Reaching out to the needy

The church nowadays is proactively seeking to reach out to the needy through charity and development projects within it. JAMES CHAMPWEYA took time with the executive director of Helping Hands in Relief, Democracy and Development (HHRDD), Reverend Marious Chiunjiza to get more information.

Why did you decide to have a development and charitable wing within the The Hope of Jesus Church?

 

As a church, we have so many things to do but we thought of separating some of the activities of the church to be under another institution. The reason is to enhance interaction between the vulnerable and the less privileged with the view of providing democratic values and social responsibility in the development of human integrity and social welfare with care, compassion enthusiasm, hope and love. We also provide psychological and spiritual support and counseling for people facing tribulations. We contribute to the development of inmates’ spiritual and social welfare. The organisation also serves as a general vehicle for inmates’ spiritual and social welfare in all prison institutions countrywide, thereby nurturing their livelihood.

As a grouping under the church, what are you doing?

 

Our major programmes include campaigning against HIV and Aids, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexual immorality. To provide care and services to persons living with HIV and Aids, provide charity and relief in times of natural disaster and need. We also assist the needy such as orphans and child headed homes. To also feed the breast feeding mothers, elderly, physically challenged, widows and widowers. We encourage, promote and support income generating activities and development programmes for the sustainability of the vulnerable groups in the country and here in Blantyre we are operating in Bangwe.

What other areas do you look into when discharging your activities?

 

We conduct civic education on (e.g. child labour, human rights, democracy, electoral and voting process and gender violation among others. To assist the poor to attain food security and sustainable livelihood, to empower and support the vulnerable group with academic and vocational training. The last thing we mainly look into is improve the living standards of the poor and the poorest.

What was your vision in establishing this institution?

 

The organisation is geared to cooperate with individual institutions with the view of extending activities and interactions to both urban and rural areas in the country and beyond. Our vision is also to seek for the lost, feed the hungry and ensure a new generation of leaders with high integrity. Our organisation is responsible for any action taken as one way of being accountable to the public. We trust in commitment to work to the full potential to achieve its mission and objectives. The group also believes in team work where we work with other NGOs as well as individuals.

What are your core values?

 

We advocate in doing our job in an open manner without strings attached. We have energetic and dynamic executive members with high reputation of seeking action oriented solutions. The group is strongly backed by the holistic Christian values. We have our funds through membership subscription, fundraising campaigns and donations from funding institutions.