HARARE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese business community in Zimbabwe with support from the Chinese embassy on Monday donated various goods to a Children's Home in Harare.
The donated items, which included mattresses, books, rice, chairs and desks, were handed over to Hossana Love in Africa Children's Home and Hossana Primary school in the Hatcliff suburb of Harare.
The Chinese business community also upgraded infrastructure at the school by renovating classrooms and dormitories as well as construction of a new toilet and a fishpond.
In a speech, the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said the donations and the completion of the project was a reflection of China-Zimbabwe ties at grassroots level.
Guo said the completion of the project shows that the Chinese government would not only promote government to government exchanges, but also promote people-to-people exchanges by investing in their livelihoods.
Speaking at the same occasion, Member of Parliament for Harare North Rusky Markham expressed gratitude towards the Chinese for the donations and the successful completion of the project on time and with great efficiency.
"We are overwhelmed by the donation, but most overwhelmingly is that when the community came to help us, within 56 days they had completed everything," he said.
Markham said the newly refurbished school and children's home will be of great importance as it will give the children a proper home and learning environment.
"I would like to really thank you for the security and education that you are giving these young people, who would be otherwise be severely disadvantaged in their lives in the future," he said.
The construction of the school, which mainly caters for disadvantaged children in the area, was sponsored by the Chinese government with help from the Chinese Business Association in Zimbabwe and the Loving Moms, a group of Chinese mothers in Zimbabwe.
