A Home for Mardon Plumbers: A day's work at Mardon Plumbers

With a little help..

Some world events are closer to home than others and when we got to know Sammy, the owner of Mardon Plumbers in Harare, Zimbabwe, she lived here in Newcastle. Then, 2 years ago, when the situation in Zimbabwe worsened, she decided to go back and look after her 12 employees in Harare whose livelihood depend on a job with her company. Unfortunately, it didn't get any better since. Zimbabwe is suffering an economic and political crisis, with annual inflation of 100,000%, and unemployment at 80%. There are severe food and fuel shortages and recent outbreaks of Cholera. Some friends and colleagues decided that maybe we could help. Since then we have been supporting Sammy, the employees in her business and their families with fuel vouchers, because fuel is the key not only to transport and enabling business and freeing up resources but these vouchers can be traded for other vital goods such as food or medicine. It works via an organisation called Mukuru that organises the supply of goods and money in some countries in Africa. We buy the vouchers online and Sammy gets a code on her mobile that enables her to pick up the fuel at a petrol station in Harare. Since January 2008 we have been sending close to 2,000 litres of fuel and Sammy has been stressing that every litre of that has helped Mardon Plumbers to stay in business and support the families of the staff. We would like to continue this journey for as long as the situation is precarious. Here is an opportunity to read, comment and maybe join in.

Christoph

Saturday, 20 February 2010