Gogo Cornneck

Gogo (grandma) Jean Cornneck a mother figure and pioneer of the Mother of Peace Community which cares for orphaned children in Mutoko, about 144km east of Zimbabwe's capital, is a soldier without a sword.
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Gogo Cornneck and her team have to grapple to nourish the majority of the babies with teaspoons or feeding tubes.They can't afford costly intravenous drips for some of the babies who are doomed at birth because they are HIV positive.

The work Gogo Cornneck does is not for the faint-hearted.She is involved in the overall administration of the centre and often spends most of her time with dying babies and others who have grown up in the home.

She is filled with a mass display of affection for the orphans and often finds it difficult to turn away babies as she grapples to find resources and space for the growing numbers."This is God's work," she says in a gentle, kind voice.
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But, Gogo Cornneck is not deterred by the health experts' alarmist figures, which paint a gloomy picture about the pandemic."We have no remuneration in our work," she says.
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Gogo Cornneck, a retired nurse, with the support of other friends founded the Mother of Peace Community in 1994 after realising the growing problem of Aids orphans.

It wasn't something she ever looked for."Before I retired, I knew what I wanted to do," she says in motherly tone."I wanted to work for the Lord.I prayed about it."She is a humble woman renowned for her love of children, generosity and who escaped the trappings of wealth to dedicate her life to the needy.

"I left my business," she says."I had a micro bus, a catering business… I left everything and came her to work for the Lord.""I chose to leave money and to work for God," she continues."I looked at the problem our country is facing.I saw the pandemic growing faster and faster and we decided to start the Mother of Peace Community in 1994.

"By the end of the 1990s our nation was going down and there was despair about the pandemic.Those dying were leaving young children and this touched my heart so much."Gogo Cornneck's energies have not dissipated since then.Everyday she does her duties and her voice becomes hoarse trying to discipline children.

"This is the face of Africa full of love and compassion," says a World Health Organisation official about her.To her, human beings are more precious than money and bank accounts.Her life enriches life and human experiences.She is the Mother Theresa of Mutoko.
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As a mark of her selflessness and integrity Gogo Cornneck donated her prize money to sustain the humanitarian work she pioneered at the Mother of Peace Community.

"I feel very honoured…I appreciate it, but I would like to emphasise that this glory is not for me," she cried when talking about the award.
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Gogo Cornneck is a devout Christian who has instilled upright morals in all the children through prayer and her faith.She was born on March 3, 1933 in Driefontein in the southern part of Zimbabwe and trained as a nurse before she attained a degree in social work in England.

She is one of the unsung heroes of Zimbabwe's 1970s war of independence struggle.At the peak of the struggle in the 70s, she collected clothes, food, drugs and other materials for guerrillas and children in refugee camps in Zambia and Mozambique.

After independence, she preferred not to return to the limelight of politics. She is hardly a political figure in the conventional sense but wants people to live a happy life free from the malignancy of poverty.

A reluctant heroine, she plays down her place in history and the tough road she has had to travel.A kinder, gentler side of her emerges as she talks about things close to her heart - children."My husband passed away before we had any children.At first I thought this was unfortunate.However, it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I now have the time to take care of the children at Mother of Peace, who I have come to care for as if they were my own," she says, quietly recalling the tragedy that once clouded her success.

She can be contacted on tel: (263) 072-2345 or international dial 011 -263-72-2345.Time zone when calling to Zim -PST+10 or GMT+2.