eBusiness Weekly
Chipo Sabeta
More than 1 000 athletes, including most of the country’s elite long-distance runners, are expected to participate at this years’ edition of the Tanganda Tea Half Marathon on June 30 in Mutare, Manicaland.
Sponsors, the Tanganda Tea Company, affirmed their commitment to the race as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The Tanganda Marathon started in the late 80’s up to the late 90’s before it took a sabbatical and came back in 2012.
It is the unforgiving and mountainous route that makes the Tanganda run unique every year.
Tsitsi Kumadiro, a representative of the organisers, said the Tanganda Marathon affords them an opportunity to appreciate customers by awarding them prizes and they are looking forward to give back to the society.
This also party of community wellness programme.
“Tanganda Tea is a cultural brand and this interaction with the community through sport presents an opportunity to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the communities.
“We work with Manicaland Athletics Board to help promote talent in the communities and they also use this half marathon to select athletes to represent the country in international marathons,” she said.
“Whilst promoting wellness and health lifestyles, the marathon gives us an opportunity to interact with clients and to plough back to the society. We will be giving prizes to the winners from all categories.”
The Tanganda Tea half marathon has, since its inception, attracted the country’s top athletes with such illustrious runners like Abel Chimukoko and Elijah Mutandiro having participated before.
Last year, Conicious Nyamutsika won the men’s Tanganda Half Marathon in record time of one hour five minutes, outpacing all-time over favourites such as Misheck Sithole, who was the Tanganda winner in 2017 and Olympian Wirimai Juwao and Munyaradzi Jere.
The women’s run was lifted by Caroline Mhandu in one hour 21 minutes and six seconds.
As part of their corporate social responsibility, Tanganda Tea Company cares for nearly 800 out-growers and has been doing so since 1989 when the project started.
This involves the surrounding areas of Ndieme, Tamandai, Chinyaduma, Gwenzi, Mount Selinda and Mapungwana.
Tea and potatoes are currently grown by these small-scale farmers but this year avocados and macadamias will also become part of the Tanganda diversification programme.
Green leaf is either delivered by or collected from outgrowers and processed separately in the firm’s factories.
