By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
The Coca-Cola Foundation has extended USD$250,000 to Save the Children Zimbabwe to provide access to clean and safe water for patients and staff in five major health facilities across the country and another that will facilitate access to vocational training for youth.
The two projects are in line with focused sustainability platform that Coca-Cola Africa Operating Unit and its bottling partners launched last month known as JAMII.
Officially handing over the donation, Coca-Cola Franchise Manager Archbold Ndlovu, said the partnership with Save The Children would address two pillars – giving access to safe water and creating economic opportunities for people in need especially our youth.
“As market leaders we have a responsibility to make a meaningful difference – to empower and protect the communities and the environment in which we operate. JAMII, is a Swahili word that means Community, Society, People – because it represents who we are as Africans and aligns with our values as an organization- our resilience, our commitment, and our spirit of community.
“Together with Save the Children we are partnering to promote JAMII and sustainable growth in Zimbabwe,” Ndlovu said.
The youth economic empowerment project dubbed ‘Tomorrow is Brighter’ will see at least 400 young people supported to start income generating projects ranging from poultry production, building, welding, and farm feed formulation among others that will promote and stimulate entrepreneurship opportunities for them.
The water project will benefit about 15,000 people and also contribute to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in the country as it will also provide communities neighboring the five health centers with access to piped water.
Ndlovu said the two projects would impact the communities and the youth in a big way as it will improve their overall quality of life.
He also thanked their bottling partners Delta Corporation and Schweppes for their support in the partnership and event.
Heather Kerr, Save the Children’s Country Director in Zimbabwe, said: “We’re very excited to launch these two initiatives in Zimbabwe, where needs are vast and resources scarce. In view of the ongoing global pandemic, the water project will support the health staff and surrounding communities in the fight against COVID-19. But beyond COVID-19, health facilities require water for all operations especially in the delivery wards; they need water in the laundry, kitchen and for drinking by the staff, patients and the community.
Our “Tomorrow is Brighter” project will make a difference in equipping young people with life-changing skills and getting them ready to face the world with more hope and confidence.”
Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organisation for children, with a presence in more than 120 countries.
It is committed to ensuring that all children realise the rights in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Save the Children has been implementing development work, as well as responding to emergencies in Zimbabwe since 1983.
In response to emergencies including COVID-19 and food insecurity, Save the Children implements Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Health and Child Protection initiatives including drilling boreholes, installing solar piped water schemes at health facilities, distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), providing logistical support to the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s trainings, community outreach and COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.
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