A lifestyle of caring for your environment

What started off as part of corporate social responsibility at Newlands shopping centre three years ago has steadily morphed into a lifestyle of caring for the environment for residents and businesses in the area.Arguably one of the cleanest and well-tended shopping centre in the city of Harare, Newlands, comprising of multiple street malls, boasts of regular state-of-the-art landscaping, an attractive face front evident of organised and co-ordinated efforts by shop owners and residents based in the area.

In 2010, as part of their annual Global Impact Day where the company selects an initiative to undertake for the community,    Deloitte & Touche, under the coordination of marketing manager, Jacqui Fallon, decided to embark on a clean-up exercise of the Newlands shopping centre.

After identifying some business owners and residents interested in participating in the clean-up exercise, Deloitte & Touche with 200 staffers led an exercise that marked the beginning of a regular clean-up and maintenance routine.

“Everybody came to the party,” said Fallon, adding that the initial exercise entailed the mobilisation of various stakeholders in the complex.
“Following the success of the initial clean-up we did not want it to go back to the way it was, so we agreed to keep maintaining it,” Fallon said.
Three years later there is now a Newlands Clean-up Committee which meets every two weeks to discuss and plan regular clean-up and maintainance activities.
“What you see now is an ongoing initiative by people who are like minded,” Fallon said, adding that there is a lot of co-operation and volunteerism to make it all work out.

Professional landscaping at the shopping complex is done by Margaret Vhova of Garden Treasures, who at the time of the initial clean-up had in her own right started volunteering landscaping services in the  area. Her own initiative was quickly co-opted into the bigger project and now for a very minimal fee to cover expenses, Vhova continues to offer regular  services.

On the central island of the shopping centre is a well-tended lawn and flowers. Sculptured big five wild animals, which Zimbabwe is well-known for, are showcased on the island. The animal sculptures are produced by the craft centre which is    also located at the Newlands shopping centre.

“We engaged the artists since they are also part of the community,” Jacqui said.
“It has been a great collective effort.”
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