There and Back Again: Buhe’s Story

Posted on October 07, 2025

Buhe Mativenga (pictured above left) knows, loves, and serves the people of her region deeply. This organization is blessed beyond measure for the life she pours into equipping church leaders in Africa.  

Mrs. Mativenga was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. “I had a happy, vibrant childhood. My parents were born again Christians, so I grew up in a Christian home. When I was nine years old I remember getting on my little knees and asking Jesus to come into my heart. Just from that point, I’ve always had a love for the Lord in my heart…” she testifies. 

When she was 19, her family moved to the UK for work while Buhe continued in her education. During her Bible school education, Buhe remembers the calling on her life into vocational ministry. “It was then that the Lord really transformed my heart. It was a turning point in my life.”

Sensing the Lord calling her to move back to Zimbabwe, she returned to her homeland in 2010. Political unrest and economic struggle still described Zimbabwe, but Buhe returned fortified by God’s desire to serve him in her home country. Full of God’s call on her life, but without a clear ministry plan, she trusted God’s plan and flew back to Zimbabwe.  

She met Global Action in 2019, and her first role with our organization was in an administrative position. 

“Even at that point, I loved what Global Action was doing, but as I got more involved with our Foundations program in Africa, seeing and meeting church leaders, their families, their churches, seeing the impact that the program makes in people’s lives, in the life of a church…it really fuels me to keep doing what we do.” 

Six years later, she serves Global Action as Director of Africa. On this continent alone, an estimated 50,000 new believers come to faith in Christ every day. This is an astounding number of new souls who will need to be pastored and shepherded. Through Buhe and her team in 31 cohorts across four countries, 361 new Foundations graduates will be equipped with theological education this year alone! 

“Over the years, my passion [for the Global Action vision] has grown more and more. It makes a difference not only in one person’s life, but in so many lives around them.”