TELECOMS company Africom and the Rotary Club of Harare CBD yesterday came to the rescue of Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital in Masvingo by donating food to the institution.
BY HAZVINEI MWANAKA
The donation was in response to a story published by NewsDay last month highlighting the food crisis at the institution, with patients surviving only on sadza and vegetables daily.
The donation included maize, cooking oil and three beasts.
Africom managing director Rudo Mudavanhu said the company was touched by the plight of inmates at the institution.
“NewsDay published a story that about 160 mental patients at Ngomahuru are in need of relish. So we looked at the issue and found out that they have the mealie meal, but what they didn’t have was the meat and also that the patients were now refusing to eat the vegetables. So that’s how we came together with the Rotary Club of Harare CBD,” she said.
“What is revealing when we came here is that it is actually a huge facility, a farm and there are a lot of things that can be done to facilitate some of the needs at the consumption side.”
Mudavanhu promised to look into some of the projects that the institution could implement.
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“They have mentioned projects like poultry and piggery. If they have the skills and place, I think what we have to do is to facilitate those things and I am sure it will go a long way in helping them since they will have a constant supply of their basic needs,” she said.
Della Nhiwatiwa, the past president of the Rotary Club Harare CBD, said their role was to uplift humanity.
“When we heard the plight of Ngomahuru patients we decided to join hands with our partner Africom and donated our foodstuffs. I just urge other organisations out there to make a difference to those in need by uplifting their lives,” she said.
Parirenyatwa Maramba, superintendent for Ngomahuru, said government was struggling to fund the institution due to financial constraints.
“When people chip in with donations, it goes a long way in lessening the situation,” he said. “We appeal to the corporate world to emulate what has been done today because government alone cannot do it. We need help.”
