EDGARS STORES donated 40 blankets and undergarments for women valued at $2 000 to senior citizens at the Salvation Army Church run Rastein Old People’s Home on Saturday.
BENSON DUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT Rastein Old People’s Home along Masotsha Ndlovu Avenue was gutted by fire three weeks ago and the residents are now being temporarily housed at the Salvation Army’s Enterprise Building at the corner of Josiah Tongogara Street and 12th Avenue.
The senior citizens’ property, including clothing and bedding, was destroyed by the fire that started after an electric iron was left on.
Edgars’ social responsibility manager Stephen Guwa said they had read that fire gutted the old people’s home destroying residents’ property and decided to lend a helping hand.
Guwa said Edgars and its suppliers had an agreement that they should team up to assist whenever disaster struck.
“l read in the paper about the home that was destroyed by fire and later phoned to find out if Edgars could help. Edgars and its suppliers signed a memorandum of understanding entailing that in times of disaster they must come up with some help in cash or in kind,” Guwa said.
He said Edgars would assist in the reconstruction of the old people’s home.
The assistance administrator of the home, Major Shingirai Zindi, thanked Edgars for the donation and said their immediate challenge was the reconstruction of the home and to clear the $1 035 bill that the Bulawayo Fire Brigade charged them for putting out the fire.
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“I thank Edgars. It is a problem solved and the aged are back to their normal lives. When you give to the poor, you are lending to God; God will bless you,” Zindi said.
The oldest resident at the home is Gogo Lamiwa Ngwenya, who is 111 years, but still possesses a sound memory. She thanked Edgars and said the clothes she had received were too many as she would soon die and leave them behind.
The administrator of the home Colonel Evan Mhasvi said well-wishers can deposit money into their Stanbic Joshua Nkomo branch, account number 0240059291001 or call in at the Salvation Army Rastein Home for the aged at Masotsha Ndlovu Avenue and George Silundika Street.
