US$250K Coca Cola Foundation fund to benefit 5 rural hospitals

OVER 15 000 people, including patients and staff at five rural hospitals are set to benefit from a US$250 000 Coca Cola Foundation-funded project to ensure access to clean water.

This was revealed by Save the Children country director Heather Kerr yesterday.

“We are very excited to launch these initiatives in Zimbabwe where needs are vast and resources scarce,” Kerr said at the programme launch at the Save the Children offices in Harare.

“In view of the ongoing global pandemic, the water project will support the health staff and surrounding communities in the fight against COVID-19. But beyond COVID-19, health facilities require water for all operations, especially in the delivery wards, they need water in the laundry, kitchen and for drinking purposes.”

Kerr said the installation of solarpowered piped water systems, complete with water storage tanks at Maphisa District Hospital in Matobo and Siakobvu Rural Hospital in Kariba were already underway. Msampakaruma in Kariba, Chikwarakwara in Beitbridge and Chinego in Binga district health facilities will also receive similar support.

Kerr said part of the funding would go into empowerment projects to assist villagers to diversify sources of income for their households while creating employment for the youth.

The president of the Coca-Cola Foundation Saadia Madsbjerg said: “Our funding for these two programmes in Zimbabwe is helping to strengthen the economic resilience of Zimbabwean youth, while also helping to improve the overall quality of life through the provision of clean and safe water.”