By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
BULAWAYO — When the final putt dropped at the inaugural NetOne-KIDZCAN Golf Tournament at Bulawayo Country Club, the scorecards told only part of the story.
Beyond the birdies and bogeys, something more consequential had taken shape: a community of corporates, golfers, and sponsors choosing to stand alongside the youngest and most vulnerable patients in Zimbabwe’s cancer wards.
The tournament was more than a game of golf, organisers said. It was a platform to stand with children battling cancer — helping KIDZCAN continue providing lifesaving treatment, care, psychosocial support and hope to young warriors and their families.
A mission beyond the fairway
Speaking at the close of the event, NetOne Group Chief Executive Officer Engineer Raphael Mushanawani said the tournament demonstrated how businesses and communities could unite to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
“Today’s tournament was never solely about the game. It was about giving hope to children battling cancer.
“It was about standing with families facing one of life’s most difficult challenges and demonstrating the power of compassion and collective action,” Eng Mushanawani said.
Every participant had contributed towards a shared mission of improving the lives of children and families supported by KIDZCAN, an organisation that provides advocacy, treatment support and care for children diagnosed with cancer.
Young warriors inspire action
Eng Mushanawani praised the resilience of young cancer patients, describing them as an inspiration.
“Cancer is a difficult journey for anyone, but for a child, it can be especially challenging. Yet despite the obstacles they face, these young heroes continue to inspire us through their courage, resilience and determination,” he said.
He commended KIDZCAN for its continued efforts to support affected families across Zimbabwe, saying its work was transforming lives and bringing hope to communities.
Building momentum with winter drive
The tournament did not come out of nowhere.
Earlier in June, NetOne had launched its 2026 Winter Drive in partnership with KIDZCAN, donating blankets, bedsheets and other essential winter supplies to children undergoing cancer treatment and their caregivers.
“Winter cannot wait,” NetOne Public Relations Manager Ernest Magadzire said at the handover ceremony.
“We felt it was important to act now and provide immediate support to children and families facing one of the most difficult battles of their lives”.
The winter donation marked the beginning of NetOne’s wider campaign, which culminated in the Bulawayo golf tournament.
Funds raised during the tournament will go towards supporting children undergoing cancer treatment and improving access to essential care services.
An annual fixture with purpose
The framing of the NetOne-KIDZCAN Golf Tournament as a first edition signals an intention to build something repeatable — an annual moment in the corporate calendar where the business community rallies around childhood cancer awareness and the practical work of keeping KIDZCAN’s programmes funded and operational.
That matters, because the needs KIDZCAN addresses do not resolve themselves year to year. Childhood cancer is a persistent reality in Zimbabwe, and the costs of treatment, family support, and long-term care are ongoing.
Speaking at the winter donation handover, KIDZCAN Zimbabwe Executive Director Daniel McKenzie welcomed the partnership, saying it demonstrated the importance of collective action.
“We say that it takes a village to raise a child, but whose village is it? It is our village and our children,” he said.
McKenzie stressed that supporting children with cancer goes beyond medical treatment and includes ensuring they have access to proper nutrition and a supportive environment.
“We say that the best treatment for childhood cancer is food more than medicine,” he said.
A growing partnership
For NetOne, the KIDZCAN partnership is an expression of what the company intends to do with its national reach. As one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent digital services providers, NetOne occupies a presence in communities across the country that few other private sector actors can match .
At the tournament’s prize-giving ceremony, Mr L. Chirindo, NetOne’s Head of Enterprise Risk and Loss Control, represented the CEO and reaffirmed the company’s broader philosophy of corporate citizenship — one that measures the company’s reach not only in signal coverage and subscriber numbers, but in social outcomes.
“At NetOne, we believe that true connectivity is measured not only by the networks we build, but by the lives we touch,” Chirindo said.
“Together, we are connecting communities, restoring hope and giving every child the opportunity to fight for a brighter tomorrow”.
As the inaugural tournament concluded, Mushanawani left attendees with a message that captured the day’s deeper purpose:
“The true success of this tournament lies in the lives that will be touched, the awareness that has been created and the hope that has been strengthened”.
For the children at the centre of it all — the young warriors, as they were called — every edition that follows is another reason to hold on.
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