Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
HAULIN Quarry Mining Company has brought cheers to over 260 families with people with disabilities and the elderly in different parts of Pumula, Ward 17, in Bulawayo after donating food hampers as Christmas packages.
The company, situated in Pumula North suburb, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) on Friday donated food hampers at six places in Mazwi Village, St Peter’s Village, Robert Sinyoka Village, Methodist Village, Pumula North and Pumula South.
In an interview, Haulin Quarry Mining Company manager Mr Charles Ndlovu said the donation was part of their CSR initiatives they do every year, to give back to the community they work in.
“We are here today doing our CSR programme where we donated food hampers to people with disabilities around our community in Ward 17. So far we have donated to almost 260 people in all the communities.
“In our CSR programme, as a company in Pumula North we ought to give back to the community we work in and work with. We do even donate water tanks and quarry to different schools. We also assist the Bulawayo City Council to grade roads in different parts of the suburb, among other initiatives,” he said.
He said for the past three years they ensured they brought Christmas cheer to the under-privileged and the elderly so that they do not feel left out or neglected.
Mr Ndlovu said they had an open-door policy whereby members of the community were free to approach them when in need of assistance and as a company they ensured they worked well with the community.
A guardian to a beneficiary from Mazwi Village, Ms Rose Dube said there were few companies who had the community in mind.
“I’m here on behalf of my granddaughter Buhlebenkosi who is a person with disability. We are very happy as a community, to see companies that have people and communities at heart. A lot of companies come and work in our communities and make money but they do not even consider the people in the area or developing the community.
“However, Haulin Quarry Mining Company has showed us that they are different and appreciate the community they work in as we have witnessed today. The food hamper will go a long way for us as a family and we will enjoy Christmas just as other families will do,” she said.
At St Peter’s Village, the company went an extra mile giving food hampers to other elderly people that were not included in the list of people with disabilities.
The Village Development Committee (Vidco) chair, Mrs Juliet Bethule, expressed her gratitude to the company.
“As a community we can never thank Haulin Quarry Mining Company more than enough for their generosity. They even went beyond what they had planned to donate in St Peter’s Village and gave us more to cater for the people with disabilities and the elderly. Not many people think about those underprivileged and we are very happy to see that in our community they will have a wonderful Christmas,” she said.
An 89-year-old, Elia Siziba from Robert Sinyoka Village said they were happy to see people that take care of the elderly.
“We wish more companies could learn from this company that they have to give back to the community they work in. Companies should also employ people from surrounding communities as well, instead of bringing people from faraway places.”
Local councillor, Sikhululekile Moyo said persons with disabilities were often neglected most of the times.
“When there are donations these people are often left out, however, today we see Haulin Quarry Mining Company prioritising them as well as the elderly people. In Pumula South there were 36 beneficiaries, 82 in Robert Sinyoka Village, 23 in Mazwi Village, 19 at St Peter’s Village, 27 at Methodist Villageand 75 in Pumula North. This is a big gift to plus or minus 260 people, making it a wonderful Christmas for the community. We are grateful to the company for the kind gesture and giving back to the community that they operate in,” she said.
The food hampers consisted of a 10kg bag of mealie-meal, two litres cooking oil, two litres juice and a 2kg bag of sugar.
Online Reporter