SOS Children’s Village Waterfalls

SOS Children’s Village Waterfalls is located in the Waterfalls suburb of Harare. Harare is Zimbabwe’s capital and largest city, with a population of over 1.6 million and 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is located at an altitude of 1,400 metres in north-eastern Zimbabwe. It is an important centre for trade and also has a significant manufacturing industry.

Harare was very severely affected by the crisis that saw economic output in the country decline by 45 per cent between 1999 and 2008. Chronic water and electricity shortages affected even the wealthiest parts of town. Political unrest and instability have marked the past decade. In 2005, over 700,000 people lost their homes due to a government decision to destroy urban slums. In 2006, Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate rose to over 1,000 per cent and continued to rise, reaching 231 million per cent in late 2008. In January 2009, a 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollar note was launched.