From left…Chitonhora High head Magama, MP Mavhenyengwa, Chief Ndanga’s rep, BancAbc Masvingo Branch Mudzviti, Alderman Mapuranga and Chitonhora High SDC chair Manyangadze stand at the borehole
TellZim Reporter
13 April 2017, BancABC, part of AtlasMara, through its division BancEasy, last Friday officially commissioned a brand new borehole at Chitonhora High School in Mbizvo village under Chief Ndanga in Zaka North, bringing relief to a community which had been experiencing severe problems getting access to clean water.
The borehole was drilled by BancABC as part of its broader social responsibility programme in communities served by the bank.
The new borehole will service the high school which has around 1 700 pupils, the adjacent Chimedza Primary School with over 600 pupils, as well as the surrounding communities that have been fetching untreated water mainly from the nearby Nyabise River.
The event was attended by many respectable people including Zaka North Member of Parliament (MP) Robson Mavenyengwa, Ward 3 Councillor; Alderman Cornelius Mapuranga, a representative of Chief Ndanga, Mbizvo village head Ndume Mbizvo, Chimedza Primary School head Johanisi Mucheki, Chitonhora High School head Charles Magama and the school’s SDC.
Addressing the gathering, Mavenyengwa praised BancABC for showing commitment to the development of communities.
“There are many banks that have been making money out of our communities for a long time but they have never given back. I am happy to have a bank which has the welfare of the people at heart.
“There are 42 schools in Zaka North most of whom lack reliable sources of water. We urge this school to exploit this opportunity and start a thriving gardening project now that they have water close by. BancABC is good because they don’t give you fish, they teach you how to fish; use the borehole to generate money for yourselves,” said Mavheneyengwa.
Alderman Mapuranga also hailed BancABC for helping to develop a community that yearns for opportunities.
“We stand for development and we welcome BancABC’s gesture of goodwill. This borehole will help not only these two schools but all surrounding communities with people who have been experiencing a hard time getting water,” said Alderman Mapuranga.
The councillor also revealed that many children had been fatally hit by cars while trying to cross the Ndanga – Jerera road to look for water.
Chief Ndanga, through his representative, said he was glad that BancABC had engaged the traditional leadership before initiating the project.
“When a project like this is undertaken with the blessings of the traditional leadership and with the necessary courtesy on our cultural values, you are bound to succeed,” said Chief Ndanga, in remarks that were echoed by village head Mbizvo.
BancABC Masvingo branch manager Goodman Mudzviti said the bank was conscious of the developmental needs of the communities.
“Ours is not exclusively a relentless pursuit for profits but an ethical business model underlined by the necessity to plough back to the communities that have sustained us for this long.
“There would be no bank without the communities and the people who open bank accounts or apply for credit with us. We look forward to a more fruitful working relationship,” said Mudzviti.
BancABC has been providing reliable credit lines to civil servants for a long time and its Construction Finance facility is open for schools to get money to build better classroom blocks and staff houses. The bank also has an Asset Finance facility which helps schools to buy buses, cars and information technology equipment.business
