Green Resources Limited donates a building to Mabaoni villagers

The Chairman of the Village Council of Mabaoni, Sailas Ndenga (left) receives a certificate of a building from the Acting Director of Green Resources Ltd; Anthony Kisondella during a brief handing over ceremony took place in the village in Mufindi district, Iringa region yesterday. (PHOTO: FRIDAY SIMBAYA)

The villagers are coming out of the newly built building donated by Green Resources Ltd after a brief handover ceremony took place at the village of Mabaoni ni Mufindi district, Iringa Region yesterday. (PHOTO: FRIDAY SIMBAYA

Executive Director of the Council of Mufindi (DED), Saada Malunde making a speech during handing over ceremony of the building to Mabaoni Village by Green Resources Ltd yesterday. 

Green Resources Limited (GRL) has donated a building that encompasses a conference hall and offices to Mabaoni Village in Mufindi District, Iringa Region as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders.

The GRL Acting Managing Director, Anthony Kisondella has handed over the building to the village government of Mabaoni yesterday at ceremony witnessed by Mufindi District Executive Director (DED), Saada Malunde held at the village.

Acting director urged residents of Mabaoni Village to cooperate due to the contribution that is in their capacity as labor and materials like stone, brick and sand.

He said that the project of building the conference hall and offices for village government officially began in October last year, where its building cost a total of Tshs 66,439,456/-

In addition, he said the community participated significantly by providing labor during the execution of this project.

"This building has a conference hall capable of handling 200 for manipulating conferences, festivals and seminars as well as the building consists of four office rooms and two rooms for keeping criminals," he said.

He said that the construction of the building was administered on behalf of the GRL by the organization called 'Southern Highlands Participatory Organization (SHIPO)' with its headquarters in Njombe.

GRL Company formally granted Village Government Council the conference hall and office building in front of the DED of Mufindi District Council, so as owners they can use according to their goals.

"One of the strategies that the company (GRL) has set is cooperating with communities in areas investments by implementing various social projects in the sectors of health, education and so on, to the needs and priorities of the community," said acting executive director.

However, the project for the construction of the hall and the office is one of the projects that will be inaugurated by Uhuru Torch Race scheduled to arrive in Mufindi District on June 25 this year.

Uhuru Torch in Iringa Region will lay the foundation stone, will inspects and open a total of 35 development projects all with the value 4,985,562,793 / =.

Green Resources Ltd (GRL) is a subsidiary of Green Resources AS of Norway. GRL has invested in the forestry sector with estates where 17,000 hectares are already planted trees in Mufindi and Kilombero districts.

More than five million seedlings were given free of charge to citizens of villages and also conducted training on how to take care and planting of forests, an estimated 20,000 hectares were planted trees on private farms of the villagers.

For his part, Executive Director of the Council of Mufindi (DED), Saada Malunde who was also a guest of honour during handing over ceremony of the building thanked GRL Company for their generosity.

In addition, DED has urged citizens of the village of Mabaoni to ensure they keep building well and in case of any damage, then they will do maintenance works.

 He said that the fourth phase government under President Dr. Jakaya Kikwete has put in place a conducive environment for investment in the country.

"And the benefits of such investment is the fruit we see today in the village of Mabaoni," he added.

The Chairman of the Government of the village of Mabaoni, Sailas Ndenga thanked GRL Company for their support on behalf of the villagers and promised to cooperate with the company aiming improving lives of citizens.

He said that when he gave the land to the company GRL, there are people who dare to point accusing fingers that he sold the village land to the investor, but today they see the fruits of it.

In addition, the company Green Resources Ltd has a large nursery to produce seedlings in the village of Mabaoni.

The company has some tree plantations in the villages of Mapanda, Chogo, Ukami, Incomet and Idete for Mufindi District and in Uchindile, Masagati and Kitete villages  in Kilombero District.