Our Story
The RHONAFLO story began on June 29th, 1995 when a 31-year-old mother of three went to the hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe to deliver her fourth child. She gave birth to a healthy beautiful baby boy and gave him the name she had been dreaming of for years, Tanyaradzwa meaning “We Are Comforted”.
Tragically, this loving mother, like so many other women in Zimbabwe and Sub-Saharan Africa, died while giving him life after she hemorrhaged. The boy truly became the comforter to his family as his mother had sadly but aptly named him.
On October 22nd 2016, the now 21-year-old Tanyaradzwa, a burgeoning university student, full of life, passed away tragically in a car accident. With him went the comfort he had brought to his family. Suddenly, Tanyaradzwa’s family had to face the grief of his passing, and the grief they had ignored in the many years since his mothers’ passing. It was always a struggle when Tanya’s birthday came: Should they celebrate his life? Or mourn their mother’s death? But with his death, went the option. Only grief remained.
The family, particularly Chipo, the eldest daughter, had never talked about the experience much. She was only thirteen when she lost her mother and did not often bring up the subject of her mother for fear of hurting Tanya.
Chipo is now thirty-nine years old and for the last 10 years, she has worked in women’s health; led and managed initiatives around sexual reproductive health in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa and in Canada and yet the topic of maternal mortality has remained hard to discuss.
On June 29 2018, the day that would have been her late brother’s birthday and the day her mother passed away, she officially launched RHONAFLO Foundation. Chipo decided to let these challenging life events be her motivation to change the narrative on women’s maternal health in Zimbabwe.
The name RHONAFLO is an homage to the 3 females who have shaped the woman Chipo is today and the woman she aspires to be. Rhoda, her late grandmother, Nandi, her daughter and Florida, her late mother.
It is unconscionable the number of pregnancy related deaths in Zimbabwe.
Florida
The late Florida Sibanda – Mlambo, our late mother.
The “FLO” in our name RHONAFLO.
Date of death :29 June 1995
Cause of death: Obstetrical hemorrhage during childbirth
Age at time of death :32
Left behind 4 children
Rhoda
The late Rhoda Sibanda – Our maternal grandmother.
The “RHO” in our name RHONAFLO
She came to take care of us and the day-old baby our mother left behind
when she passed away during delivery
In the picture she is holding her grandson Tanyaradzwa who is now also late. Our mother gave birth to him and died minutes after.
His date of birth was our mother’s date of death.
Nandi & Chipo
Chipo Tsitsi and her daughter Nandi
The “NA” in our name RHONAFLO