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Leonard Ncube, [email protected]

UNITED Apostolic Faith Church has built a multi-purpose centre in Chidobe outside Victoria Falls, to complement Government efforts in providing social services to local communities.

Chidobe in Kachechete Ward, has high rates of child sexual abuse, school dropouts and cases of drug abuse.

A few years ago, more than ten girls dropped out of Chidobe Secondary School after they fell pregnant and some of them were preparing to write their O-level examinations.

The worrying trend was attributed to moral decadence, loss of cultural values, generally negative attitude towards education and the prevalence of social activities such as Vuzu parties among others.

Named Endunyisweni Worship Centre, the church, which is located in BH36 Kachechete Ward is seen as a huge intervention to help the community reform.

The  church also drilled  a borehole,  which will also benefit the local community and help them start a nutritional garden and a chicken rearing project among other income-generating projects.

United Apostolic Faith Church Zimbabwe general overseer, Apostle Deon Dupreez, officially opened the centre recently during a ceremony attended by the church’s leadership drawn from other branches across the country, local political and traditional leadership as well as Hwange Rural District Council officials.

The local pastor, Reverend Cont Moyo,  said the centre will positively transform the community into a development-oriented community.

The church has 100 members in Kachechete alone.

 “There will be many activities at the church site. Currently, there is a borehole and a community garden will be put up soon. A fowl-run project will soon be established to produce more than 1 000 chickens,” he said.

Endunyisweni’s vision is to touch lives of people both spiritually and physically, through teaching and empowering them with different projects.

Rev Moyo said there are plans to construct a clinic and engagements are in place between the church and Hwange Rural District Council.

The worship centre is also a life skills centre, where young people are taken through training and counselling.

 The church was allocated virgin land and started developing it in 2021.

Hwange RDC chief executive, Mr Phindile Dube, who attended the official opening commended the church for the project.

He said the centre would help transform the community from a potential drug zone and nurture togetherness.

“This will uplift the community to focus on developmental activities as opposed to parties and drug abuse. The social services that the church will be providing to the community complement Government efforts to tackle social ills such as drug and substance abuse,” he said.

In Kachechete Ward three , Givemeagain  Moyo said it is important for the church to complement Government  in the fight against child and drug abuse.