GWANDA, (New Ziana) – UK-headquartered global insurance and consultancy firm Diaspora Insurance has donated plumbing materials and essential supplies worth US$1,500 to the Gwanda Association Home for the Aged, aiming to improve living conditions for elderly residents.
The donation, made under the company’s Giving Back 2025 programme, includes materials to upgrade ablution facilities and bathrooms, as well as irrigation pipes for garden projects intended to boost nutrition at the home.
The handover ceremony coincided with a Christmas party sponsored by Diaspora Insurance and attended by residents, facility management, community members and local leaders.
The home currently accommodates eight elderly residents – four women and four men – who depend largely on limited public funding and charitable support.
Gwanda Deputy Mayor Sithabiso Mpofu thanked Diaspora Insurance for what she described as timely assistance, saying the donation had addressed longstanding challenges with sanitation facilities.
“We were very worried about how we would celebrate this day, but God intervened through Diaspora Insurance,” Mpofu said, adding that the support showed that Zimbabweans in the diaspora remained connected to local community needs.
She said the donation also reflected a growing role of private companies in supporting social welfare initiatives alongside government efforts.
Facility chairperson Ruth Zulu said the contribution would ease operational pressures and directly improve the quality of daily care at the home.
“With rising costs and increasing needs among our residents, this support will make an immediate difference,” Zulu said, adding that the plumbing upgrades and garden improvements would enhance both hygiene and food production.
ZANU PF politburo member and former Matabeleland South minister of state for provincial affairs and devolution, Abednico Ncube, welcomed the donation, urging greater private sector participation in social development.
“Corporate engagement like this complements government efforts and helps build a more caring society,” Ncube said.
Diaspora Insurance chief executive officer Jeff Madzingo said the Gwanda Old People’s Home was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Giving Back 2025 programme, which focuses on providing tangible support to vulnerable groups.
“While the programme generally prioritises groceries and essential supplies during the festive season, this support was customised in consultation with the home to address their most pressing needs,” Madzingo said.
He said the company was committed to corporate social responsibility beyond its core insurance services, working with local communities and authorities to deliver measurable social impact.
Beneficiary Niton Nathaniel Moyo, 92, said the donation would significantly improve living conditions at the home.
“We will now be able to use showers properly and water our gardens,” he said.
Another resident, 81-year-old Erupe Phiri, said the support came at a critical time, noting that elderly people are often overlooked.
Diaspora Insurance is a UK-based global insurance and consultancy firm specialising in insurance and risk solutions for diaspora communities. Its flagship product, the Diaspora Funeral Cash Plan, provides guaranteed acceptance and immediate cash payouts for burial, repatriation or cremation.
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