Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
IT was a heart-warming moment for 1 200 families around Bulawayo as they received food hampers from the Tendy Three Investments (TTI) company, yesterday.
The company donated to needy families that were identified by the Social Welfare Department in 10 suburbs around the city.
The food hampers consisted of cooking oil, 10kg mealie-meal, a head of cabbage, a packet of kapenta and 2kg flour.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni said TTI is working with his office to ensure that the disadvantaged in communities are helped.
“TTI has shown us that it’s run by a local man who grew up in Bulawayo. Not only have they created jobs for over 200 school leavers but they are also giving back to the community through these hampers. This is the second time they are doing this. They also donated last year in December, helping the mayoral office to give Christmas hampers to the disadvantaged. They had not started operating in Bulawayo by then as the company only started operating early this year,” Mr Mguni said.
He said they used the criteria that they usually use when the social welfare is choosing people who should get the mayor’s Christmas hamper.
“We used the procedure that we usually use when we are selecting people who benefit from the mayor’s Christmas hamper. The social workers that are responsible for social welfare in the 10 suburbs that we are visiting today are the ones who gave us names of the beneficiaries,” said the mayor.
TTI chairperson Mr Lizwe Mabuza said he knows the importance of giving back to the community as he grew up in Bulawayo.
He said: “As a child from this community I know the importance of giving back to the community that is supporting you. This donation is not only from my company however it is from every motorist that has been paying for the parking bays around the city. I really hope this encourages more companies around Bulawayo to join us as TTI so that we can be able to add more beneficiaries to the list of the ones that we already have.”
In an interview, one of the beneficiaries Mrs Patience Ndoro (64) from Thorngrove said she was happy as she had received an early Christmas gift.
“I am very happy our child remembered us. This is an early Christmas present indeed. It is like he knew how dry our homes are. I am going to sleep on a full stomach today,” Mrs Ndoro said.
Mr Benjamin Moyo (64) another beneficiary from Makokoba who was in a wheelchair said: “It is very unfortunate I cannot walk otherwise I would have jumped around to show you how excited I am. I am very happy I got this donation. Mealie-meal is expensive, so this donation is really appreciated”.
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