Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ), Nashville Congregation in Gweru organised a sponsored walk from Gweru to Harare for donations to Copota school for the blind and Henry Murray special school for the deaf with Glow Petroleum and Zimbabwe Bank(ZB)Holdings chipping in with sizeable sums of money as partners.
At the donations hand over ceremony at ZB Sports Club in Harare on Wednesday, sponsored walk spokesperson Pascal Muringani said it was a success with an 18- year-old girl Nyasha Zimuto also participating. The sponsored walk started on the 30th November and ended on the 9th December.The 10 day walk left the participants looking not exhausted but having enjoyed the worthy cause.
” Our project committee at Nashville Congregation came up with a view to help and we selected people with special needs hence the donations are for the blind and deaf people”, said Muringani.
Chief Secretary for Adminstration and Finance in the Office of the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya sourced funds for the project with Hit Wave, Impala Car Hire, Greenwood Pharmacy, Croco Motors, and Minister Oliver Chidawu donating $100 000 ZWL apiece.
“I approached a lot of people and some are going to bring their donations .Nashville is my church and I will continue supporting them because even when it was being built,the building material was kept at my late mother’s place for safe keeping as we are just 4 houses from the church”, said Rushwaya.
Pastors and their wives from RCZ churches in Harare also came with their donations and praised their fellow church members for remembering the less privileged especially people living with disabilities. Many individuals and organisations donated to the worthy cause.
Glow Petroleum donated $10 000USD in absentia of the Managing Director Aaron Chinhara.Nyasha Muzuva the company’s Legal Advisor and Linda Gono the Marketing Executive handed over the donation.
Glow Petroleum which started off as an informal entity without a service station or even a business address and supplied fuel from drums to customers has now service stations nationwide. Back then fuel industry was not strictly regulated until a few years ago with the establishment of the Zimbabwe Energy Revenue Authority(ZERA). Glow Petroleum is a wholly owned indigenous Zimbabwean Company with the majority shareholder Aaron Chinhara.
“This event has created public awareness about the blind and the visually impaired with the deaf in the country and has to an extent promoted social acceptance of them”, said Nyasha Muzuva in a speech.
She added that Glow Petroleum as RCZ partner is committed to continuously play a pivotal role in its corporate social responsibility policy in enhancing and improving the lives of the those affected and those living with disabilities.
“They say disability does not mean inability and as we live in such a dynamic world, it is everyone’s responsibilties to take care and ensure that those people in marginalised groups are protected from discrimination, afforded equal opportunities in all spheres of life and supported in various influences be it sport, academics or self- sustaining projects to name but a few”, explained Nyasha Muzuva.
She extended her profound gratitude to her Excellency The First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa through her vision at Anglel of Hope for playing such a huge role in ensuring that the visually impared and the blind with the deaf are being supported, recognised and accepted in our society.
ZB Holdings Group Marketing Executive Emilia Mabika handed over $2 000 USD equivalent to the auction bank rate of ZWL.She also donated on behalf of her institution layers and broilers chicks.
“The chicks will be bought together with the feeds which last until the point of sale”, she said.
She revealed that at one time they visited my Copota School for the blind and they created the hash tag on social media #spread the cheer in an endeavour tohave their social responsibility efforts sustainable.
“We are always wanting to have sustainable projects in marginalized communities thus transforming societies for a long time”, she said.
Nyasha Zimuto a lower sixth student at Thornhill High School in Gweru said she participated missing her school work because she felt sorry for the peopled living with disabilities especially the blind.”Matthew 25 verse 35-40 talks about helping those in need so we should help them according to the blind, she said.
Copota School of the blind is a registered welfare organisation under RCZ. The organisation which is based in Masvingo was founded in 1915 by Margaretha Hugo.Henry Murray special school for the deaf was established in 1947. It is located at Morgenster mission, a RCZ mission centre in Masvingo.
Nashville sponsored walk participants created the hashtag on social media #meetinharare, for engagement with the sponsors, media and others on how walk was progressing.
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