THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) has donated textbooks and sanitary pads to Woodrow Primary School in Trelawney, Mashonaland West, as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts aimed at promoting education and menstrual hygiene among rural learners.
The donation is part of TIMB’s broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, which prioritises support for education, health, and child welfare in tobacco-growing communities.
Through various corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, TIMB is working to empower rural families, promote sustainable farming practices and eliminate child labour across the tobacco value chain.
TIMB chief finance officer Willard Zidyambanje said the intervention fell under the social pillar of the board’s ESG framework, with a focus on uplifting children’s education and health in farming communities.
“Our focus is on children's education and health. That’s why we have donated textbooks and sanitary wear,” Zidyambanje said.
“We are here because of that social pillar of ESG, where we are looking at corporate social responsibility initiatives.”
The initiative also aligns with Menstrual Hygiene Day, commemorated globally on May 28 under the theme: Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
The board said the donation was meant to ensure girls do not miss school due to lack of access to menstrual products.
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Woodrow Primary School was instrumental in supporting TIMB’s sustainability efforts by allocating one hectare of land for planting gum trees.
The trees are intended to provide a renewable source of firewood for curing tobacco, reducing pressure on indigenous forests.
The project is closely linked to the Stow-Muhacha Co-operative, a TIMB-supported initiative involving 28 smallholder tobacco farmers in Trelawney.
The co-operative has grown into a flagship model for sustainable and inclusive tobacco farming, creating more than 120 jobs, mainly taken up by women and youth.
TIMB revealed plans to deepen its support for Woodrow Primary School, potentially adopting the institution and addressing its infrastructure gaps.
“We have seen that this is a disadvantaged school. They don’t have toilets. They don’t have water.So, as we move into 2026, we will probably focus on them,” Zidyambanje said.
“Hopefully, we’ll build a classroom block, drill a borehole with 10 000-litre capacity and provide sanitation facilities.”
