The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
HOLIDAY Inn in Bulawayo has donated linen and furniture worth thousands of dollars to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo and Bulawayo Polytechnic Hotel School as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.
Holiday Inn Bulawayo, a subsidiary of African Sun, handed over 300 bath mats, 200 bath towels, 190 duvet covers, 175 fitted sheets, 200 face cloths, 50 hand towels and 2 000 pillow cases to the Mpilo Central Hospital’s Private Ward. Bulawayo Polytech Hotel School received 53 multi coloured chairs, 33 tables and 14 booth chairs.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Wednesday, Holiday Inn Bulawayo general manager, Ms Amanda Hadebe-Matema said as part of their CSR programme they saw it fit to donate to both institutions which they share good relations with.
“Our hotel endures a good relationship with both institutions. We have had a very long and wonderful relationship with the two. For Mpilo we have a adopted a ward and they are our hospital. They look after us whenever we have sick employees and ourselves. Happy to say that our Covid-19 vaccines have also been administered by the hospital.
“And the Bulawayo Polytech Hotel School as well is no stranger to us we have worked very well together in past and as l speak, we actually have some trainees in house which we are actually training on behalf of the school. We have also done precious donations to them as well, so we enjoy very good relations with them,” said Ms Hadebe-Matema.
She noted that as an organisation they hoped that the linen donated to Mpilo will go a long way in assisting them in these Covid-19 pandemic hard times with the hospital having to launder their linen more often.
Ms Hadebe-Matema said for the Bulawayo Polytechnic Hotel School they hoped that the furniture would assist them turn around and give their facility a facelift and revamped look.
Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo acting principal nursing officer, Mr Phineas Sithole said they were delighted with the donation. He said they were grateful for the good relationship they shared with Holiday Inn Bulawayo.
Mr Sithole added: “At one stage we had our difficulties and Holiday Inn came in and gave us everything from linen, cutlery among others. This turned the Private Ward from an ordinary ward to something else and the patients were even delighted with the comfort they were getting there.”
He said there were very few companies who could give for no reason as Holiday Inn Bulawayo did.
Bulawayo Polytechnic principal and the director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism, Engineer Gilbert Mabasa said that they were appreciative of the furniture they received which was going to add value to their institution.
“We have a good working relationship with Holiday Inn Bulawayo and we appreciate the partnership. With the challenges that we have in terms of resource mobilisation, this furniture will come in handy for us both in terms of training and service provision. We will make sure that we make good use of it and preserve it very well,” said Mr Mabasa.
African Sun operations executive, Mr Ignatious Katsidzira and group executive chef, Mr Leonard Moyo graced the event and witnessed the handover.
