BY TAKEMORE MAZURUSE
AS Zimbabwe continues to grapple with drug and substance abuse, Bullion Group, in collaboration with the Free From Addictions Trust (FFAT), has launched a community-driven response to the growing scourge of drugs and alcohol abuse among youths in Zimbabwe.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, Bullion Group has become the official sponsor of Zaka Academy FC, a Zaka community-owned football team that was recently promoted into the Zifa Eastern Region Division One League.
Speaking to Standardsport last week, Bullion Group’s Healthcare operations director Martin Chitsama said they were anchoring their fight against drugs on promotion of sports and enterprises among young people in Zaka district.
“Redundancy, lack of employment opportunities and peer pressure are often cited as the principal drivers of drug and alcohol abuse in the country,” Chitsama said.
“We have, therefore, put in place various activities aimed at keeping the youth busy. Together with Free From Addictions Trust, the Bullion Group’s healthcare subsidiary has packaged an integrated package of activities, including sport, meant to reduce the impact of drug abuse in Zaka and Zimbabwe in general, and through this we hope to keep the youth engaged and away from substance abuse.
He added: “Our activities include awareness and education in schools, sports, arts, streets and markets as well as the church. No one is being left behind in this fight.”
The Bullion Group initiative to promote drug abuse-free communities in Zimbabwe is an escalation of the company’s CEO Persistence Gwanyanya’s corporate responsibility thrust in Zimbabwean local communities which has seen the company awarding scholarships to students in Zaka district recently.
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“Dr Chitsama, who is spearheading the community-based Bullion Group thrust on fighting alcohol and drug abuse in Zaka district and Zimbabwe in general, has worked around Africa managing remote site public health and emergency medical services on landmine clearance operations.
“In the past three weeks the Bullion Group and Free From Addictions Trust have conducted drug abuse awareness campaigns at St Anthony’s High School, Jerera community in Zaka and for the Zaka Academy FC management, players and supporters,” Gwanyanya said.
Bullion Group is a fast growing blue chip company which boasts of eight entities, namely Bullion Leaf Zimbabwe, Bullion Leaf Exports, Bullion Commodities International, Bullion Traders International (South Africa), Percycon Global Fund Managers (South Africa) and Percycon Advisory Services.
