Stephen Chadenga
The Gweru Mayor’s Christmas cheer fund received a timely boost after women from across the city turned a mayoress High Tea gathering into a lifeline for vulnerable families.
Speaking at a recent charity fundraising gathering held at Bata Club, Gweru Mayoress, Memory Chivhoko said the High Tea event was a platform to donate towards what she described as a vessel of hope which she said highlighted the positive impact of community support in uplifting the livelihoods of the vulnerable in the society.
Mayoress Chivhoko commended the women for their support in caring for less privileged children, girls and families.
“When you picked up that extra packet of sanitary wear or that bundle of clothing, you did not just perform a good deed, you intervened in someone’s story,”Mayoress Chivhoko said.
“You might have saved a girl from humiliation, you might have saved a child from malnutrition and you might have saved a life.
River Valley Group through its charity arm S and M Hand of Compassion donated US$2000 cash and sanitary pads worth US$3000 to support less privileged girls and vulnerable families in the city.
River Valley chief executive and guest speaker Amb. Smelly Dube said the 2026 Mayoress Charity High Tea was not only a gathering of women and business leaders but a convergence of ideas and kindheartedness to cater for disadvantaged communities.
“There are young girls in our city who miss school simply because they lack basic sanitary dignity,”Amb.Dube said.
“There are families whose pantries are empty and children who lack proper clothing. The donations are not merely goods but a means of restoring dignity, providing sustenance and giving hope to people in need.”
Dube said the High Tea theme, “Shine, glow, serve-save a life” was a challenge for women to become beacons of hope in their communities by sharing their blessings and supporting those facing difficult circumstances.
Cheer fund board member, Felicia Sibanda said the charity arm has been active in mobilising donations and other fund raising initiatives to help the less privileged.
“The mayor’s cheer fund has not been idle,”Sibanda said.
“Through your support we have paid school fees for underprivileged children, fed communities in need, brought relief to countless families and the work is far from over.”