Baldmin Holdings, which won the contract to renovate Sabi Gold Mine, is pressing ahead with efforts to uplift communities it operates in, with a deliberate focus on women empowerment.
The company, which is a member of Baldmin Projects South Africa, has a strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme run by the firm’s country manager Shingirai Sibanda.
Baldmin’s CSR motto for 2019 is “Educate a girl or boy child and empower the nation through sports”.
Already, many women and girls have been uplifted while the Zowa community has had its clinic equipped with medical drugs.
Mr Sibanda told The Herald Business last week that Baldmin remains “indebted to the greater communities, in which it conducts business and as a result, believes in giving back to the communities through supporting sports, girl child empowerment and making sure the Zimbabwean youth benefits”.
“Besides sports and education, Baldmin is helping the Zowa community by supporting the local clinic with essential medicines,” said Mr Sibanda.
He said investments in the community to uplift people were critical.
Baldmin managing director and founder, Mr Coastar Takawira, who is also a director at Chandiwana (Sabi Gold Mine), has an active interest in sport.
Mr Takawira, a former athlete specialising in 400m, has also been supporting sport for a long time.
Baldmin sponsors the Shabani Mine athletics championships every year and has also donated football jerseys to Shabani Mine Football Club.
Some of the beneficiaries are now working in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Mr Sibanda said better communities and youths are “built by us the businessmen and women including the community leaders”.
Mr Takawira is presently working with one of the former athletes and Olympic champion, Phil Hanneck to identify young talent in Zimbabwe especially in remote areas and send them to the United States on full scholarships.
Hanneck is passionate to see Zimbabwean sports grow, and through his associates in the US, has pledged to support the cause.
The two are also planning to build two sports academies in Zvishavane and Marondera, where young athletes will be nurtured and after completing their high school, the athletes will be sent to the US on scholarships.
Last month, one of Zimbabwe’s upcoming long-distance runners from Zvishavane, Bradley Makuvire went to the US where he is studying at El Paso, in Texas, on a full scholarship.
More athletes are set to leave soon and are expected to raise the country’s flag high at the next Olympics and other tournaments.
Mr Takawira gave credit to his former coach at Allan Wilson, the late Mr Gift Chigwere. He plans to engage the Minister of Sports Kirsty Coventry and present proposals for the sporting academies they wish to set up.
“A lot of talent is lost in the rural areas due to lack of financial support and facilities hence the reason why we are targeting Zvishavane and Marondera as our pilot projects,” he said.
Baldmin specialises in plant designs, manufacturing, site installations and commissioning for small scale to commercial mining with offices in Zimbabwe, South Africa and DRC.