CHCs, which were started a few years ago are being revived and a lot of activities have taken place within a short space of time through the training of community based facilitators, skills training in catering, plumbing, solar technology, hair dressing, dress making, improved stoves, and making safari pots and paving stones for sale.Two public toilets and a water kiosk were also constructed within the same period.
These activities conducted had a positive impact to MOG leadership to an extent that the Town Clerk requested that the women in her church including herself should be CHC members. CHCs are usually viewed as being programmes for unemployed women or women have nothing to do and just have to while up time. Now a highly placed woman commanding the whole Municipality, sees life in the CHCs and sees a great potential for growth health wise and economically and sound life even after formal employment. She said she greatly wanted the members to be engaged in health and hygiene promotion within the church and at household level while at the same time they are engaged in entrepreneurship skills. These life skills were essential as they can facilitate provision of food for the family, paying bills and fees for the children. This resulted in the formation of CHC at the Gwanda Baptist in ward 8 and as an extension of ward 8 CHC. The CHC has 23 members which include the Town Clerk and the Wife of the Pastor. These two top leaders were instrumental in having the CHC formed and having PHHE sessions conducted over the weekend. The COVID-19 disturbed the PHHE sessions as the CHC was new need more sessions to be done. The CBFs will continue offering sessions after the lock down.
The new group was also informed that the success of income generating projects lays in the passion of the owner of the business, presence of self. Proper record keeping, financial discipline and skill to do the business. To grow big agree to start small with what one possesses and grow step by step until one reaches his or her own goal. The members of the group currently have small projects like cobra, concentrated drinks, perfumes, form bath, all these at individual levels. After the entrepreneurship training by AA the group is geared to improve on packaging and advertising of their products. The CHC approach to business is likely to be adopted by other churches.