SPORT CSR-Mbada rescues Youth Games

MINING concern Mbada Diamonds has come to the rescue of the 13th edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games after donating foodstuffs for participants at the prestigious event that will be hosted in Mutare starting on Saturday.

Lack of funding had threatened the Games and Mbada’s timely intervention has helped save the situation.

The Chiadzwa-based diamond mining firm also donated state-of-the-art furniture at the government complex in the eastern border city that houses the patron of the Games and Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene and provincial administrator Fungai Mbetsa.

Local organising committee chief executive officer Cosmas Chiringa is also set to receive a double cab truck from the mining firm that he will use during the eight-day period the Games will take place.

Mbada donated 25 tonnes of maize meal, 100 litres of cooking oil, 200 pockets of potatoes and five beasts.

Recently, Chimene expressed fears of a crisis after the failure by the organising committee to raise the required funds to host the 3 500 participants who will converge in Manicaland at the weekend.

Mbada Diamonds corporate services executive George Manyaya said they had responded to the plea for assistance by Chimene, adding that they considered it their prerogative to rescue a national cause.

“This is a national event that is being hosted in Manicaland, which is our home province,” Manyaya said.

“As part of our extensive corporate social responsibility programmes, we aim to uplift communities through the development of sport in Zimbabwe. The success or failure of these Games has an impact on us. Of late, there has been a disheartening trend as some of our national sporting programmes have failed to take off due to lack of funding, yet we have abundant talent.”

The Mighty Warriors failed to travel to Ivory Coast last month for their Olympic Games football qualifier, a development which attracted a $10 000 fine as well as forfeiting the match with a 3-0 scoreline.

Mbada has for some years been a big partner of football where they funded some of the national team trips as well as the Mbada Diamonds Cup for local clubs.

Manyaya said the firm would continue to offer support for sports development.

“The Youth Games are a platform of identifying talent from grassroots levels and these will be our future ambassadors. Our mandate is to harness diamonds for the people and we aim to project our nation at all costs. Since inception, we have contributed $424 million to the government while we have also channelled $33,7 million to corporate social responsibility initiatives in areas such as sport, education, health and tourism, among others.”

Local organising committee secretary-general Shupikai Berejena expressed relief and delight that the Games would finally go ahead as planned without hindrance.

“We would like to thank Mbada Diamonds for coming on board and I think with this donation, the Games are going to successful because at least we now know no one will go hungry,” Berejena said.

-NewsDay