Zimbabwe Independence Day
We brought back lovely memories from home for members of our international staff as part of celebrations to mark Zimbabwe Independence Day.
You could have been mistaken for being in downtown Harare rather than Sutton-in Ashfield high street as our head office became awash with green, gold, red, black, and white – the national colours of the country which celebrated 44 years of independence on 18th April.
We wanted to help its international recruits, which in the main come from Zimbabwe, to help them recognise this special day.
We held a celebration with food, music, dance, and cultural experience, with several of the Zimbabwean carers wearing national dress. As well as staff, representatives from Nottinghamshire Care Association and Nottinghamshire County Council also attended.
The authentic menu included spicy chicken, cow foot soup, oxtail, tripe, beans, sadza (porridge), rice and peanut butter.
Simon Ford, Caremark Mansfield & Ashfield Managing Director, said: “We have people working for us from different parts of the world and many come from Zimbabwe.
“Even though they came to the UK as strangers, they have built a strong family bond and have become an important part of our team which deliver the care that enables people to remain in their own homes.
“We were therefore keen to mark Zimbabwe Independence Day to show our international recruits how much they mean to us and to bring back some nice memories of home for them.
“It was a fantastic day which everyone very much enjoyed.”
Caremark Mansfield & Ashfield currently employs 100 staff, and this includes people who come on overseas sponsorship.
One of the carers from Zimbabwe is Letween Maturure, who joined Caremark in 2023.
She said: “When I was at college in Zimbabwe, we were encouraged to take part in community projects in our spare time and I helped support people with disabilities and under-privileged people in the country.
“Then when I Ieft college I worked for a non-governmental organisation which helped younger girls understand life and the different challenges they face, using my own experiences as part of this.
“So, when I came to work as a carer in the UK it wasn’t entirely new to me and when I first started, I shadowed carers and they really looked after me and I felt an immediate sense of family, which is very important to me.”