By Zivanai Dhewa
Econet Group of Companies Chairman and Higherlife Foundation Founder, Strive Masiyiwa has unveiled a five-phase plan meant to assist the victims of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.
In a post on his Facebook page, Masiyiwa explains how the five phase plan will work to address the effects Cyclone Idai on the lives of the people in the affected areas.
“I outlined a multi-prolonged response for our people in Zimbabwe, at Econet Group of companies, as well as Higher Life Foundation. We have a 74 full time people and over 100 national and international volunteers working with us,” said Masiyiwa.
“My mantra in a crisis is do everything you can as quickly as you can with every resource and innovation you can, with everyone and anyone you can. I’m never interested in who caused it, what could have been done, that was not done. I just want to act.
“In phase 1, which involved the search and rescue, we could not spare any cost or quibble as this stage needed speed and efficiency because it involved saving people who were still alive,” added the Econet boss.
Phase 2 involved the provision of relief to all the affected persons and Masiyiwa explains that “we flew helicopter missions to every corner of the area. Delivered over 15tonnes by helicopter for two straight weeks, spending over US$100 000 per day in fuel alone. This as we pushed on the ground with trucks to areas we could reach.
Masiyiwa added that “we financed the bulldozers to clear road and got private contractors to work round the clock and they cleared rocks on roads and fixed roads working under the government and army.”
In Phase 3 which Masiyiwa refers to as the Recovery and Clean up phase, the recovery part is already under way with Econet and Higherlife Foundation having donated 100 coffins, delivered sniffer dogs, used drones to locate the marooned and inaccessible.
“We used boats and canoes to search rivers, and we are even using our data bases to help identify people washed away into Mozambique,” added Masiyiwa.
Other phases to follow are the second part of phase 3 which involves cleaning up. Phase 4 of rebooting livelihoods and finally Phase 5 of ReImagine the future. Second part of Phase 3 according to Masiyiwa starts tomorrow.
“We start this phase tomorrow, our plans are well advanced and include fund and support a community clean-up of dead livestock and animals, which must be removed and destroyed to avoid diseases. We will pay young people to form groups that clean up the area of rocks and debris,” he said.
Phase 4 and 5 involves the boosting of livelihoods as Econet and High Life Foundation and other organisations join hands in building homes and shelter for the affected. This stage will also involve the drilling of 50 boreholes in two weeks and also cushioning the affected families until the next harvest season through monthly pay outs.
“We will participate in cash payments for affected families. We are working with donors to ensure that every affected family gets a monthly income until the next harvest. This has already begun to happen,” Masiyiwa confirmed.
Meanwhile, Masiyiwa’s organisations are already accelerating their efforts in Phase 5 to introduce the Relmagine Rural Fund. In this fund, they will provide loans for new entrepreneurs to start businesses in the area.
