Ecobank donates to local school

PAN-AFRICAN banking group, Ecobank, on Saturday donated goods worth $20 000 to Sigombe Primary School in Bulawayo.

Speaking at the handover event, which marked the 6th annual ‘Ecobank Day’ commemorations, head of commercial banking in Zimbabwe and Sadc cluster Mr Johnson Mahanga said the significance of the donation came from the bank’s overall corporate social responsibility theme for 2018, which is “Support for Orphans in Africa.”

“The significance of this donation goes back to the bank’s corporate social responsibility of giving back to the community that supports us.

“This year we are providing for the most vulnerable children among us by donating goods worth $20 000 to the school to help with the orphans in their midst,” he said.

He said the bank last year paid school fees for 10 pupils but this year they increased the number with 19 more pupils and provided complete school uniforms for the 19 pupils including providing 29 food hampers for orphans at the school.

He said the bank also donated two Jojo tanks to the school with a capacity of 10 000 litres each.

The bank has been commemorating the Ecobank Day with Sigombe Primary School for the past four years donating scholarships for the less privileged pupils.

A Grade Six pupil at the school, Nokuthula Ncube, who spoke on behalf of the school head, Mrs Ellen Ngwenya, said the school was humbled by Ecobank’s gesture.

“As orphans and vulnerable children we would like to express our gratitude for the support we continue to get from caring PanAfrican bank,” she said.

“Today 29 learners will receive school fees scholarships for a year, 19 will receive a complete set of school uniforms and grocery hampers. In addition the school will receive 29 Jojo tanks with a capacity of 10 000 litres each.”

Ecobank has also extended similar support to Mother of Peace Children’s Home in Mutoko where it renovated two dormitories, set up a library and donated furniture, books, assorted groceries, water treatment chemicals, disinfectants and clothing. — @queentauruszw

membership as well as other retail enterprises that are not members.

Mr Mutashu said they hoped Government would utilise the 2019 national budget to balance the economy and set it on a strong footing to accelerate towards becoming a middle income economy.

“We call on Treasury to deploy effective fiscal tools to speedily stabilise the pricing environment and ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the productive sectors to allow them to retool, acquire critical raw materials and optimise production and competitiveness.

“While we applaud Government for temporarily suspending the SI 122, we also recall upon the monetary authorities to ensure adequate foreign currency is allocated to meet the import requirements,” he said. — @winnie_ masara