TelOne expands Nursery and Orchards project

 …Empowers inmates to be self- sufficient

TELONE is expanding its Prisons Nurseries and Orchards Project which was launched last year at Chikurubi Prison farm as part of its Corporate Social Investment programme. The expansion will see the increase in the orchard size and nursery capacity at Chikurubi and the establishment of similar facilities at Marondera and Hwahwa Prisons.

The project which started as an environmental intervention through tree planting with an establishment donation of 10,000 seeds and seedlings for a variety of trees and water system establishment is aimed at empowering inmates and contributing to prisons self-sufficiency in the long-run.

“The partnership is meant to expand the TelOne tree planting program in a cost effective manner as the tree seedlings for TelOne programmes will be provided for under the project while ZPCS will also benefit from the programme by selling the seedlings to other clients and partners for its sustainability. Furthermore, the orchards are expected to start producing fruits for prisoners’ consumption and also for sale with proceeds expected to benefit Prisons and Correctional Services,” TelOne Managing Director Chipo Mtasa said.

“The open day is a showcase of the progress made since the start of the project on tree planting day last year. Today (20 November 2020), Chikurubi farm is the hub of an established nursery that has already started producing seedlings which will be handed over to other prisons for orchards establishment to mark this year’s tree planting day as a way of expanding and strengthening the project,” she said.

The beneficiaries of the tree seedlings, Marondera and Hwahwa Prisons will receive at least 4 000 tree seedlings from Chikurubi farm to establish Orchards.

“Today also marks the beginning of a series of such tree planting activities by TelOne and ZPCS as the two organisations continue to strengthen their partnership. Beyond today, a similar activity will take place at Hwahwa Prison as we build up to the main National Tree Planting day commemoration to be held at Marondera Prison,” she said

The main event will be graced by Mtasa and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Commissioner General Moses Chihobvu.

“As TelOne, we take environmental sustainability seriously as a core corporate social investment area guided by Sustainable Development Goal 13 on Climate Change and Environmental Management. It is our hope that with the effort we have seen throughout the year, the Nursery and Orchards project can soon become a flagship example of a successful partnership between two institutions,” she said.

TelOne has been running the tree planting program since 2017 where tree seedlings have been donated to various institutions for the development of orchards and woodlots. Outside the prisons programme, all TelOne staff members nationwide will each plant at least one tree to commemorate national tree planting day.