CLOSE to $2 million and US$3 135 was raised through pledges and auction during the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s fundraising golf tournament held in Victoria Falls on Friday.
The inaugural tournament which is set to be an annual
event, is aimed at raising funds for development of Chambuta National
Children’s Rehabilitation and Skills Development Centre in Chiredzi.
The Urban Council’s Association of Zimbabwe (Ucaz) hosted
the golf tournament which featured close to 100 golfers drawn from individuals,
private sector and Government departments at the Elephant Hills Golf Course.
The tournament was organised as a side event to the
Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga)’s Women in Local Government Forum
(ZILGF) which was officiated by President Mnangagwa on Thursday.
The First Lady interfaced with more than 300 women
councillors and executives in local authorities who attended the forum on
Thursday evening before also participating at the golf tournament on Friday as
she became the first to tee-off to open the event.
The facility housed thousands of Mozambican refugees
fleeing a civil war in their country between 1975 and 1992. It is being
transformed into a rehabilitation centre for children living and working on the
streets of major towns and cities as one of humanitarian programmes by the
First Lady.
Currently there are former street children from Harare at
the home. Various companies and individuals pledged money and various kinds of
goods.
Officiating at a prize-giving event at Elephant Hills
Resort and Conference Centre, the First Lady said Chambuta whose name is set to
be changed, will be officially opened next week Tuesday.
“We are going to be having an official opening of Chambuta
on the 22nd of December where we are also going to celebrate Christmas Day with
them. There is also going to be a change of name of Chambuta and we are still
discussing the name,” said the First Lady.
She paid tribute to Zilga and Ucaz for hosting the golf tournament
in support of the work that her Angel of Hope Foundation is undertaking at
Chambuta National Children Rehabilitation and Skills Development Centre.
Angel of Hope also works with Love for Africa and Mater
Foundation in its projects. “The centre was born out of the realisation that
the economic hardships affecting our country were making children more
vulnerable. Juvenile delinquency, persecution by adults, child labour are some
of the push factors leading to children being on the streets,” said the First
Lady.
She however, said there is more work to be done as she
called on co-operation by every citizen and organisation in the country.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo,
deputy Ministers Tino Machakaire (Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation) and Raj
Modi (Industry and Commerce), Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ministers
Judith Ncube (Bulawayo) and Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo) were some of the
Government officials that participated at the fundraising ceremony where a
total of $1 685 097,92 and US$3 135 was raised through sponsorship, pledges and
auction of grocery hampers, gift books and golf sticks among other things.
There were also representatives of parastatals, private
sector, hospitality industry, banks and individuals.
Some of the sponsors are African Sun, Agribank, ZB Bank,
NMB Bank, FBC Bank, Barzem, Gweru City Council, City Park, Conplant, Doves
Funeral Services, Golden Peacock Hotel, Hwange Colliery Company, M and H
Mashwede, Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Cde Jimayi Muduvuri,
National Foods, N Richards, NetOne, Pepsi, PSMAS, Rainbow Tourism Group,
Schweppes, Square Deal, Toyota Zimbabwe, Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe,
Victoria Falls Hotel, Glory Media Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe National Water
Authority. Chronicle
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