•A NURSE at Shampande Clinic stresses a point to Choma residents after Spar Choma handed over an Anti-Retroviral Treatment centre constructed at the clinic. Picture by CHILA NAMAIKO

By CHILA NAMAIKO-
SPAR CHOMA opened in 2007 in the provincial capital of Southern Province. The supermarket, located in the heart of Choma and preferred by thousands of customers for its affordable assorted foods and groceries, is actively pursuing a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme by ploughing back  profit into the local community.
While there have been many different projects over the years, the major beneficiaries have been in the health sector, school sport and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs).
In the sports sector, Spar Choma has been supporting many events hosted by Choma Secondary and Njase Secondary School through its partnership with the SPSSA (Southern Province Schools Sports Association.)
In 2008 Spar Choma, through The Guild of Spar Zambia Limited,   became involved with an HIV/AIDS awareness project and sponsored a football tournament at Choma Secondary School run by an organisation called ‘Alive & Kicking Zambia’.
The organisation, ‘Alive &Kicking’ continues  its work in Zambia today funded partially by the sale of their footballs. Spar Choma  is able to sell  more than 150 of these quality  balls on a monthly basis.
Through its support of sporting activities in schools, Spar Choma aims to promote a healthy, active lifestyle among the youth of the district.
On July 4, 2014, Spar Choma officially handed over to the Government a state-of-the-art newly constructed Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) clinic built at a cost of more than K140,000 at Shampande Health Clinic.
Speaking at a colourful handover of the facility witnessed by hundreds of local residents, Spar Choma director Rebecca Beckett said “Throughout our CSR programme, we are often humbled by the dedication and perseverance of the people we meet who work tirelessly to improve the lives of those less fortunate in our society.”
Initially, Spar Choma focused its projects on Choma hospital, refurbishing several wards, supplying mattresses and items of equipment. In December 2012 the store donated much needed equipment to the Shampande Maternity unit  at a cost of K40,000.
Mrs Beckett said the origin of the construction of the ART clinic was in December 2012, when the Choma District medical officer wrote to her requesting financial assistance with a structure for ART services at Shampande clinic.
“With authorisation from The guild of Spar Zambia, we commenced work on the clinic based on plans provided by the district medical office,” she said.
Since 2009, when Shampande clinic was established, over 2000  patients have had access to ART services from the health centre .
Mrs Beckett said she  hopes the ART clinic will facilitate a more efficient and effective service for those patients in need and contribute to a reduction in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Choma.
She commended her management team for their dedication in driving the project and the  ‘Centre for Infectious Diseases in Zambia’ (CIRDZ) for supplying equipment in the newly installed ART centre at Shampande clinic.
Spar Choma funds to replace the dilapidated fence surrounding the clinic to improve security.
Acting Choma District medical officer Osten Muchanga hailed Spar Choma for the construction of the centre which he said would smooth provision of health services unlike the old and small centre previously used.
He said Government was committed to bring health services closer to many communities citing the establishment of Simukanka and Masuku clinic providing ART services.
Shampande clinic representative Terrace Hamabala said the health centre has had 2,121 patients on ART services since 2009 and was happy the new ART centre would create conducive environment for treatments.
He said the small and old block that the clinic used to provide ART services provided no  privacy for the  treatment of patients with regard to growing number of people accessing treatments on ARTs.
District administrative officer Vincent Sikanyela said Government was impressed with Spar Zambia’s outlets for affirmative support in uplifting the welfare of people in areas of operations.
He said the burden of HIV/AIDS required concerted efforts from all stakeholders and that its impacts had adverse effects in both human and national developments.
The move by Spar  Choma to support Government in the improvement of lives of the people through the provision of quality health care is commendable work.