnout, personal trauma, and the fragile line between giving and self-destruction.
WHEN A PHILANTHROPIST FALLS SILENT
The shutdown of the Olinda Chapel Foundation is more than the closure of an organisation. It is a stark reminder of how much community welfare in Zimbabwe and across the region depends on individual sacrifice rather than sustainable systems.
When those individuals break, entire safety nets disappear overnight.
“I am neither asking for sympathy nor applause,” Olinda wrote. “For those that know, know what role I have played.”
WHAT COMES NEXT?
As the dust settles, communities are left grappling with two realities: gratitude for what was done, and uncertainty about who, if anyone, will step into the void.
“I hope God has someone else to fill in my shoes,” she concluded.
For now, the shoes remain empty.
And with them, a chapter of quiet service, painful sacrifice, and unrecorded impact comes to a close.
ZiGoats will continue to follow developments around the Olinda Chapel Foundation and the legal matters surrounding its founder.
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