Childline is the only non-profit organization of its kind in Zimbabwe. It focuses on working in partnership with the government to stop child abuse and provide a safe environment for all children.
Formerly known as the SPAR Family Fun Run, the event was rebranded in 2017 to the SPAR Rainbow Run. The rainbow is a symbol of hope. It is a promise to protect. It is a message of love and signals the end of a storm. This is what Childline seeks to do daily for hundreds of thousands of children who reach out to them in their hour of need. Even if they are too frightened to give their name, these children have access to help.
In a ceremony at Childline’s Harare Call Centre, Cypren Borerwe, General Manager of SPAR Zimbabwe, on 9 June handed over the cheque to Childline.
“It is our conviction that children are the future leaders of tomorrow. Every Zimbabwean child ought to be protected and be afforded a chance to grow in an environment which gives them their rights and proper protection. A hope for the future”, Cypren Borerwe said.
SPAR Zimbabwe’s relationship with Childline started in 1997. It has since continued to grow and strengthen over the years as Childline’s operations have grown to deal with an ever-increasing need.
“We are humbled by the work that Childline does every day to protect the children of our country, and we are honoured to contribute in a small way towards this noble initiative. The Rainbow Run is our biggest annual fundraising event on behalf of Childline, and we are so happy to have managed to get it back onto the calendar after an absence of more than two years due to COVID. We are delighted to announce that a total of USD $37k was raised on the day, our biggest ever result for the Rainbow Run”, Mr Boererwe said.
The Childline Helpline has received 9,257,378 calls from 1997 to date. Currently, the helpline receives an average of 87,594 calls a month, translating to 2,820 calls per day from children reaching out to have their voices heard from all over Zimbabwe. Since it opened, Childline has documented 132,054 child abuse, neglect, and child marriage cases.
At the handover ceremony, Shamiso Pfumayaramba from SPAR Zimbabwe’s Responsible Retailing platform said, “We would like to thank everyone who participated, from sponsors and suppliers to service providers, partners, the SPAR and Childline teams, and the whole community, to make this wonderful day possible.”
“Childline is a place of refuge. It is the ear that listens without judging. It is the hand that protects without asking for anything in return. The $37,500 raised from the SPAR Rainbow Run in aid of Childline 2022 will help keep this vital lifeline open for all the children of Zimbabwe”, Shamiso Pfumayaramba added.
Source: SPAR Zimbabwe
Read more about SPAR Zimbabwe.
In 1967, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) became the 13th country to join the SPAR network after signing a licence agreement with SPAR International.
In 2015, an independent retailer, Darren Lanҫa, took over the licence for the SPAR Brand in Zimbabwe after the previous licence holder divested this retail division.
Despite the challenging economic environment, SPAR Zimbabwe continues to grow its store network. It also remains actively involved in the local community, helping to make a difference through charitable sponsored events.
