Providence Human Capital Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Health & Wellness
The health and wellness of employees is key to both profitability and sustainability of the company. Besides the establishment of onsite clinics at Prodairy, Eureka Mine, Pickstone Mine, National Foods, Colcom Complex and Padenga are other examples of how PHC has improved employees’ access to basic primary health care and increasing their health seeking behaviour.
PHC Health Division took the initiative and conducted 3D mammogram tests on women across the Group aged 40 years and above and these proved to be a welcome initiative within the Group’s women employees. It evoked different feelings and the assistance of internal counsellors was most helpful as the process was an emotive one. In total 420 women underwent the process.
PHC has hugely invested in clinics to serve the employees and dependents of its stakeholders. From the 24 clinics in the different regions around the country, of which 16 clinics relate to IAL Onsite Clinics, PHC reported 38 351 visits by employees and 10 399 visits by dependents. A total of 8 036 different medical tests were conducted in F2023.
The additional clinics are an answer to our desire to have medical relief reach every corner where the Company’s stakeholders are found. PHC has also put in place a Chronic Medication Mobile Clinic in Harare which delivers medication to employees and dependents who are registered in the clinic chronic register. New clinics opened in F2023 are at Providence Prodairy Clinic, as well as at National Foods Stirling Road and Bulawayo, and satellite clinics in Beitbridge, Chinhoyi, Chiredzi, Hwange, Victoria Falls and Zvishavane. Upcoming clinic projects include Seed Co Stapleford, Seed Co Shamva, Seed Co Kadoma, Gweru Family Clinic, Epworth Clinic, Chinamano Specialist Services Clinic, Harare and Ambulance services. All clinics are non-cash clinics.
Summary of Client-driven Initiatives
PHC’s management is anchored in the Hunhu/Ubuntu philosophy and a deliberate cultural tolerant environment that extends the definition of dependents to resonate with African culture that looks beyond the nucleus family, encourages use of totems in the workplace to foster a culture of identity and naming and norming of departments using the vernacular language.
- Establishment of additional onsite clinics in factories.
- Client specific Wellness Days and Health Initiatives that focus mostly on prevention and management of chronic illnesses.
- Increased access to loans and financial services through the IAL Employee Share Trust and the various banks e.g., CBZ loans, Innbucks loans.
- Establish enhanced group life assurance and funeral assistance initiatives.
- Issue of e-pay slips via email and text messages and to save on paper.
- Provision of transport for PHC employees to and from work and provision of lunch to employees through the establishment of factory-based canteens through our Procanteen division. The canteens supply 7 100 hot meals to staff within the Group daily.
- Increase access to amenities such as residential stands and housing facilities by negotiating on schemes.
- Hold stakeholder feedback meetings and consultative forums with the surrounding communities such as the police and the business community on the operations of the Group.
- Open door policy where even walk-in customers are assisted without the bureaucracy of appointments.
- Hold HR and Leadership seminars across the Group to conscientise on the current situation in the field.
- Hold weekly HR feedback meetings and training for internal HR staff across the Group.
Corporate Social Engagements
- Participate in neighbourhood Crime Consultative Forums, which includes the Avondale Crime Liaison Committee (ACLC).
- Partnered with private voluntary organisations (PVO), Government departments, universities offering contextual assistance, e.g. career guidance, counselling services, and cleaning services, among others to take advantage of their existing structures.
- Maintenance of the Newlands By Pass roundabout garden.
- Skills development through various training programmes, e.g. First Aid, performance acceleration programmes.
- Provision of access to health facilities for people other than our employees (their dependents).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Providence Human Capital has invested in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives whose impact is beyond any monetary quantification.
- Student scholarship program – PHC engages in the emancipation of vulnerable groups through its student scholarship program in all higher and tertiary institutions in the country. The first group of recipients is graduating in September 2023 from the University of Zimbabwe Law School comprising of two men and a woman. The total number of recipients were 10 girls and 9 boys.
- Mutemwa Leprosy Centre – payment of salaries for the staff and involvement in patient well-being through provision of wardrobes, stoves and bedding. Aided in building ablution facilities for patients and visitors.
- Rotary Club – donated wheelchairs to needy and disadvantaged people with disability.
- Cancerserve – payment of salaries for the staff.
- Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation Games – donated sport wear to the team for its visit to Tanzania where the team came first in all disciplines.
- Rose of Charity Children’s Home – visits by PHC team to interact with the children.
- Chinotimba Old People’s Home – harnessing of resources from various companies within the Group and aiding the Home to be self-sufficient.
- Miracle Missions – assisting with food, transport and manpower on community campaigns. Donated buns and beverages to the Drug Free Zim campaign which was championed by Miracle Missions in Epworth. The next stage is to partner with the NGO to empower parents to tackle these issues in the communities in which they live.
- KidzCan Rainbow Village – assisted with the building of the village, also buying raffle tickets by employees.
