Zimbabwe’s second largest mobile network operator NetOne on Thursday held a clean-up campaign in Harare CBD as part of its efforts to intensify the fight against Cholera.
By Kudakwashe Pembere
This clean-up campaign comes hot on the heels of the first one done in Buduriro a month ago.
The company having pledged a cent per every SMS sent on their platform, they also donated several water tanks in the affect areas of Budiriro and Glen View to mention but these hotspots.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the clean-up campaign, NetOne’s Chief Commercial Officer Engineer Brian Mutandiro said the clean up campaigns are bearing fruit as cholera cases are declining.
“You might be aware that last month we were in Budiriro on the campaign to fight cholera, helping to clean up our surroundings. Now we are in the CBD with the same campaign. Ever since we did what we did in Budiriro, cholera has basically been wiped out.
“We are in prevention mode to make sure it doesn’t come back and so what we are doing today is a campaign to make sure our environment is clean and we can prevent such prevalences as cholera,” he said. “With cholera being contained, I can say this is just the beginning of our clean up campaigns. What I like about what we are doing is that this promotes behavior change and once people start to be responsible they carry out whatever they are doing to ensure that the environment is clean.”
The clean-up campaigns will be spread to other communities.
“And we are not only doing it in town, we are taking it to other communities so that we join together in taking responsibility to fight this scourge that affect the community,”said Eng Mutandiro.
The clean-up campaigns would not be made possible without the inclusion of the Environmental Management Agency, NetOne and the City of Harare.
“This has been a collaboration between ourselves, the City of Harare as well as Environmental Management Agency EMA. We are very grateful with the support that we have received and that they continue to give us,” Eng Mutandiro also said.
Eng Mutandiro mentioned the monetary pledge they made to the cause.
“You recall that we promised to give one cent per every cent that is given on our network. SO we have accumulated quite a lot of money that we have. We want to use that money to continue the fight against Cholera.
“I can tell you that its quite significant. They are still adding that money but we are very happy for the support from our subscribers who have come out in full support. I think in the couple of weeks we should come back with the amount we want to give to channel to this effort,” he said.
The company also donated five water tanks in the affected areas. ”
“We also contributed five water tanks and we believe that as the situation presents itself, there are other interventions we could do,” Eng Mutandiro said.
