TSHANDAMA – As part of their community development strategy, Old Mutual Group Scheme extended a helping hand by donating R6 000 to Tshandama Tornado Football Club. The handing-over function took place last Friday at the Tshandama sports grounds outside Tshilamba.

Tornado FC is an affiliate of theMutale District Football Association Lower League, Zone B Division and they were positioned in place number four during the 2003/2004 soccer season. The donated money will be used to purchase a full soccer kit for the poverty-stricken soccer team.

According to the Sales Manager of Thohoyandou’s Old Mutual branch, Mr Ntakadzeni Sibuda, the donation became possible after the team submitted their constitution and business plan, which complied with the fund-ing requirements of the Old Mutual community development fund. Sibuda said Old Mutual has in the past funded different community projects and it is their responsibility to empower and develop the community that supports them.

Sibuda continued: “As a company, it is our responsibility to give back the little we gained from the community. This donation is meant to groom future soccer stars and to discourage the youth from taking part in criminal activities. We have donated over R160 000 to different community projects in the past few months and we hope to make more donations in the future for the benefit of our community.”

When receiving the donation, the coach of Tornado FC, Mr Humbulani Mulanduli, said the donation came at the right time when his team was in dire need of financial assistance. Mulanduli passed his sincere gratitude to Old Mutual for developing the rural communities and he said the donation would boost the morale of his players to work hard.

“We are going to work hard to prove to our donors that they did not waste their money. We thank Old Mutual Group Schemes and we hope that other companies will follow suit to assist in the development of the community,” Mulanduli concluded.