Published: 10 June 2013

Econet Wireless last week donated 4 700 solar lamps to various charities to help alleviate the current electricity shortages affecting the country.

Speaking at the handover ceremony of the lamps in Harare last week, Econet Wireless chief executive Mr Douglas Mboweni said they were determined to improve the well-being of communities, especially the vulnerable such as orphans.

"At Econet we believe the technology that we offer should impact and improve people's lives as it becomes useless if it does not achieve that.

"I am happy to say we have received testimonies from various school authorities who say they have witnessed an improvement in pupils' performance after receiving these solar lamps from Econet in the past," he said. Econet handed over a total of 1 500 lamps to two orphanages, Shungu Dzevana and Chinyaradzo while 3 000 went to the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and 200 were allocated to the Civil Protection Unit.

Accepting the donation on behalf of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe president Dr Goodwill Shana commended the gesture describing Econet as "the light of the world".

"We are grateful for this donation and I take it as help that is more than the physical, but rather symbolic of what the church should do to society and that is preaching the gospel of light especially in this dark world," added Dr Shana.
Sister Mercy Mutyambizi represented Shungu Dzevana Children's Home while Mrs Irene Karadzandima represented Chinyaradzo Children's Home.
- TH

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