The Sunday News
Business Reporter
COUNTRIES all over the world are grappling with environmental waste that has attracted a lot of criticism especially on how it should be disposed.
Zimbabwe has not been spared either and one of the biggest issues which has already drawn the ire of environmentalists is how thousands of second hand cars that are flooding the country will be disposed when finally, their wheels can no longer support their lives.
Before even talking about the cars themselves, the country is already seeing an increase in tyres that are dumped at various places as individuals who are buying the cars are disposing the old tyres since some are not fit for the local weather. Yet, a Bulawayo man, Mr Kutsi Moyo has seen this gap and decided to turn the old tyres into treasure, not only for the sake of money but the environment and less privileged. His endeavours are helping in dealing with the three issues in a win-win situation.
“To us an old tyre is like a seam of gold,” he said showing the huge stocks of tyres that he uses.
“These tyres might look old but so many products can come out of it. We can make shoes, chairs, feeding troughs, among others. Business has been good because the products are durable and affordable. If you look at the economic challenge in the country, people are looking for cheap but durable products and that is what we are doing.”
His main concern is to help the less privileged gain the necessary skills to exploit this venture for their benefit. Mr Moyo’s love to help the under-privileged is rooted in his own history.
“My father was part of those who got help from the Council of Disabled Persons in Zimbabwe here in Bulawayo. He managed to look after us from the money he got from self-help projects that he was taught from the centre,” he said.
Mr Moyo has now taken his skills and helping hand to the less-privileged at the centre where he has embarked on a project to provide them with tyres and train them on how to use them profitable.
“What we have done is that we have asked the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to help us get old and impounded tyres from Zimra. They agreed and we got about 1 000 tyres from Beitbridge Border Post,” he said.
But it’s not about just donating the tyres to the Council of Disabled Persons in Zimbabwe centre, situated near Mpilo Central Hospital just after Mzilikazi High School and leaving the institution to see how it can use them.
“We sat down with the management and I promised that I will personally fund the training of the people so that they can then start making money from the tyres. I have hired two artisans who are teaching some of the people on the ventures. I am personally paying for the training. I have also donated money that the centre can use for other projects that help these people.”
Mr Moyo said once the less-privileged acquire the skills they will then start making products that they can sell and make money.
“I want to be involved in the whole process, I am not going to give them tyres and sponsor their training only, I will make sure that they also have the markets, I mean I will personally look for the people to come and buy their products. At the end it lessens the burden on the institution to be looking after these people,” he said.
Mr Moyo said despite his efforts, businesspeople should come in and plough into the community by helping the less- privileged.
“Right now, we have tyres in Beitbridge but the challenge is that of transport. It costs an average of US$600 to bring the tyres and that is expensive, more people must come in and we help each other to uplift the lives of the less privileged. It is better to help by giving them something sustainable than to just come here and donate a few food stuffs.”
An official at the institution which is home to more than 200 people with various forms of disabilities said what Mr Moyo has done was commendable and will add value to the lives of the people.
“We have people with different needs here and we appreciate any form of help but more importantly this form of help which is sustainable. Two of our people are already involved in the project and once they acquire the necessary skills, they will also impact those skills to others. We can also do agriculture since we have large land but we need boreholes and other infrastructure and we appeal to the business community to help us so that we initiate self help projects for our people.”
