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George Maponga in Masvingo
Scores of underprivileged and vulnerable villages across Ward 20 in Chivi have been thrown a lifeline by Mashwede Holdings after the firm donated 5 tonnes of grain to insulate them from Covid-19-induced hardships.

The donation of grain to the elderly, widows, orphans, widowers and the disabled across 35 villages in Ward 20 was also done to commemorate the life of Mashwede Holdings founder Mr Alex Mashamhanda’s mother Ambuya Tavakai Mashamhanda Hwede who passed on last month.

Ambuya Mashamhanda died on July 19 aged 94 and her son Mr Mashamhanda said Covid-19 restrictions disallowed many people across the length and breadth of Chivi where the late nonagenarian was almost a “heroine” to bid her farewell.

“Many people who would have wanted to bid my mother farewell were not able to do so because of Covid-19 and as a way of remembering Ambuya Mashamhanda we donated 5 tonnes of maize to cushion the plight of the vulnerable a feat that my late mother was renowned for within the Ward 20 community,” said Mr Mashamhanda.

Chivi Ward 20 Councillor Cde Aleck Nhundu who is distributing the maize paid tribute to Mashwede Holdings and Mr Mashamhanda for coming to the aid of the poor in his homeland. Councillor Nhundu noted the donation would go a long way to easing food shortages in his ward where harvests were affected by too much rain and shortage of fertilizers.

He paid tribute to Mashwede Holdings for changing the socioeconomic complexion of Ward 20 via building schools, drilling boreholes and electrifying clinics to improve the standards of living of the rural folk.