22 Apr 2024

The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) Serowe branch has been lauded for playing an active role in socio-economic development of the country.

Speaking during a handing over of toiletries and baby clothes to expectant mothers at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital on Friday, the hospital Superintendent, Dr Mafhoko Setso, showered the church with praises for providing both material and spiritual support to vulnerable groups within communities over the years.

He noted that the church unions; the Temperance union and Young Adult union were the ones playing a leading role in donations contributing from their own pockets.

Encouraging such efforts, he said helping less privileged members of the community was a blessing from God and was also a way of giving back to community.

Dr Setso hailed the church for its active role in the country’s development in the area of health since its establishment.

The Serowe Congregational church is one of the earliest UCCSA churches to be established in Botswana.

Built in 1912 by the London Missionary Society (LMS) during the reign of Bangwato royal Khama III (1837-1923), it was among the first modern architectural structures in the country.

Dr Setso appealed to other churches, organisations and individuals to borrow a leaf from UCCSA, pointing such a move would aid in the country’s transformation from an upper-middle-income status to a high-income one by 2036.

He said some pregnant  women came to the hospital empty handed without anything to clothe their newborn babies.

Therefore, he expressed his profound gratitude to the church, noting the underprivileged people’s lives would improve with the existence of such churches and good Samaritans.  

For his part, Priest Sanniel Dlamin of UCCSA church Serowe, encouraged the spirit of giving as a way of appreciating God’s grace in people’s lives

He described God’s grace as unconditional love, which does not care about circumstances around one’s life, hence the need to give thanks to him in all situations.

Emphasising the importance of the church, he spoke of the need for the church to build strong families with children growing into responsible citizens.

Thus it was important for churches to assist the public in different ways such as providing spiritual healing and advice to communities.

Ms Koma Ennetse,  UCCSA member said the objectives of the donation was to give love and care to expecting mothers and those who are sick.

“Molao wa Modimo wa re re ratane, jaaka Modimo a re ratile,” which literally means we should love each other as God has loved us. ENDS