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Michael Makuza,Business Reporter
TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Limited, has capacitated 44 500 learners with scholarships through its flagship learning support programmes aimed at contributing to quality education and skills development in the country.
In a statement accompanying its financial report for the half year ended 31 August 2022, Econet board chairman, Mr James Myers, said the group continues to invest in the communities and has accelerated community outreach activities through initiatives under three strategic pillars – Education, Global Health, and Rural Transformation and Sustainable Livelihoods.
“Our efforts through our implementing partner, Higherlife Foundation, positively contributed towards human capital development through its flagship scholarship programmes, where more than 8 500 learners were supported with scholarships,” he said.
“36 000 students were awarded technological scholarships to access the Akello platform in a bid to catalyse access to quality education.”
Meanwhile, the group said it continues to complement Government efforts in scaling up support for climate-smart conservation farming (Pfumvudza/Intwasa) through training, provision of inputs and extension services to small-scale farmers.
Mr Myers said under the Transformation and Sustainable Livelihoods theme, they focus on continuous technical advisory services and harvesting for rural farmers that are trained and supported with farming inputs at the start of the farming season.
The group’s initiatives under the health pillar continued to complement the activities of the Ministry of Health and Child care.
“Our activities chiefly focused on improving health outcomes in maternal and neonatal health in referral hospitals; preventing the further transmission of neglected tropical diseases by 2025; elimination of cholera by 2028; and catalysing Zimbabwe’s ability to prepare and respond to public health threats, emergencies, and disasters.,” he said.
This year, the group has been placing large-scale and high-tech critical maternity ward equipment, as well as providing Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) training to eight maternity wards in Zimbabwe’s major referral and provincial hospitals.
During the period under review, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe recorded inflation-adjusted revenue of $112,4 billion, which represents a decline of one percent compared to $114,0 billion recorded in the same period last year.
The company’s voice and data volumes increased by 27 percent and 40 percent, respectively and these increases were negated by tariffs, which remained unaligned to the cost base of the business.
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