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Chronicle Reporter
The Zimbabwe Newspapers (Zimpapers) Group, the country’s biggest media company, was named the Best Socially Responsible organisation for the year at the Megafest Business Awards 2018.
The media house has been recognised for its cancer advocacy efforts.
The award comes soon after the integrated media group held its Cancer Power Walk in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare simultaneously on November 3.
The campaign is largely an advocacy platform whose major objective is to raise awareness. It also seeks to raise funds for cancer programmes run by Island Hospice and Healthcare, Zimpapers’ technical partner in its cancer initiative.
Last year, Zimpapers handed over $10 000 to Island Hospice for its programmes following the walk.
More than 2 000 people, among them children, participated in the campaign this year; which included a five kilometre walk and an hour-long zumba session. The services which were on offer included voluntary testing and counselling, blood pressure checks, diabetes checks and breast cancer screening.
Zimpapers group public relations and corporate affairs manager, Ms Beatrice Tonhodzayi dedicated the award to Zimbabweans.
“I dedicate this award to Zimbabweans. All the men, women and children who joined us from across the three cities to walk for the cancer cause are the real winners tonight; all those who walked in memory of their loved ones who passed on as a result of cancer; those corporate partners who sponsored us as well as the individuals who donated and are championing these issues in the community are winners,” she said.
Ms Tonhodzayi also dedicated the award to cancer patients.
“It is for those who are going for screening early and regularly and all those who are making a difference in some way. It is for the service providers who are working with cancer patients as well as cancer survivors. This cause is ours together for we are all affected in one way or another,” she said.
According to the Cancer Registry, the disease has been on the increase in Zimbabwe and is a leading killer with cervical and breast cancer at the fore followed by karposi’s sarcoma and prostate cancer.
Ms Tonhodzayi said the group had adopted cancer as an area of social responsibility since 2016 in line with its corporate social responsibility pillar to contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities in which it operates.
Organisations that sponsored this year’s Cancer Power Walk included Homelink Finance, FBC Bank, Megafest Holdings, Cimas, Medirite Healthcare, Beta Holdings, First Mutual Health, Corporate24 Hospital Group, Tanganda Tea-Tingamira, Manicaland Motoring club, Ngoda Granites and Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council.
Online Reporter