Sun, 04 Feb 2018 10:46:29 +0000
By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
| ROLAND Imperial Tobacco Company has pledged financial and material support towards women soccer in Zambia as a way of empowering talented girl children. |
The company donated K10, 000 cash to the Olympic Youth Development Centre women’s soccer team and also spent K9, 000 on kit for the team.
Speaking during a charity event hosted for the women’s team at Fallsway Arena in Lusaka yesterday, Roland sales and marketing manager Zabu Mwenda said the gesture was one way of giving back to the community that had pushed them this far in business.
Mwenda said the company was inspired by the players’ hard work and dedication although faced with a number of financial challenges.
“We believe in the empowerment of women, thus the reason why we decided to support a female soccer team which is mainly neglected. Roland has pumped in a total of K51, 000 towards this event which will see our girls’ team get K10, 000 cash and new sports equipment. These girls need inspiration to achieve better results in future,” he said.
He advised the players against illicit behaviour but to combine sport with education to become productive citizens.
Defensive midfielder Dyness Kasonka thanked Roland for the sponsorship.
“We are humbled by what Roland Imperial Tobacco Company has done for us, we are indeed grateful. The team will work harder and reciprocate with good results,” Kasonka said.
Meanwhile, organisers of the event One Zambia Pro Sport director Benjamine Siwale thanked Roland and celebrities who included gospel singer Abel Chungu for their immense support to the charity event.
