The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent
TEN Adventist church assemblies of the Mutare East District last Sunday converged at Mutare Provincial Hospital to clean-up the grounds and cut mosquito-hiding grass.
Almost 100 youths from the district Adventist Pathfinders(age 10 to 15), Ambassadors (16 to 21) and Young Adults (22 and above) were at the hospital by 8am, Sunday morning, “armed” with hoes, shovels, wheelbarrows, grass cutters and brooms to show-case Christian voluntary community service.
Speaking to The Manica Post during the clean-up campaign at the hospital, Youth Ministries East Zimbabwe Region 3 vice-president, Mr Jonah Dhlakama, also Mutare Central Church Youth leader, said the Seventh Day Adventist Church believed in the Biblical principle of cleanliness being next to Godliness.
“And catching children young is the best approach,” said Mr Dhlakama.
“We as Seventh Day Adventists seriously believe in cleanliness of the body and the environment. And the best environ to keep clean is the hospital. That is why we are here today.
“Yes, the sick and bedridden need prayer and food, but keeping their environment clean is not secondary,” he said.
“We also want to teach our youths the virtue of voluntary community service. On March 12 we conducted a similar clean-up campaign which stretched from the Dangamvura Bus Terminus to the Harare Bus Terminus.
“And on March 19 — Global Youth Day cleaned up Second Street right up to the Lowden Lodge and donated groceries to children living with physical challenges who are accommodated there,” said the youth leader.
Mr Dhlakama told The Manica Post that after the Adventist camp-site Easter vigil from April 13 to 17, there will be another East Conference Youth ministries clean–up campaign to be marked by a mass march from the Flyover (near Railways Site) to Meikles Park where Mutare mayor, Councillor Tatenda Nhamarare and Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Cde Mandi Chimene, Acting Provincial Administrator, Mr Edgars Seenza, Officer-Commanding police in Mutare and EMA officials will grace the occasion.
“The Seventh Day Adventist year 2017 is full with very important programmes on the youth calendar and we invite The Manica Post to be close whenever we interact with communities in our doctrinal drive to reach literally everyone with the Word before Jesus Christ comes back to take us home,” said Mr Dhlakama.
Helping the Youth Ministries East Zimbabwe Conference vice-president to spearhead the clean-up community service campaign organised at district level at the provincial hospital were the following Seventh Day Adventists and departmental leaders:
- Mr Benjamin Matika — Mutare East District Youth Ministries president.
- Mr J. Munyawi —East Zimbabwe Conference Region 3 Ambassador president.
- Mrs Alice Saurombe — Master Guide Coordinator-Mutare East District
4 .Mrs J. Sithole — Adventurers’ president- Mutare East District
- Mrs Alice Mutambeni — Adventurers’ Secretary
- Miss Joyce Livongo — Deputy Director-Mutare Central Church Pathfinders.
- Mrs Kasima — Pathfinder Director Sakubva Church
- EnockMakunika — President Pathfinders-Mutare East District.
- Mrs Eunice Chitsari
- Mrs Omega Chara — Mutare Central Church Vice Youth leader.
- Mrs ChenesoManzunzu — Deputy Director-Adventurers.
The Adventist youths who put up this hugely successful clean-up at Mutare Provincial Hospital came from Mutare Central Church, Sakubva Church, Sakubva South Church, Fern Valley, Zimunya East, Zimunya Main, Chitakatira. Piki Church, Karuza and Gutaurare churches.
