06 September 2022
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has partnered with the country’s government to drive climate-smart conservation farming in a bid to boost national food and nutritional security in line with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In its integrated annual report for the year ended June 30, Econet board chairman, James Myers, said the company is providing inputs and training for small holder farmers on climate smart conservation farming.
“To complement Government efforts, we scaled up our support for climate-smart conservation farming (Pfumvudza/Intwasa) through training, provision of inputs and extension services to our small-scale farmers,” he said.
Myers said in the long-term, through sustained efforts, the company wants to assist the government in ensuring food and nutritional security, elimination of stunting and eradication of poverty to end hunger and poverty in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The Zimbabwean government introduced the Intwasa/ Pfumvudza two-years-ago, as a model conservation farming method aimed at boosting productivity even when there is not enough rain.
As part of its social investment initiative, Econet Wireless said it was also engaged in supporting vulnerable children and communities through funding for education and the health sector.
“The group’s social investment initiatives continued to play a catalytic role in education, with a special focus on continuing to support children who are orphaned as well as academically gifted students and vulnerable children, through access to a network of local and international schools and universities,” said Myers.
He added that through the telco’s implementing partner, Higherlife Foundation, the former continued to support the Ministry of Health and Child Care “by placing large-scale and high-tech critical maternity ward equipment as well as providing Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) training to eight maternity wards in Zimbabwe’s major referral and provincial hospitals”.
Meanwhile, during the period under review, Econet Wireless recorded inflation adjusted revenue of US$87.3bn – 51% growth compared to US$57.9bn recorded in 2021.
