With the number of needy families growing as a result of layoffs in the tourism and hospitality industry and the economic challenges prompted by COVID 19, the Mayor’s Cheer Fund rolled up its sleeves to distribute food hampers to vulnerable members of the community.
The distribution of hampers donated by Victoria Falls’ corporates, targeted families from across the town’s wards in a move aimed at alleviating hunger in line with Council commitment to the attainment of sustainable development goals.
The Mayor of Victoria Falls, His Worship Councillor Somveli Dhlamini commended efforts of the Committee and various stakeholders who contributed towards the success of the program.
“The Cheer Fund Committee has continued to do a sterling job in terms of sourcing donations from our valued stakeholders, to assist the vulnerable. I am very grateful to our stakeholders who saw it fit to donate towards this noble idea, and appeal for more as the bracket of the needy keeps growing due to the recent economic challenges triggered by the COVID 19 induced lockdown,” he said.
The donation comes after the launching of the meal kitchen initiative on the 21 December 2019, whose aim is to gather cooking materials and feed the needy.
The Cheer Fund benefited 75 families with hampers of assorted essential commodities at the cost of ZWL$152 692.50.
Since the disbursement of the hampers and the observed growing gap in needs, the determined Committee comprising of B Murasirwana, E Zinyemba, F Chima, N Moyo, T Chimhashu, and A Nathoo has committed to working towards sourcing more support hampers in cash and kind to assist the less privileged and remembered urban dwellers of the Victoria Falls community.
Some of the resources that the team of Committee members managed to raise in their various campaigns include medical support grants and school fees support. Due to the dire challenges facing the travel and hospitality industry, Victoria Falls has witnessed several initiatives springing up from across various stakeholders who were once tourism players. Their aim is to subsidise families that have involuntarily become vulnerable due to their dependency on tourists and adding numbers to the already existing list that need feeding.