Rooney’s Zimbabwe

While some business event venue owners across the globe are doing their bit to fight the novel coronavirus by converting their facilities into temporary hospitals among other initiatives, local suppliers are also contributing to the same effort in various ways.

One such supplier is Rooney’s Zimbabwe, an events planner and supplier. The company is using the current lockdown-induced low business phase to manufacture face masks using linen which is no longer suitable for hiring out. The masks are set to be distributed to communities in need.

“While work is so quiet, we are looking at other things to do. We have decided to use old linen to make face masks that we will distribute to communities in need,” posted Rooney Zimbabwe on its Facebook page this week.

Rooney’s Zimbabwe’s gesture comes against the backdrop of the non-availability of affordable face masks which has resulted in some people going about essential activities such as going to buy food without them. Unconfirmed reports also indicated that with the use of masks having been mandatory by Government last week, some people were taking turns to use the same masks in order to get access to shops.

“I heard that folks were swapping masks outside of shops to be allowed in. Dunno if that was true, but (it) more than defeats the object (of wearing masks),” posted Jonathan Pearce in response to the Rooney’s Zimbabwe initiative.   He praised the company’s gesture as a great job.

The government’s announcement that mask-wearing was now mandatory has opened a business opportunity for other business events suppliers that are now manufacturing branded masks.

Signage and business events supplier, Dzines and promotional products distributor, Monrue Graphics promotions are among some of the suppliers which are taking orders for branded masks. Given the shortage of affordable masks, companies stand to get marketing mileage for their brands by distributing free branded masks.