Harare, 19 July 2021 Coca-Cola's Women's LINC Zimbabwe Chapter has today officially handed over items worth over 500,000 Zimbabwe dollars to resuscitate a much-needed poultry project at Mutemwa Leprosy Centre in Mutoko District of Mashonaland East. The items donated to the Centre include 300 points of laying chickens, one and a half tonnes of layers feed, nine 12 litre waterfronts, nine ribbed tube feeders and stress packs that will help the centre provide members with the required source of protein and revenue.
"The donation is to help restore human dignity and take care of our community members affected by leprosy and their dependents, who have been neglected and discriminated by their families and society on account of the disease. The poultry project will provide the much-needed protein for all at the centre as well as revenue for other essential needs," said Patricia Murambinda, Coca-Cola Women's Linc Zimbabwe Chapter President and General Manager, Corporate Affairs at Delta Beverages.
The donation is coming just two months after the Coca-Cola Women's Linc handed over a fully furnished block of four classrooms and a modern office to Cheuchi Primary School, a satellite-rural school in Makonde district in Mashonaland West.
"This is a fulfilment of our burning desire as caring sisters, mothers and daughters to the community of Mutemwa. We realised the Mutemwa community needed a project that can bring forth other developments," added Patricia.
'Thank you for becoming more aware of those in need, especially the poor, the sick and vulnerable, including those stigmatised and abandoned by society like Mutemwa Leprosy Centre members. We are happy to work towards self-sufficiency through farming, rearing poultry, pigs and cattle and this donation is a great contribution towards this end," said Father Linus Mukumbuzi, Mutemwa Leprosy Centre Administrator.
Mutemwa is home to more than 50 elderly residents, including people affected by leprosy, leprosy disability and society outcasts. Mutemwa attends to around 1, 200 outpatients per year and supports others who are homeless and destitute. The centre provides physical, material, psychological and emotional care to post-leprosy sufferers, the physically and mentally challenged and the needy.
The Women's LINC is a network of women employed in the Coca-Cola system focused on engaging, inspiring and developing them to drive total business performance and establish a strong reputation as a great place to work for women. The initiative empowers women so that they can also enable others and influence their environments. The Zimbabwe LINC chapter draws its membership from The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Beverages and Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited.
The Coca-Cola Women's LINC was established to enhance the attraction, engagement and development of female colleagues through opportunities such as industry panels, networking events, mentoring, and community engagement which forms the heart and soul of our operations.
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About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. Of our 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 are available in lower- or no-sugar options to help people moderate their consumption of added sugar. In addition to our namesake Coca-Cola drinks, some of our leading brands around the world include AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, SmartWater, Sprite, Vitaminwater, and Zico coconut water. At Coca-Cola, we're serious about making positive contributions to the world. That starts with reducing sugar in our drinks and continuing to introduce new ones with added benefits. It also means continuously working to reduce our environmental impact, creating rewarding careers for our associates and bringing economic opportunity wherever we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people around the world.
About Mutemwa Leprosy Centre
The Shona word 'Mutemwa' means 'you are cut off. Mutemwa started as a leprosarium in 1937. It grew into a massive leprosarium in the forties and fifties with nearly 1000 patients. Then with the advent of the drug Dapsone, which can cure the leprosy bacteria, it was decided in 1962 to close Mutemwa and treat all patients at home. However, about 200 patients had no suitable or local residences. Thus, Mutemwa had to stay open to care for these patients and others who had no homes to return to. People were still unaware that leprosy could be cured, and so some were not welcome at home. In the past, leprosy patients have left far away out in the bush to die. Most leprosy centres the world over are remote because they are distanced from society due to fears of contagion. Their very survival often depends on donations. The majority contracted the disease pre-dapsone days. New cases do appear from time to time, but the policy is to treat as many as possible at home.