HAZ pledges to bankroll Victoria Falls clinic, solar projects

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) is mobilising resources to construct a community clinic and install a solar system at Chinotimba Old People’s Home in Victoria Falls.

The home accommodates 14 elderly men and women, with the eldest being 107 years old. It is run by the Chinotimba Association for the Destitute and Aged (Chada) under the auspices of both the Victoria Falls Municipality and the Department of Social Welfare.

HAZ adopted the home as part of the hospitality industry’s corporate social responsibility and operators take turns to donate foodstuffs, clothes, medication and other necessities. Management at the old people’s home had complained about lack of medicines for the elderly who suffer from different ailments.

Most of the drugs are bought from Livingstone in Zambia and require foreign currency.

HAZ secured a developer to refurbish one of the disused buildings and convert it into a clinic. Provision of medical equipment had also been secured before the country was plunged into the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

HAZ coordinator Ms Yvonne Jandles said US$15 000 is needed to renovate the building and turn it into a clinic, which will not only serve the old people’s home but all vulnerable groups from the resort town.

“We have adopted the Old People’s Home as part of our social responsibility programme and as HAZ we assist with food donations. We get monthly grocery vouchers from Pick n Pay and also industry players contribute. 

“We have also opened funeral policies for the elderly housed here while we also take turns to fill gas for cooking. We work in close liaison with Victoria Falls Municipality,” said Ms Jandles.

She said currently the Old People’s Hone has enough food stocks despite the lockdown caused by Covid-19, which has incapacitated industry.

“We can’t speak of the future because we don’t know when this pandemic will end but until now we have continued helping. They have been sourcing drugs from Zambia but now there is a challenge because the border is closed.

“We were trying to put a clinic here so that they access health services without hustles but with the current situation that project has been put on hold. We were looking at US$15 000 to renovate the building according to the quotations we got. We have a donor for the medical equipment and another for furnishing the facility and what we need now will be to reengage the donors after the pandemic,” said Ms Jandles.

She said the municipality has given greenlight for the project.

“We could have started the project but we needed clarification from the municipality about the two companies that were to do renovation. We got permission to go ahead but unfortunately we had Covid-19 outbreak, which put everything on hold.

“Once in place, the clinic will not be limited to the Old People’s Home but will service scores of the elderly people in community. We are also looking at having a solar project for the home so they don’t struggle with electricity,” added Ms Jandles.

She could not give a budget for the solar project saying assessment was being done.

-@ncubeleon

Source: HAZ pledges to bankroll Victoria Falls clinic, solar projects (09/06/20)