Seventh Day Adventist Church Now Recruiting Sex Workers?
The 18 former s.e.x workers were assisted by the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church Glen View district and National Aids Council (NAC) on Saturday with the pilot project to financially empower them.
Former s.e.x workers in Glen View have been given a new lease of life with projects rolled for them. The formers.e.x workers were drawn from NAC South West District which covers Glen View, Mufakose and Budiriro.
An elder from SDA Alios Nyamazana said they hosted a mega crusade June last year in Glen View which saw more than 40 commercial s.e.x workers turning their back to the world oldest profession. “Of the 40 who gave their life to Jesus last year only 18 have so far managed to stay true to their decision and these are the ones who are receiving capital to start their projects.
“We are also mobilising more resources for the remainder since this was a pilot project; we are doing this because we have realised that some other people are getting into this dirty profession because of financial problems. “Those are the ones we want to assist,” said Nyamazana.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at Glen View 8 SDA church, NAC South West district coordinator Rachael Dzingirai praised SDA for the unique gesture. “This is the first of its kind; over the years we have been
working with a number of faith-based organizations but what SDA has done to these girls is amazing, they told us it’s a pilot project and our prayer is that it may spread to other districts as well.
“The initiative that SDA has started will go a long way in curbing new HIV infections because this is what we are currently fighting if the number of sex workers reduces it’s a plus to our fight.
“I know of many who wanted to leave this profession a long time ago but they had no other alternative to survive but we really appreciate,” said Dzingirai. Former Ministry of higher and tertiary education permanent secretary who is also a member of SDA, Dr Desire Sibanda said as a church they were using the method that Christ used when evangelising. “During the crusade, we had a preacher from America Evangelist Warren Muir, he is the one who mobilised resources for these girls.
“We believe as a church that the greatest miracle is when a sinner decides to follow
Christ and we are obliged to emulate Christ’s model of preaching which met people’s physical, spiritual, mental, financial as well as their social needs,” said Dr Sibanda. One of the beneficiaries (name withheld) thanked SDA church for what she termed timely financial assistance.
