By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
For Sandra Tagwirei, a cup of tea has never been just a cup of tea.
On Monday, 28 September 2026, the Harare City Centre SDA Church hosted “High Tea: For Such A Time As This: Women in Conversation” — an afternoon of fellowship, inspiration and honest dialogue among women from all walks of life.
The event, held at Old Alex Park’s ZimParks Main Arena from 12 noon to 5pm, featured a distinguished panel including Shepherdess Rangarira, Shepherdess Musvosvi, Shepherdess Ngwaru, Mrs Talent Moyo, Mrs Chigodora and Mrs Francisca Młopo, with attendees invited to dress in “all shades of purple”.
But behind the elegant setting and the powerful theme lies a deeper story — one written not in event programmes, but in the lives of Zimbabweans who have been given a second chance.
Mrs Sandra Tagwirei, the host of the High Tea, is the founder and driving force behind the Bridging Gaps Foundation, a charity whose very name speaks to its mission: closing the distance between need and help, between despair and hope.
Through the Foundation, she has quietly but persistently supported communities that too often fall through the cracks — the elderly, the orphaned, the sick, the forgotten.
And she has done so alongside another beacon of hope: the Centre of Hope, a faith-based organisation that shares her conviction that kindness is not a gesture but a responsibility.
The Centre of Hope, whose logo appears on the High Tea promotional materials, has long been a sanctuary for those society would rather not see.
It reaches the homeless, the vulnerable, those battling addiction and those simply in need of a meal, a bath, or someone to listen.
For Mrs Tagwirei, the Centre’s work is not a cause to be admired from a distance. It is a call to action she has answered with both hands.
“For such a time as this” is a phrase drawn from the biblical story of Esther — a woman who, at a moment of grave danger for her people, was challenged to act rather than remain silent.
It is a theme that fits Mrs Sandra Tagwirei’s own journey, though hers is written not in palaces but in the quiet places where help is needed most.
Through the Bridging Gaps Foundation, she has channelled resources, time and personal attention into initiatives that restore dignity.
The Foundation’s work is not about grand gestures. It is about showing up — again and again — for people who have learned not to expect anyone to.
The High Tea itself carried this spirit forward. It is not merely a networking event for women of influence. It was a gathering of women who understand that faith, when lived out, looks like service.
The panel discussions surely touched on purpose, resilience and calling. But the most eloquent testimony was perhaps the life of the woman hosting it.
For those who know Mrs Sandra Tagwirei, this comes as no surprise. She has never been content to speak about change from a podium.
She prefers the kitchen, where a pot of tea is always on, and the conversation is always real.
The High Tea was an invitation — to women across Harare, across denominations, across backgrounds — to sit at a table where everyone is welcome.
To listen. To be inspired. And perhaps, most importantly, to leave with a renewed sense that the time to act, to care, to bridge the gaps, is always now.
As the afternoon sun moves across Old Alex Park on 28 September, the conversation flowed. Tea was poured. Stories were shared. But somewhere, in the quiet corners of Harare where the Centre of Hope and the Bridging Gaps Foundation are quietly working, the real conversation will continue — cup by cup, heart by heart, bridge by bridge.
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