DELTA Corporation is banking on university students to lead the charge in creating a “smarter drinking” culture, praising them as the most powerful voice for influencing their peers.
Speaking at the “Above the Influence Exhibition” at the Rainbow Towers on Friday, Delta executive Farai Matambo said students are uniquely positioned to tackle alcohol abuse by promoting responsibility and moderation.
“When students speak, students listen,” said Matambo, the Group SHE Executive for Delta.
“You understand the pressures, the social dynamics, the temptations, and the misconceptions better than anyone else.”
The event, a partnership between Delta and the Boost Fellowship, celebrated student-led projects from various colleges competing in the Smart Drinking & Moderation Competition.
Matambo told the students, judges, and dignitaries including Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe that their role was crucial.
“You are not preaching you are leading. You are not policing you are influencing,” Matambo said. “And influence is the most powerful tool we have in building healthier communities.”
Matambo stressed that Delta’s commitment goes beyond just brewing beverages.
“We are part of families, communities, roads, campuses, and workplaces,” he said. “And with that privilege comes responsibility.”
He outlined Delta’s core “Smart Drinking” goals: no to underage drinking, no to drinking while pregnant, and no to drinking and driving. A key goal, he added, is to “make moderation fashionable” and “empower consumers to make informed choices.”
The event featured the students’ innovative approaches, which Matambo praised as vital to this mission. He celebrated their “innovative road safety interventions,” “digital storytelling for responsible choices,” and “campus campaigns promoting moderation.”
“This is leadership. This is citizenship,” Matambo declared. “This is what it means to shape the future of Zimbabwe.”
Delta pledged to continue supporting youth led innovations and working with universities to scale up successful programs.
Matambo concluded with a powerful message to the competing teams, telling them their efforts had already made an impact, regardless of the competition’s results.
“Whether you win or not today, you have already succeeded,” he said.
“You have chosen to stand for something bigger than yourself. You have chosen influence over pressure, purpose over popularity, and responsibility over recklessness.”
