CSCJF consoles thousands of Cyclone Idai survivors through Memorial Services: Psychosocial Support

The Civic Society and Churches Joint Forum (CSCJF) successfully coordinated a memorial service for Cyclone Idai victims yesterday in Mabhika Village, Chipinge District, Manicaland Province. Psychosocial support underpinned the memorial service whose guest of honour was CSCJF National Coordinator Ms. Abigale Mupambi.

It was a unified environment, courtesy of various churches who took turns to give sermons and to entertain the gathered crowds through music and dancing.

The churches present included ; The Pastor’s Fraternal in Manicaland, AFM , UMC , Zion, ZCC
Assembly of God, Zaoga, Anglican, SDA, Masowe echishanu, Masowe, Marange, UCCZ ,CCZ, Majeke, Family of God and many more. Thousands of people from all walks of life attended together with several local artists.

Introduced to the joyful gathering by General Netanyahu CSCJF Spokesperson as a phenomenal pro-development activist, uniter and peace maker, Ms Mupambi breathed hope to the multitudes through her inspirational presentation. She began with a Ndebele song “Konke kulungile” (meaning all is in order for as long Jesus and a unified society are available) and the masses instinctively plugged in.

“Chipinge and Chimanimani shall rise again! Courageous people are not the ones who do not fall along the journey but those who have the capacity to rise again after falling. Cyclone Idai dragged us down but what is important for us now is to have that capacity to rise again and soldier on. It is our collective responsibility to pick each other up and take Chipinge and Chimanimani back on its feet.” she said.

CSCJF National Coordinator also urged the Cyclone Idai survivors and the entire province of Manicaland to remain focused on recovering from the effects of the natural disaster and to ignore calls for political violence by some uncivilised sectors saying violence is destructive and is never a solution in any case.. She emphasized that political violence is an artificial disaster created by people and must never be tolerated especially in areas that were hit by natural disasters like Cyclone Idai.

Reverend Nyakunu, Reverend Bati and various other church leaders spoke highly on the healing power of Jesus Christ and the important role of the Christian community during such times. Chipinge Central MP Honourable R. Machingura, the District Adminstrator’s office, traditional leaders and other government officials who graced the occasion expressed gratitude to the work being done by CSCJF and called for more psychosocial support programs since this is now a key need of the recovery process in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai.