Hwange flood victims get help

Tobias Mandoreba
The victims of the flash floods which hit parts of Hwange town towards the end of last year had something to cheer up their spirits last week after receiving a donation of groceries and necessities from the Lions Club of Wankie (Lwendulu).

The donation, which was sourced from the cluba��s parent organisation Lions Club International Foundation, was handed over at the Lions Club office in the town.

Some affected families from the towna��s F Section Village and the Badhala Old Peoplea��s Home in Sinderella suburb each received blankets, mealie meal, rice, kapenta dried fish, soya mince, soup, salt, tea leaves, petroleum jelly, bar and bath soaps, cooking oil, sugar, antiseptic cleaning liquid and water chemicals.

After the incident, the families were immediately evacuated to the Lwendulu Junior Guest house while the inmates at the Old Peoplea��s Home were moved into the Roman Catholic Church hall.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Lions Club president Lion Larry Tsaga said their organisation was there to serve in the community with an aim to make a positive impact in peoplea��s lives through humanitarian service projects and grants.

a�?As Lions Club, we were touched by the plight of those affected by the floods in December whereA� people lost their valuables. Among those affected were pregnant women and children aged between two and 10 years old.

“In partnership with the Collierya��s Estates Section, we visited the affected people and carried out a needs assessment before the subsequent application to the Lions Club International Foundation for disaster relief aid grant which was approved and has led to the gathering here today,a�? said Tsaga.

He went on to thank the Estates section and the media for their role in helping the affected.

a�?The sectiona��s reaction to the disaster is commendable and so are their current efforts to rehabilitate the drains in the whole town to avoid a repeat of the problem. The media also played a crucial part as the articles they wrote were submitted to the authorities together with pictures leading to the timeous response,a�? added Tsaga.

One of the beneficiaries of the donation Christian Lungu praised Lions Club for the timely intervention.

a�?Firstly I would like to thank Hwange Colliery for providing alternative accommodation for us after the floods and then Lions Club for this generous donation as it is for a worthy cause indeed,a�? said a beaming Lungu.

The Lions Club Wankie, in operation from 1977 and regarded as one of the oldest in the region, has programmes which include monthly clean-up campaigns in the town and has adopted a Grade Four orphan Carlton Sibanda through payment of school fees and uniforms with plans afoot to take the gesture up to university level. . .