By Takemore Mazuruse
One of Zimbabwe’s most decorated paint companies, Nash Paints Group, has taken the fight against the novel coronavirus notches higher with a multi-sectorial approach that spreads into education and awareness, donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as providing entertainment to the largely overwhelmed Zimbabwean community.
Speaking to Standard Style, founder and executive chairman of the paint giant, businessman and philanthropist Tinashe Mutarisi, described the Covid-19 outbreak as a national disaster, which calls on all stakeholders to play a part, hence their contribution.
“Covid-19 is a global disaster and even more importantly a national disaster as declared by the president, and it is imperative that we all put our hands together in combating this pandemic,” Mutarisi said.
“It is a difficult time for all, but with unity of purpose we shall overcome. As Nash Paints Group, we have joined various players among them central government, development players and agencies as well as the corporate world to combat this pandemic.”
Mutarisi, who established his multi-million dollar empire from humble beginnings in Chitungwiza, said they were duty-bound to play a part.
He has put in place various initiatives aimed at educating the masses, equipping them with protective equipment as well as providing entertainment, which is good for healing the mind and soul.
“Our focus is on making sure that we contribute to the national disaster response plan through availing PPEs and this we have done through availing sanitisers, face masks and gloves to members of the community as well as frontline staff like the uniformed forces through our partners like the Zimbabwe Young Influencers (ZYI),” he said.
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“We have also used our social media platforms to run a series of educational campaigns on how to prevent and manage the spread of Covid-19.
“These campaigns have been highly engaging at the same time helping dispel some myths and misconceptions about the virus, which in some instances leads to complacency.”
Nash Paints Group has over the years worked with artistes to promote its work as well as in various community outreach and disaster response programmes and Mutarisi said they were working with musicians in providing free entertainment to the public during this difficult period.
“We are providing entertainment through the Lunch Hour with Nash Paints live broadcasts on our Facebook page where various DJs and artistes have performed as guests,” he said.
“We have also partnered popular content creators BustopTV for some Covid-19-pronged skits and the numbers are encouraging.
“Our online TV channel, NashTV, live-streamed a massive lockdown gig on Friday noon where some of the big names in local music — among them Freeman, Levels and Fantan, DJRibe, Uncle Epatan, Hwinza and Kikky Badass to name a few — were performing live.”
BustopTV founder and producer Luckie Aaroni said they were happy to be working with the Nash Paints Group in supporting the national response efforts to Covid-19.
“We are creatives and making content is our daily bread. We had in place a Covid-19 storyline we want to pursue in educating the masses about the pandemic and helping enforce the lockdown, but we were limited resource-wise,” Aaroni said.
“We are, however, grateful that Nash Paints Group then came on board and partnered us for the national good. This is the little we can do to educate the masses on the dangers of Covid-19 as well as promoting adherence to the national lockdown and we thank the champion paint company for the support.”
The coronavirus outbreak has largely devastated the entire world with some of the world’s strongest economies bearing the brunt of the pandemic. Zimbabwe has not been spared either with as of Friday 24 cases recorded while three of the infected have since passed on.
