Gwanda Gospel Fest funds to feed the needy
FUNDS for organising this year’s Gwanda Gospel Festival have been directed towards assisting the vulnerable and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The annual Gwanda Gospel Festival is held every September at Phelandaba Stadium in the mining town.
The event is sponsored by prominent South Africa-based Zimbabwean businessman Justice Maphosa and is organised by his company Bigtime Strategic Group Company. The festival was supposed to be in its sixth edition. The festival which is touted as one of the finest gospel shows in the country and the continent has seen prominent gospel artistes from the country and South Africa perform in Gwanda
In an interview, pastor of the Gwanda Brethren in Christ Church (BICC), Reverend Sipho Mhizha who is responsible for organising the event together with the company said they were waiting for a consignment of groceries to assist the vulnerable courtesy of Maphosa.
“This year we won’t be holding the Gwanda
Gospel Festival due to the prevailing Covid19 pandemic. However the funds that would have been used to organise the event are going towards assisting the vulnerable and assisting in the fight against Covid-19. This has started as a donation which was made in May where the vulnerable people in Gwanda and returnees at quarantine centres received food hampers.
“We are expecting to receive another consignment any time soon as we are working on the logistics. This time around we are targeting the elderly people within the Gwanda community as they are the most vulnerable due to this Covid-19 pandemic and they can’t fend for themselves. Our desire is to feed all the elderly people in Gwanda. Each beneficiary will receive a food hamper. We are in the process of compiling a database of the elderly to see how many will benefit this time around,” he said.
Rev Mhizha said plans were also underway to assist frontline workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) and also to assist in equipping isolation centres.
He said this was in response to the call by Government for various stakeholders to assist in the fight against Covid-19. He expressed gratitude towards Government for assisting the church in its various initiatives to assist the community.
Rev Mhizha also expressed gratitude to Maphosa for his continued support to the community of Gwanda and responding to the plight of the vulnerable. He said members of the public could access previous editions of the gospel festival on the internet.
In May Maphosa through his company donated food hampers and PPE to 1 100 vulnerable families who include returnees from South Africa. The donation was made to cushion families that have been affected by the adverse effects of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
Four hundred of the food parcels were given to returnees from South Africa after being released from quarantine centres. Part of the donation was handed over to distressed villagers in Gwanda. Each family received a food hamper which comprised 25kg mealiemeal, 2kg rice, 2kg sugar, 2,5kg flour, tin of baked beans, 2 litres cooking oil and soap.
The company also donated 3 000 face masks, 3 000 pairs gloves and sanitisers to enhance good personal hygiene in line with measures meant to contain Covid-19. — @DubeMatutu