Coca-Cola Zimbabwe has donated USD$250,000 to Save the Children Zimbabwe, a project meant to provide access to clean and safe water for patients and staff in five major health facilities across the country.
Addressing the media earlier today, Coca-Cola Zimbabwe Franchise Manager, Archbold Ndhlovu said the projects are in line with their new Africa focused sustainability platform they launched last month.
“I must say that in Save the Children, we have found such a like-minded partner here in Zimbabwe. Our partnership with them that we are officially kick-starting today is addressing two of these pillars – giving access to safe water and creating economic opportunities for people in need especially our youth,” he said.
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 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.
“I believe these two projects will impact the communities and the youth in a big way as it will improve their overall quality of life. We look forward to a successful implementation of the two projects and hearing powerful the impact stories as a result,” added Ndlovu.
Save the Children said the installation of solar powered piped water systems, complete with water storage tanks at two referral hospitals Maphisa District Hospital in Matobo and Siakobvu Rural Hospital in Kariba— is already underway.
Three Rural Health Centres, Msampakaruma in Kariba, Chikwarakwara in Beitbridge, and Chinego in Binga District will also receive the same support.
President of The Coca-Cola Foundation, Saadia Madsbjerg said funding for these two programs is helping to strengthen the economic resilience of Zimbabwean youth while also helping to improve the overall quality of life through the provision of clean and safe water.
“We are proud to support these programs because we recognize the difference they can make in these four communities,” Madsbjerg said.
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.2 billion in grants to support sustainable community initiatives from water to women’s empowerment, from community recycling to wellbeing around the world.
