BY NHAU MANGIRAZI HIV and AIDS activists and human rights defenders have raised concern over children relocated from Hurungwe Children’s Home to other homes in Karoi after they failed to access anti-retroviral therapy (ART) medication for three days. The children were relocated last month by the Department of Social Welfare to “protect their rights” following reports of suspected abuse by former staff members at the home. Some were relocated to Good Shepherd Home in Chinhoyi, Eden in Doma, Makonde, while others were taken to Keegan Home near Banket. Hurungwe Children’s Home had 78 inmates. Two former workers, administrator Arista Kandengwa and matron Dorothy Kupara were “fired” over suspected abuse and theft of donated foodstuffs. Both Kandengwa and Kupara have denied the allegations, saying they never went through disciplinary hearings nor were they formally charged. Rights defenders claimed that the children were moved without their supply of drugs and went for three days without medication, which could complicate their health conditions. Among those relocated were minors below 10 years, who are on ART medication. Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said the decision to relocate the children after closing the home was made to protect them from abuse. She denied reports that the minors had skipped their ART medication after it was left behind. ‘‘Children went with their medication. Social Welfare would not be that irresponsible,’’ Mliswa-Chikoka said. But Zimbabwe Women Living with HIV national chairperson Catherine Murombedzi said: ‘‘The Hurungwe Childrens’ Home relocation was not dealt with well. I hear minors were moved impromptu. Why treat children like that? Minors on ART must adhere to medication. Let us be humane enough to consider such. There is adherence and it is determined by the time when the medication is supposed to be taken.’’ Zimbabwe National People Living Positively with HIV provincial co-ordinator Tafadzwa Kamidza said: ‘‘it is true that such a report has reached us and we will lodge our formal complaints to district Aids co-ordinators so that they follow up on the matter. This is an unfortunate development where the Social Welfare Department made such a move without considering children’s needs.’’ Provincial social welfare officer, Agnes Mutowa declined to comment on the matter. Follow us on Twitter @NewsDayZimbabwe