ABF APPLAUDS ZAMBIA SUGAR’S COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL IMPACT!
We recently hosted our ABF Sugar Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Paul Kenward, who visited alongside Associated British Foods (ABF) Plc’s Director of Financial Control, Mr. James Rushton and Dame Heather Rabbatts, the ABF Independent Non-Executive Director. Dr. Ernest Peresu, ABF Sugar Africa Social Development Director and Mr. Alasdair Harris, the ABF Sugar Group Estate Agriculture Head also accompanied the delegation.
We were proud to show the delegation some of the projects and initiatives we are involved in that positively contribute to the livelihoods of our people, our key partners and the broader Zambian community. In particular, our visitors were most impressed by the work we are doing at Nakambala Private School noting the ranking of the school as one of the top performers in Southern Province, with the record of having the highest pass marks across the country, as well as our recent renovations to other schools in the area.
The delegation visited the Zambia Sugar Hospital and interacted with the doctors and medical teams that shared the health and social impact that Zambia Sugar continues to make on the community of Mazabuka and the province. Including the eradication of Malaria from Nakambala, support of Government’s child immunisation programme and partnership with the District Health Management Teams. Our Managing Director, Oswald Magwenzi, also took the opportunity to remind our visitors of the ongoing positive role of our sugar for our consumers, all of our direct consumption sugar we fortify with Vitamin A which is important in children’s health development.
The ABF delegation learnt that the Company’s local supplier development programme has had a transformative impact on the lives of local contractors and suppliers. Recently, Zambia Sugar partnered with the National Council for Construction (NCC) and trained 22 local contractors, empowering them with classroom knowledge and practical construction skills. These local companies, some run by single parents including women like Ms. Loveness Nyirenda, have now begun to grow—winning construction contracts and furthering their businesses. These companies now support Zambia Sugar’s over 750 house construction and renovation project, taking place at Nakambala estate and Nanga Farm in the short to medium term. Loveness commended Zambia Sugar and personally thanked the ABF Sugar CEO for providing commercial opportunities to women-run organisations.
Paul Kenward took the opportunity to commend our staff, contractors and unions for the work they were doing in the refurbishment of the staff houses and committed support to the programme.
The visit also included a trip to Nanga Farms Limited, a Zambia Sugar subsidiary, where their innovative approach is demonstrating real value in regenerative agriculture and increased opportunities from a circular economy.
We were pleased to have this delegation visit for a few days and were proud to show them the work we are involved in. Dame Rabbatts was impressed by the greater social and economic impact that the Company continues to make in the local community and beyond. Together with James Rushton, they pledged their commitment to promote Zambia Sugar stories with the ABF investors.
