Online Reporter
Zimpapers News Hub
CHRISTIAN Care Zimbabwe has donated groceries to 50 vulnerable beneficiaries in Bulawayo as part of commemorations of the Christian Care Week.
The beneficiaries, comprising elderly people, persons with disabilities and members of child-headed households, received washing soap, cooking oil and flour at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) in Njube on Thursday morning.
Christian Care, the service arm of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), was established in 1967 to support vulnerable communities across the country.
The organisation’s Chief of Party, Mrs Sefeliphelo Bhebhe, said this year’s commemorations were being held from September 22 to 29 under the theme “59 Years of Faith, Resilience and Service: Sailing Forward in Hope.”
“During this week, we look back at our journey as Christian Care with pride, and we urge every member church to join us in these celebrations,” she said.
Mrs Bhebhe said Christian Care was established by the ZCC to provide emergency relief, food aid, school fees and support to prisoners during the liberation struggle.
“In 1980, we partnered with United Nations relief agencies to repatriate and reintegrate Zimbabwean refugees and support post-war assembly points,” she said.
She said the organisation later broadened its mandate from humanitarian relief to include long-term community development.
“In 1985, the organisation shifted from pure humanitarian relief to combining relief with long-term community development, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), food security, rural development, education and livelihoods.
“We also continued with major relief operations during severe droughts experienced in the country,” said Mrs Bhebhe.
The organisation and its partners have reached more than 100 000 people through interventions including boreholes, water schemes, nutrition gardens and livestock support over the years.
Rev Thulani Dube, administrator of the ELCZ Western Region, expressed gratitude to Christian Care for supporting vulnerable members of the community.
“We are grateful to Christian Care for remembering the elderly, people with disabilities and child-headed families. This will go a long way in supporting these households,” he said.
The Christian Care Week commemorations are aimed at celebrating the organisation’s history and reaffirming its commitment to working with churches and communities to provide hope and promote sustainable development among vulnerable households.
This year’s theme reflects the organisation’s journey over 59 years, during which it has responded to humanitarian crises, droughts, disease outbreaks and economic hardships while implementing long-term community development programmes.
