The Sunday News
Limpret Moyo, Sunday Life Reporter
THE Lions Club of Matopos is set to be led by Mr Champion Sibanda for the next year after he assumed the presidency last week.
Mr Sibanda took over from Mr Phineas Chiutsi and he will serve his one-year term during a time when the Lions Club International is celebrating 100 years of existence.
Mr Sibanda said he is hoping to grow the club’s membership during his tenure to ensure they widen their scope of assisting the needy.
“It is quite an honour to be serving as president at a time when we are celebrating 100 years. The club has come a long way from the time it was formed in 1917 through the efforts of Melvin Jones. I feel we can have more members at the club and I will continue to pursue that objective in the next year,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said they have 20 members and have set a target of nearly doubling that number by the time his term end in 2018.
Every year the club elects a leader from among its members who volunteer to run the club.
“A simple strategy would be for every member to bring a new member to the club, which will automatically see up doubling.
The Lions Club has been seen as elitist and involved people from the low density suburbs, but we are working on a programme to demystify that and engage those in the Western suburbs and speak to them about Lionism.
Volunteerism is open to everyone and we want to create awareness so that people may see how helpful our organisation is,” he said.
There are three Lions Clubs in the city with the other two being Khumalo and Bulawayo.
Lions Club serve the community through assisting the needy and fundraising for charity.
The Lions Club of Matopos has been involved in projects that include buying wheelchairs, building eye clinic in Gwanda, St Luke’s in Lupane and Victoria Falls, held eye clinic camps in Binga and also serves Ingutsheni Hospital in various guises.
