Women of Faith, Builders of Peace

UCCSA Zimbabwe Empowers Female Leaders

At the Hope Fountain Mission in Bulawayo, women leaders from across Zimbabwe gathered in 2024 to learn the skills of peacebuilding, trauma healing, and community development. The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) Zimbabwe Synod launched its Peace and Development Champions Training and Entrepreneurial Skills Workshop for Evangelists to equip both women and men to address conflict, trauma, and brokenness through faith-based action. Yet it was the women’s voices that stood out most strongly.

Twelve of the twenty-two participants were women representing regions like Nkayi, Plumtree, Kezi, Bubi, Gwanda, and Hope Fountain. Each arrived with stories of hardship and hope, and each left prepared to model peace and development within their communities.

“As women, we often carry the pain of our communities,” shared a participant from Nkayi. “This training gave us language, courage, and faith to begin healing—not just for others, but for ourselves too.”

Facilitated by the Ukuthula Trust, the sessions focused on trauma awareness, mental health, and sensitive care for those still affected by the Gukurahundi atrocities. Through prayer, storytelling, and group reflection, participants explored how faith, forgiveness, and active listening can rebuild relationships fractured by violence.

“We learned that peace begins with listening,” said another participant. “Before we can heal a community, we must be willing to hear its pain.”

The training did not stop at emotional and spiritual growth. The entrepreneurial skills workshop gave participants practical tools to sustain their ministries and livelihoods. Women learned techniques in small-scale farming, poultry production, and financial management, discovering that their faith could also nurture economic stability.

“This training helped me see that my faith can also feed my family,” said one participant. “We can preach hope, but we can also plant it.”

By the end of the program, these women were more than participants—they were leaders, ready to serve as Peace and Development Champions across their communities. Equipped with both spiritual guidance and practical skills, they now model leadership grounded in compassion, resilience, and tangible action.

“When women lead, peace follows,” said a facilitator. “Their strength is both spiritual and practical.”

The UCCSA Zimbabwe Synod’s commitment to empowering women demonstrates the transformative power of leadership development. By investing in women, the church is helping to heal communities, nurture sustainable development, and create spaces where peace can flourish.

The stories of these women remind us that faith, courage, and practical action can intersect to bring real change. In Zimbabwe, the next generation of women leaders is rising, ready to carry hope into every corner of their communities. The Synod’s commitment to empowering women highlights the transformative power of equipping leaders not only to address conflict but also to foster sustainable development. Their witness reminds us that when women are equipped and supported, communities become stronger, and peace finds room to grow.