Bulawayo's Abilities Workshop has a future thanks to ZDDT and AEC

Written by Lewis Jones - ZDDT Field Correspondent Thursday, 15 July 2010 15:03

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: On June, 9, 2010, the rewards of ZDDTs hard work and lobbying bore fruit.

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Centre: Bulawayo Mayor Councillor T P Moyo and on the extreme right is AEC's Rodney Beadon

Abilities Sheltered Workshop finally has a future! Since the inception of ZDDT.org we have devoted a great deal of attention and coverage to Abilities and the desperate state the charitable organisation finds itself in:

>> Bulawayo's Abilities Workshops revisited
>> Abilities fighting for survival
>> Community appeal: Abilities Welfare Organisation

On June, 9, 2010, the rewards of ZDDTs hard work and lobbying bore fruit. Abilities Sheltered Workshop and Nkulumane Clinic, both based in Bulawayo, found a benefactor, courtesy of linkage partnerships forged with them by ZDDT.

Innovative Harare energy and lighting company, Alternative Energy Consultants (AEC), rose to the challenge by making a commitment to assist the 2 institutions. During a tour of Abilities’ premises, AEC’s Managing Director, Rodney Beadon, whose firm markets cutting edge lighting technology, undertook to set up a production line to assemble lighting units at “Abilities”.

This move effectively throws a lifeline to 250 disabled workers. The institution had been unable to support them during the past 3 years, due to Government’s decision to discontinue financial and material assistance.

An emotionally overwhelmed Abilities Manager, Mr. Francis Msendami, expressed deep gratitude to AEC and ZDDT for the role they had played in making this breakthrough possible.

This tour, and that at Nkulumane Clinic a little later, was organised by the Trust, which had several representatives in attendance.

Cllr. Jennifer Bent, Ward 6, who represents the area, was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.

Across the city at Nkulumane Clinic, the delegation was met by Flora Mutigi, representative for Cllr. Patrick Thaba Moyo, Ward 22, where the clinic is situated. Cllr. Moyo, who is Bulawayo’s Mayor, joined the tour soon after.

The touring team was shown around the Maternity wing, where they witnessed the facility’s plight first hand.

Frequent power cuts are affecting the wing’s ability to operate effectively, since such outages deprive the clinic of a constant source of proper lighting and heating, which are necessary requirements at the wing’s delivery room.

AEC’s Rodney Beadon donated one of his company’s lighting units to the Maternity Wing and made a commitment to give further assistance. He said, “This should be seen as only the beginning. It is our intention to use this clinic as a pilot scheme for greater things to come.”

Speaking later, Rodney said that his intention was to assist Bulawayo society by setting up shop in the city and making essential technology readily available to institutions
locally.

He said that although his product would initially be priced in higher bracket, outsourcing manufacture within Bulawayo and assembly at “Abilities”, will reduce the price considerably. Furthermore, its benefits with regard to energy and money savings will prove to be most beneficial to users in the medium term.

When one considers the implications of the commitment made by AEC to Bulawayo’s less privileged sector, one cannot help being deeply moved. This is particularly so
given the negative impression with which the business community can be viewed.

The genuine interest and intent shown by this Harare based company during its visit to 2 struggling local institutions, goes a long way towards alleviating this perception.

This generous gesture has certainly made a convert out of this correspondent.

ZDDT operates an initiative known as the Social Institutions Profiling Programme, which is funded by international donor partner, ECEZ. Through this initiative, the Trust profiles the plight of local institutions in need and posts the relevant articles on its website.

It may be said that much of the credit for the positive response received by the 2 institutions featured above, is owing to the interventions of that very programme.

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