BY STYLE REPORTER
Jet Stores, through its KidzCan initiative, has raised $400 000 towards programmes meant at mitigating cancer among children in Zimbabwe.
According to the World Health Organisation, each year, approximately 400 000 children and adolescents of 0-19 years old are diagnosed with cancer.
The global health body said avoidable deaths from childhood cancers in low and middle-income countries, Zimbabwe included, result from lack of diagnosis, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, obstacles to accessing care, abandonment of treatment, death from toxicity, and higher rates of relapse.
It is against this background that Jet Stores, a subsidiary of Edgars Stores Limited, has mobilised resources by rallying its customers to buy KidzCan-branded masks in commemoration of Orange Month, and cancer tees with donations being channelled to KidzCan.
“KidzCan is one of Jet’s main partners since 2019. Annually the Jet brand donates in the form of financial aid to assist in the fight against kids’ cancer and also aid the organisation’s operations,” said Edgars Group spokesperson Rumbie Dzimba.
“The partnership is not only hinged on encouraging customers to participate through buying from a select product range for a cause, Jet also aims to raise awareness on the cancers affecting children.
“This assists communities at large to get more cancer information and knowledge on what they can do to assist in KidzCan’s initiatives.”
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Dzimba said the group’s corporate social responsibility [CSR] programme — Edgars Helping Hands — focuses on four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, namely, good health and well-being, quality education, responsible consumption and production and partnership for the goals.
“This initiative with KidzCan falls in two quadrants: good health and well-being and partnership for the goals,” she said.
“Through the Jet Chain, Edgars Stores Limited commits to continue building this partnership to ensure the children suffering from cancer and families afflicted by cancer are assisted as much as possible.
“We also pledge to continue to involve our customers in the conversations around cancer to ensure we spread as much awareness around the communities that we serve.”
Dzimba said Edgars Group acknowledges that its donation towards children’s cancer programmes is a drop in the ocean given the mammoth task KidzCan faces in meeting the needs of the brave little children afflicted by the disease.
“We anticipate the funds will be channelled towards needy areas to give the children some comfort,” she said.
“This year, our commitment is to run a similar initiative in our stores during Orange Month.
“With the support of our group CSR, we anticipate raising more funds that will be directed to assist the KidzCan organisation in fulfilling its goals.”
Jet Stores was founded in 2011, rebranding from Express Stores.
The youthful and trendy brand boasts of 27 stores nationwide and prides itself in bringing an assortment of affordable everyday fashion for the whole family and well-packaged financial service offerings.
