By Naomi Sharang
The Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Daki-Biyu District, Kubwa, Abuja, has donated a solar-powered borehole to the Paze Community in Byazhin Across, Kubwa, as part of its commitment to community development.
The donation, which marks a significant milestone in the Church’s corporate social responsibility efforts, was presented to the rural community during a formal inauguration ceremony on Saturday.
Speaking at the event, Senior Pastor of the church, Alex Ogundipe said the gesture was both a celebration of the Church’s 20th anniversary and an expression of Christian values through tangible acts of kindness.
“It’s not just enough to preach Jesus Christ. Everywhere He went, He did good and brought joy to the people. That’s our inspiration,” Ogundipe said.
“When we came for evangelism in Paze and saw the dire need for basic amenities like water and electricity, we asked ourselves what we could do.
“We realised that access to clean water was one of their greatest needs, and one we could help meet,” he added.
He emphasised the health and social benefits of clean water, especially for women and children.
“Water is life. It prevents diseases and eases the burden on women who often carry the responsibility of fetching it for their families,” Ogundipe noted.
He also announced that a community management team had been set up to oversee the use and maintenance of the borehole, with support from the church.
“If they manage it well over the next year, we are ready to support them further, maybe with another borehole,” he said.
Ogundipe used the occasion to call on other faith-based organisations, NGOs, and affluent individuals to extend support to underprivileged communities.
“We challenge every church, mosque, institution, and well-meaning individuals to look around and help those in need. That’s how we build stronger communities,” he said.
Pastor Kayode Aliyu of the Peculiar Disciples of Christ Ministry, Cherubim and Seraphim Movement, Gwarinpa, also spoke at the event, referencing Exodus Chapter 15 verse 27 to underscore the spiritual significance of the gesture.
“Just as the children of Israel found refreshment at Elim where there were twelve wells and seventy palm trees, this water project brings refreshment and nourishment to Paze,” he said.
Mrs Margaret Ohenhen, Chairperson of the Church’s 20th Anniversary Planning Committee, described the project as part of broader rural development efforts.
“During our evangelism outreach, we saw long queues of people waiting to fetch water from a single tap. That’s when we knew this community needed support, and we stepped in,” she explained.
Chief of Paze Community, Saidu Ibrahim, thanked the Church for addressing the water challenge and called on the government to provide additional infrastructure.
“We thank God and the church for easing our burden. We still need more support from the government,” he said.
Women Leader of the community, Mrs Chioma Mba, described the donation as “mind-blowing.”
“In this community, the struggle for water has been real. Pregnant women, often with babies on their backs and buckets on their heads, trek to the stream to fetch water. This borehole changes everything for us,” she said.
“This is a new beginning, especially for the women. We are sincerely grateful.”(NAN)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
