Red Cross honours volunteers

Volunteers also provided first aid, dead body management, conducting distributions, shelter construction and monitoring activities.

Volunteering is the mainstay of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement since its formation over 150 years ago and as part of commemorating World Red Cross and World Red Crescent Day recently, Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) paid tribute to some of its volunteers.

Globally, the movement has 14 million volunteers while locally it boasts of more than 20 000 volunteers whose sole goal is to serve humanity.

The volunteers with the support of the staff are involved in a number of activities in their respective areas.

Notably, in 2019 after Cyclone Idai struck the country's eastern parts, ZRCS volunteers played a pivotal role as they became agents of information sharing with government stakeholders since most communication channels had been disrupted.

Volunteers also provided first aid, dead body management, conducting distributions, shelter construction and monitoring activities.

They also undertook community mobilisation for nutrition screening and assisted with the registration of beneficiaries for food distributions.

For their efforts, the government paid tribute to the gallant ZRCS volunteers.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the ZRCS has been working closely with the government and other development partners supported by its volunteers in the distribution of personal protective equipment and raising awareness at community level, among other activities.

As such, last Tuesday at the belated World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day commemorations, ZRCS rewarded some of its excelling volunteers from across the country.

Mthembisi Moyo from Matabeleland North province was voted the overall winner while Valerie Muparutsa from Manicaland province and Takudzwa Zingwanda from Masvingo were first and second runners-up respectively.

ZRCS national society development coordinator June Munyongani said the volunteer recognition acknowledges acc