Harare is well known for being strewn with litter, and illegal dumping spots along our verges are a common site.

Residents can often be heard complaining about the mess. Fingers get pointed not only at the litter bugs, but at council too, and people wait and wait for things to be cleared.

Not so in Mabelreign where Parishioners of St Peter’s Anglican Church took matters into their own hands last Saturday,25 April, and cleaned up what was a waste-strewn area.

Organisers from the church and local volunteers took to the roads at nine o’clock in the morning to help brighten and clean up the beautiful streets in the area. In addition to removing huge volumes of rubbish, participants took one further step in this green initiative – taking time out to plant trees.

Speaking at the event, Reverend Dr Gift Makwasha from St Peter’s, urged locals to keep the environment clean and to look after nature. Reverend Makwasha described the event as the fulfillment of God’s plan for the environment, saying that we have been charged with care of the earth and are all responsible for keeping it clean.

One of the church wardens, Mrs Gretta Sanyangwa, echoed Makwasha, saying that people needed to take responsibility and make a difference themselves rather than rely on the government to take action. In the background, members of the church, armed with brooms and cleaning equipment were working hard to tidy up the area.

Reverend Makwasha described the event as the fulfillment of God’s plan for the environment, saying that we have been charged with care of the earth and are all responsible for keeping it clean.

This event was a part of the church’s social responsibility programme that has seen members carrying out several clean ups in the past. Members expressed hope that other churches and communities can take charge of their areas and do the same in pursuit of a clean and healthy Harare.