Former Bosso player donates to rural elderly folk

Ngqwele Dube, Sunday News Correspondent
ELDERY residents of Msizini in Mawabeni were on Friday treated to food hampers by former Highlanders player, Malvern Ntini, who grew up in the area.

Ntini’s gesture saw 40 families receive an assortment of groceries through his Rainydayz Entertainment Foundation, which was founded by the former soccer player and his wife. The United States-based Malvern grew up in Mawabeni, Mzingwane district in Matabeleland South before moving to Mpopoma, Bulawayo where he began his football career.

He is now into full time music and business, with record labels in the US and South Africa. Rainydayz Foundation donated food worth US$1200 with hampers that included 10kg mealie meal, two litres cooking oil, petroleum jelly, one kg of sugar beans, a bar of soap, four kgs rice, two kgs sugar and a kg of salt to each household.

The goods were handed over at a ceremony held at Ward 3 Councillor, William Ngwenya’s homestead. RainyDazy representative, Mr Khulekani Ntini said Malvern felt compelled to donate to people in his home area after realising the tough times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In August, the Foundation made a similar donation to the elderly in Mpopoma suburb.

“While the foundation was created to cater for the empowerment of women and the girl child, Malvern felt the crisis caused by the Coronavirus was an opportune time to remember the elderly who are vulnerable during such periods. Malvern was born here and after donating to the elderly in Mpopoma, he thought of those who saw him grow up here in Msizini. He retraced his roots and for him it’s a little way of giving back to the community,” he said.

Some hampers were also given to the disabled within the community. RainyDayz worked with the local leadership to identify the needy in the community. One of the recipients, Mr Enia Tshabangu commended Malvern for remembering his community particularly the elderly during their time of need.

“As you can see, we are all smiles as we are catered for, for the next few weeks. It’s not every day a child remembers where he came from but we are grateful he (Ntini) thought of us. Some of us had grumbling stomachs, this food will go a long way in giving us some relief,” he said.
Village Headman, Mr Thokozani Ngwenya said successive droughts had decimated food supplies and left most of them hungry and the food parcel brings welcome relief. Mr Mthandazo Ngungu, another RainyDayz representative said Malvern started the foundation in 2017 with his wife Marian and it is aimed at empowering women and the girl child, through creativity and music.

Malvern started his soccer career in Mpopoma, playing for Mthala Under-15s which was led by Highlanders legend Ernest Maphepha Sibanda at the time, before he graduated to Under-19 programme. He then moved to Phinda-Mzala and after that, now defunct Amazulu gave him his first contract before moving to Highlanders under Rahman Gumbo in the 1998-1999 season.