Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube- Matutu , [email protected]
WOMEN from the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Gwanda North have donated food items, toiletries, blankets and electrical appliances to the maternity ward at Gwanda Provincial Hospital in a gesture aimed at improving the welfare of mothers and newborn babies.
The donation, handed over on Saturday by the church’s Jacaranda Branch Dorcas Ministry, included fleece blankets, electric heaters for the kangaroo mother care room, toiletry hampers, fruit hampers and other essential items.
The initiative forms part of the church’s community outreach programme, which seeks to complement Government efforts to improve healthcare through support for vulnerable members of society.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Gwanda North District SDA pastor Emmanuel Msimanga said the Dorcas Ministry is dedicated to providing both physical and spiritual support to communities through charitable work.
“God has given us a mission to preach the gospel, and this includes reaching out to the less privileged and those in need. The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Dorcas women from Jacaranda under Gwanda North saw it fit to assist in this manner as part of fulfilling the gospel commission,” he said.
“This is part of their community outreach and welfare initiatives.”
Pastor Msimanga said the church draws inspiration from Isaiah 61:1, which calls on believers to proclaim good news to the poor, comfort the broken-hearted and assist those in need.
“It is our duty as a church to reach out and offer assistance where necessary. There is a need for interventions to first come from local stakeholders because external assistance does not always arrive immediately,” he said.
Receiving the donation on behalf of Gwanda Provincial Hospital, matron Sister Prisca Tungamira expressed gratitude to the church, saying the items would enhance patient care and improve service delivery, particularly during the winter season.
“We would like to thank the Seventh-Day Adventist Church for this kind gesture. It makes our job easier when patients have access to necessities during their stay in hospital, and it contributes to faster recovery,” she said.
“The fleece blankets will play a crucial role in keeping mothers warm during winter, while the electric heaters for the kangaroo room will greatly assist mothers caring for premature babies.”
She said the toiletries would also benefit patients who arrive at the hospital without basic personal items.
“Every donation we receive is a major boost and helps us provide better care to our patients,” said Sister Tungamira.
Expectant and nursing mothers at the hospital welcomed the donation, saying the visit by church members had lifted their spirits.
“It has really warmed my heart to see the church coming here to offer a helping hand. Just having people visit you during your stay in hospital is refreshing and brings hope. It shows that there are people who think about you out there,” said Ms Duduzile Nyathi.
“Labour and delivery is not easy, and one needs all the support they can get.”
Bongani Ndlovu