Leo Club: Charter Presentation Day

The Watershed Leo Club was formed in September 2010. Currently it has 28 members of different age groups, ranging from 15 to 19 years. The executive is the engine driving the Leo projects. It is made up of dedicated members, namely, the President Ruvimbo Midzi, Vice President Cloud Kunaka, Secretary Ropafadzo Kapofu, Treasurer Charlene Chijaka, Tail Twister Vanessa Charamba, Board members Malvern Kunaka, Tatenda Madzingira and Tariro Nyabadza.

The Leo motto, “We Serve” has been fully embraced by the members, and as a result has served communities both far and near. The presentation of the Charter is coming at a time when Leos had almost lost hope of getting this important document, but its absence had not damped their spirits. The slogan seems to have been, “Charter or no charter, we will serve the communities”. The initial attempts to get chartered were started by President Nyasha Madzingira in 2015. She sent all required documents and money via Harare the Phoenix Lions Club but to no avail. When she left after completing Upper 6 she told her successor, Panashe Marasiro to pursue the issue until victory. Come 2016, Panashe stated her goal in January. She said that “2016 was the year of the Charter”. Again, she left without having sight of it. As we celebrate the presentation of this document, we give tribute to the former Presidents who initiated the process of applying for chartership.

The activities that this Leo Club has engaged in over the years are varied, all in an effort to assist the less privileged in our communities. A few will reveal why this group deserves the recognition that it is receiving today.

2011-2016 Highlights

1. In November 2011 – visited Mushawevana orphanage and donated stationery, groceries and clothes worth over $300
2. In October 2012 –The first visit to Wiltshire Secondary School in Chivhu was done. We donated stationery, library books, basic textbooks in all subjects, toilet disinfectant, and hard brooms, all valued at more than $1000
3. In March 2013 we visited Mushawevana again with groceries worth $300, and in October of the same year made our second visit to Wiltshire Secondary School and donated items worth more than $500. These included stationery 2 exterior doors, 2 locksets, 96 window panes, 35kg putty for the window panes and 5 litres gloss enamel paint. We also gave desks and lockers.
4. In October 2014 we made a third trip to Wiltshire and issued donations exceeding $700 which included 50kg barbed wire for their vegetable garden, 126 treated fencing standards, groceries, library books and second hand clothes.
5. In Term 1, 2015 we assisted an 8 year old Kadoma boy to have an operation in South Africa. We donated $225 to enable the mother to get an emergency passport. In Term 2 we visited Kukura Neshungu Institute in Marondera, which caters for people living with disabilities, and gave donations valued at $200. In October we visited Wiltshire again with library books, stationery and food stuffs worth over $500. We also visited Fair Field orphanage at old Mutare and donated clothes and food stuffs to the tune of $200.
6. In the third term of 2016 the club donated sanitary items to a girl empowerment organisation called “Shamwari Yemwanasikana”. The value of the items was around $250.
7. In 2014 we received an appeal from a charitable organization called Miracle Missions who have offices along Enterprise Road in Harare. They appealed for Christmas crackers to give to the less fortunate children around the country. For the past 3 years now, we have been making more than 150 crackers each year and sending them to Miracle Missions for distribution. The small parcels would contain sweets, balloons, small toys and even stationery items.

Conclusion

As a club we are proud to have impacted the lives of a number of people positively over the years. This charter will give us a renewed impetus to continue to help others for it is written, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. Thank you to the Harare Lions Phoenix Club for helping us in our time of need. We hope we shall continue to have a mutually beneficial relationship after this. Thank you for accepting to be our sponsoring Lions. God bless you.