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Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter
Green Fuel Private Limited has pledged to continue assisting the people of Chipinge through various projects as part of its corporate social responsibility programme. The development comes after the company recently handed over 20 hectares of irrigated plots to the Chisumbanje community as part of the first phase of a project to develop 200-300ha of land this year.

In an interview yesterday, Green Fuel communications and relations manager Ms Merit Rumema said the company had an impressive portfolio of community projects, which included entrepreneurial projects, education and social service infrastructure rehabilitation and support of the girl child.

“The company’s current major projects include a sewing workshop for producing work suits and uniforms, library and a technology centre for local students, three community-run kitchens, broiler projects and fencing projects,” she said.

She said others were a project for producing reusable sanitary pads for girls in the local schools, rehabilitation of roads, drilling boreholes, reforestation of the area and continuous support of the local schools, clinics and hospitals.

“In addition, the introduction of the ethanol project and the subsequent injection of up to $2 million per month in the form of salaries and procurement finance has resulted in significant infrastructure development and hugely increased commercial traffic in the Chipinge South Area,” said Ms Rumema.

“This has had a significant impact on the entire Chipinge District and area which was previously considered to be one of the least developed in Zimbabwe owing to the harsh region 5 climatic conditions.”

Early this year, the company’s general manager Mr Conrad Rautenbach said during an interview that Green Fuel had a robust corporate social responsibility programme that was immensely benefiting the local community called “Vimbo–Hope for a better future”.

“Through Vimbo, we have introduced a portfolio of community projects, all of which have been constructed around the principle of sustainable development through irrigation farming, entrepreneurial projects, education and social service infrastructure rehabilitation,” he said.

“Our current major projects include a sewing workshop which is run by a group from the local community; a library and technology centre opened in partnership with Old Mutual to provide the local students and community members with computer lessons and access to books; a community kitchen which is run by a group of local ladies to feed our factory staff; broiler projects; fencing projects; donation of reusable sanitary pads; rehabilitation of local roads, drilling of boreholes and reforestation of the area to name a few.

“We also provide continuous support to the local schools, clinics and hospitals.”
Last week, the company handed over the 20 hectares of irrigated plots to the community and this comes after the company made a commitment to develop 10 percent of all land under sugarcane for the community.

The 38 plots were handed over by the outgoing Green Fuel community relations manager, Mr Rapahel Zuze, to the beneficiaries on behalf of Mr Rautenbach.

He also handed over seed maize, fertilisers and a small dam to be utilised by the community.