The spirit of Ubuntu and collaboration was at the heart of discussions on Saturday as members of the Chinese community in Zimbabwe and church leaders from a fellowship of bishops from Apostolic churches convened at Harare for the Ubuntu and Harmony Forum in Harare this Saturday.

The event, organized by the Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association (ZCBA), focused on charity and social development, drawing together voices from faith-based organizations, business communities, and humanitarian groups.

The bishops fellowship members said that they are concerned with the negative perception of Chinese people in Zimbabwe, yet they themselves are witnesses to a litany of positive contributions by Chinese people in areas of employment creation, education and health services contributions as well as many charitable initiatives.

Participants engaged in extensive discussions covering the principles of charity, benefits to local communities, challenges and opportunities, collaborations, and the role of media in promoting charitable work.

Co-founder of the Chinese Loving Mum initiative and ZBCA vice president, Ms Li Manjuan, shared the journey of their charitable work in Zimbabwe, which began in 2014. “We have helped approximately 200 people across the country with school fees, food, stationery, clothes, among many other things,” she said.

Li emphasized their focus on vulnerable groups, especially children. She highlighted that the organization has visited numerous children’s homes nationwide. One of their major achievements is the construction of Hossana Love School in Hatcliffe Extension in 2019. “We built the school to help young children who were walking long distances to get an education. At this school, we are even teaching Chinese,” Li added.

 She explained that most of their donations come from compassionate individuals in China who are eager to support vulnerable Zimbabwean families.

Li further explained the broader mission of the ZCBA, which was established in 2004. “Our main aim is to help the Chinese society integrate better into Zimbabwe, to organize Chinese activities, give back to the locals through charity work, and facilitate cooperation between the Chinese community, local government, and local people,” she said.

The bishops welcomed the initiative, expressing optimism for long-term partnerships. Archbishop Plaxides Vashiko commented, “We are very happy to work with the Chinese community to help the vulnerable in our society.”

Church leaders also highlighted pressing needs within their communities, including food shortages, healthcare facilities, education support, and employment opportunities and stressed the need for sustainability and for communities to be contributing stakeholders.

Bishop Charakupa pointed out the dire situation faced by many. “The most vulnerable people in the community are the elderly, single mothers, and orphans. Sometimes my heart breaks when church members come to me saying they have not eaten for days or their children have been sent home from school because of unpaid fees,” he said.

Li urged the church leaders to compile a list of trustworthy individuals with skills such as building, driving, welding, or other trades, so they could be connected to job opportunities within Chinese-owned companies.

From the business sector, Patience Chizodza of Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe emphasized that charity must come from a place of love. “Charity is giving out of love,” she said.

PLZ stressed that the key responsibility for businesses is to create employment and generate revenue through avenues like taxes which is then directed into community development.

Chizodza stressed the importance of sustainability in CSI. “We must offer programs that enable families to sustain themselves so that they don’t have to wait to be given each and every time,” she added.

The forum concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation between the Chinese community, church leaders, and local businesses.