OUR INVOLVEMENT

Hillsboro’s Zimbabwe Ministry began in 1999, when former HPC Pastor David Kidd, and his wife Pam, traveled to Zimbabwe on a mission trip. While there, they learned of the incredible needs both in and around the capital city of Harare. The church partnered with Joan, “the tea and bread lady,” and provided her with funds to continue her daily feeding program to children and adults who were living on the streets. In 2001, with help from the Presbyterian Outreach Foundation, we purchased a small compound of buildings within the city where Joan now lives with her son Craig and continues to serve the homeless who live in Harare in various ways including feeding programs, sewing training for women, basic health care, etc.

In addition, the group met an amazing man named Paddington Shereni on a trip in 2000 and a new ministry began. A farm was purchased in 2003 in a rural area outside of the city – Paddington and his wife, Alice, live there and are raising 18 children who have been orphaned by AIDS as their own. Paddington has started numerous grassroots programs in the rural community surrounding the farm that have literally changed thousands of lives – ‘Pass it On’ is similar to the Heifer Project and provides animals to needy families, a poultry project teaches local women how to raise and sell chickens, there is a grinding mill to help locals in harvesting their crops, and the list goes on. A group tries to travel to Zimbabwe annually and we are always looking for interested people to join us.