Our CSR Initiatives in Quarter 2
By Shingirai Mazambani
Our purpose as a brand is to make life better and we aim to do this in every way possible. In the 1st half of the year, we were involved in various initiatives which helped us make a difference in people’s lives. Some of the initiatives we undertook include;
Melfort Old People's Home
Donation of free insurance cover for two vehicles belonging to Melfort Old People’s Home located along Mutare Road. The home, currently accommodates 60 elderly residents from different places including Harare Hospital, Marondera Hospital as well as the Ministry of Social Welfare.
The Chairperson of Melfort Old People’s Home had approached Zimnat for vehicle Insurance after the institution had received the 2 cars as a donation to ensure cover in the event of any accidents.
As a business, we also discovered that there are a lot of other challenges that the home is facing and will look at them in the future to make life better for them. Below is an image taken during the donation;
Masawara Donation to Cyclone Idai Victims
It was a fulfilling experience for the Masawara Group to be involved in assisting those that were affected by Cyclone Idai which hit the country on the night of the 15th of March 2019. The cyclone, which affected the eastern parts of the country, left hundreds dead and thousands displaced.
On the 21st of March, volunteers within the Masawara Group got together to pack over 500 relief packs consisting of two blankets, two buckets, 10 litres of water, 4kgs sugar, 4kgs rice, four litres of cooking oil, 10kg mealie meal, one pack of matemba, four plastic plates, four spoons, four cups, two bars of soap, two packets of diapers and three packs of sanitary wear. These items were packed in a plastic bin that could be re-used to store food or water.
In addition, staff members throughout the country also donated clothes and nonperishable food items to assist those who had been affected by the cyclone.
The food packs and all that had been collected were then handed over to the Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare, Sekai Nzenza and Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Jennifer Mhlanga for distribution.
Below are pictures from the handover;
Looking on are management and members of staff from the Masawara group of companies as well press. The room is filled with the relief packs being handed over to the Minister and deputy minister.
Zimnat and Sanlam bring relief to Cyclone Idai affected schools
Having been touched by the plight of those affected by Cyclone Idai, Sanlam also partnered with Zimnat to assist schools that had been hit by the cyclone, through purchasing roofing materials for 3 schools in Manicaland.
The first school to receive the donation was Gatsi Community Primary School located in Tamba, Ward 6 Mutasa District. The school received roofing materials worth ZW$60 000 which included 60 roofing sheets, 320 units of roofing timber and 30kg roofing nails. The donation was towards repair of staff quarters damaged by the cyclone.
The schools’ headmaster, Collins Mapaya, expressed his appreciation of the donation, without which, he said, the school would have been unable to repair the damages. Zimnat Mutare branch representatives Andrew Muhwandagara and Bothwell Chingorivo handed over the material on behalf of Zimnat and Sanlam.
A similar donation was also made to Muchadziya Primary School located in the Ngorima Tribal Trust lands of Muchadziya village of the Chimanimani District. The school, which has an enrolment of 1220 learners, had a classroom block blown away leaving a class of Grade 4 learners without a roof to shelter them from the bitter cold of the Manicaland winters. In a bid to restore normalcy to the pupils the school was using 2 tents as a temporary arrangement.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the school headmaster Amos Gwatida said the donation from Zimnat and Sanlam came at an opportune moment as winter was fast approaching. The school was struggling to resource for warm shelter to house the students.
Buwu Primary School, in Mutasa District, was the third school in Chimanimani that Zimnat and Sanlam assisted. The school received 25 roofing sheets, 30 units of timber and 5kg of roofing nails to help in roofing.
The school had two classroom blocks’ roofs blown away during the cyclone and had resorted to hot seating as a coping mechanism to accommodate all the children.
Receiving the roofing materials from Zimnat officials, head teacher Constance Mukura explained the challenges she faced in trying to accommodate the children whose classrooms had been rendered unsafe.
“The school has been forced to implement hot seating in order to accommodate the other learners without safe facilities. However, this has been challenging as with winter the sun sets earlier forcing the young pupils to travel in the dark,” she said.
-End-
From the CEO’s desk
A warm welcome to the second half of 2019. A lot has been happening in our environment with numerous changes coming through. These changes have no doubt impacted you as an individual and the business has also not been spared. In these volatile times, it is important that we reassure you, that you- our people are our most prized asset. Our success can only come about through your dedication, hard work and focus on providing superior customer experience. Our commitment to you is that hard work will continue to be rewarded. The business has put in place a couple of measures to ensure that we minimise the economic effects and enable you to still deliver your best performance.
I would also like to speak briefly about the future of the business. Our parent company, the Masawara Group has challenged us to grow the size of each business ten times in the next 5 years. I know you are thinking, is this even realistic or possible? It is very much achievable. There are few notable local examples who have managed to do that despite the turbulent economic environment in which they operate in. One such company is the Innscor Group which has grown to become one of the largest companies on the Zimbabwean stock exchange. An example closer to home, within the Masawara family is our very own Grand Re. They too have managed to achieve astronomical growth in the five years. These companies are no different from ours, yet they have achieved the seemingly impossible. This reminds me of a quote by Tommy Lasorda that says, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination” If we are deliberate, determined and plan we can also achieve this feat in our individual businesses.
Now that I have managed to convince you that it can be done, you may now be wondering what is my role in all of this? Your MDs will lead a process to plan how we can achieve such growth in our individual businesses. The call is for you to play your part and get involved in the planning and most importantly in the execution of this exciting chapter of our history. The call is for you to think outside the box in a radical and disruptive way. We have moved away from the same old, same old but to a new era that calls on you to be innovative and help drive this business to its desired destination. The call is for you to rise and be counted!
Until our next issue, Lets continue to Make life better
-Ends-
Health & Fitness
By Pamela T Mukuze
A healthy body gives a healthy mind
If your health fails, it can overshadow everything else that is going on in your life. From relatively minor health issues such as aches and pains, lethargy and indigestion to major health problems that can threaten your existence, health can really affect happiness and stress levels. Making a commitment to take on healthier habits can have a far-reaching payoff.
Here are a few tips that can help you;
-
Eat a healthy diet
Make a commitment to eat foods that will boost your energy level and keep your system running smoothly. Your diet has a more immediate effect on your mood, if you eat a poor diet you may feel lethargic, jittery or moody in a matter of minutes or hours, while it may take a greater buildup of unhealthy meals to make a difference that can be seen on your scale.
-
Make sleep a priority
Get enough sleep at night (at least 7-8 hours of sleep). If you haven’t gotten adequate sleep, it affects your productivity, mental sharpness and you’re more prone to effects of stress.
- Exercise regularly
Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun. It is recommended to have at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity in a week. We also have Zumba sessions every Wednesday from 5pm to 6pm in the 4th floor open space, make it a point to be a part of this and boost your health and fitness.
- Drink lots of water
Our bodies are made of about 60% water and we are constantly losing water from our bodies and should keep hydrated. We should drink at least 2 litres of water on a daily basis.
Zimnat Launches Another Innovative Billboard Campaign
Motorists driving towards Harare’s city centre along Borrowdale Road are likely to be surprised to see just before the racecourse what appears to be boulders falling from a container on a billboard and a car beneath the billboard that appears to have collided with them.
This is Zimnat’s latest innovative billboard advert intended to illustrate how unexpected accidents can occur, the implication being that it is wise to be insured against accidents.
“Whatever life delivers, Zimnat makes it better,” is the message displayed on the billboard. The message here is that whatever life throws at one, Zimnat can make the situation better.
The 3D advert which includes a realistic looking container and a real wrecked car at the foot of the billboard, makes the scene that is portrayed of a car colliding with falling boulders look realistic. This makes the advert dramatic and unique.
The launch of the company’s latest billboard campaign comes exactly a year after the group made headlines with its 2018 billboard campaign, which included a real car apparently embedded in a wall in the city centre. Last year’s billboard campaign won the group an award for the Best Outdoor Advert of the Year at the Marketer’s Association of Zimbabwe Exceptional Marketing Awards.
The rest of the group’s billboards throughout the country have been revamped to communicate the new theme of how Zimnat makes life better for its customers. The messaging on the billboards covers all Zimnat’s business units, which include general insurance, life insurance, asset management and micro finance.
Zimnat is associated with Sanlam, the largest non-banking financial institution on the continent (Africa). The company offers businesses and individuals a variety of products including motor insurance, home insurance, life assurance, travel insurance, funeral cover, health and accident insurance, pension schemes, unit trusts and private wealth management.