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Information Sheet – Zimbabwe
[credit image: World Christian Database]
Location: Land locked in Southern Africa, borders Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia
Population: over 13 million
Climate:
Summer: October to April, hot and sunny with daytime temperatures around 86ºF (30ºC).
November to March: rainy season.
Winter: May to September, warm and dry 68ºF (20ºC) with a drop in temperature at night.
The crisis in Zimbabwe continues to worsen. The country faces serious food shortages, a crumbling economy and one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS. The ongoing human rights abuses of leading political and civic leaders has drawn widespread condemnation from the international community but the situation remains dire for those who choose to speak out. Zimbabwe’s inflation rate currently stands at over 7000%, the highest in the world. The country is facing soaring poverty and unemployment, and there are serious shortages of food, fuel, foreign currency and basic goods. Zimbabwe, once the ‘bread-basket’ of southern Africa, continues to face serious food shortages because of drought, the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS, and the disruption to agriculture caused by the government's land redistribution programme. Once again millions in Zimbabwe need food aid.
Christian Aid in Zimbabwe
The work of Christian Aid’s 13 partners focuses on:
· emergency response
· HIV and AIDS prevention and care
· helping people to grow/buy enough food
· pressuring decision makers to treat people fairly
Following a country review, Christian Aid has decided to develop its work with new partners in Zimbabwe who are confident about challenging local and national government. It is hoped that these new partners will strengthen the programme, helping both Christian Aid and its supporters in the UK and existing partners in Zimbabwe develop their work on human rights issues, where needed.
With a view to this, Christian Aid has embarked on three new partnerships. The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Habakkuk Trust and Zimbabwe’s Christian Alliance (ZCA) have all received small grants from Christian Aid and the partnerships with these three organisations are building well. Whilst this work will develop over the next three years Christian Aid’s core work in Zimbabwe will continue to be on food security and HIV and AIDS. Commitment for Life have featured Silveira House and The Dabane Trust in previous years. We look forward to learning more about the new partners.
HIV Issues
Up to 1.6 million people are living with HIV in Zimbabwe, but only 25,000 of the 350,000 people in immediate need of antiretroviral drugs have access to treatment. More than 3,000 people are dying per week. This means that almost one in five (18.1%) adults in Zimbabwe is HIV-positive. Since 1990, life expectancy has dropped from over 60 to just 37 years for men and 34 years for women.
The Zimbabwean government’s program of eviction in 2005 disrupted access to treatment and healthcare for many people living with HIV. Poor living conditions have made people prone to infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. The evictions also interfered with HIV-prevention efforts.
Many poor and vulnerable people cannot afford the medicine they need. Taking ARVs makes you hungry and this is a problem in a country where food is scarce. Thousands of people are unable to access treatment because of a lack of public information about antiretroviral therapy policies. These failures have resulted in people being turned away from the treatment and care that they need and are eligible for.
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Church in Zimbabwe
“In increasing numbers, people are turning to the church as a source of hope”
Bishop Christopher Jokomo, United Methodist Annual Conference in Zimbabwe.
The United Reformed Church, through the Council for World Mission, has links with two churches in Zimbabwe; Zimbabwe Presbytery of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) and the Zimbabwe Synod of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA),
The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) was formed through the union of The Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa (PCSA) and The Reformed Presbyterian Church in South Africa (RPC). In 1896 the first Presbyterian congregation in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was formed at Bulawayo and in 1903 another at Salisbury (now Harare). In 1897, Scottish missionaries, feeling that the predominantly Black Church was not yet ready for incorporation into the PCSA, formed a separate denomination called the Bantu Presbyterian Church. Later this was changed to the Reformed Presbyterian Church and union was finally achieved in 1999.
The United Congregational Church of Southern Africa traces it's beginnings in Africa to the arrival, on 31st March 1799, of four missionaries sent to the then British Cape Colony by the London Missionary Society. The work of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) entered the union in 1972. Today, the church estimates its total membership of adults and children at over 400 000, grouped in over 350 local churches, many of which have widely scattered 'outstations' in the rural areas. In March 2007, The Rev. Dr. Moiseraele Prince Dibeela- UCCSA’s General Secretary reminded the church of the commitments they had made to the church in Zimbabwe. One of these was ‘Prophetic advocacy’
“Like it was in the days of apartheid, the church is called to speak against the oppressive rule in Zimbabwe. We are disturbed at the so-called quiet diplomacy adopted by the political leaders in the region. As the church we are convinced that Zimbabwe is under the clutches of oppressive rule and those who are committed to democratic rule must mobilize for change.”
With over 30 different denominations in Zimbabwe, the Catholic Church (1 million worshippers) and the Assemblies of God (nearly 2 million) are the largest denominations.¹
The Christian Alliance, supported by Christian Aid, is an organized network of Christian leaders and organizations in Zimbabwe who felt called by God to be instrumental in resolving the crisis in the country. They want Zimbabweans to live again in freedom, peace and prosperity.
¹ World Christian Database. www.worldchristiandatabase.org
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Ways to bring Commitment for Life to the whole church
Whether you are a new or a long standing church, it is good to revisit Commitment for Life from time to time. Below are a few ideas collected from churches around the country that may set you thinking of ideas of your own.
· Why not light a candle each week and pray for your country and the Christian Aid partners there. Use candles made by Jamaica Aids Support for Life.
· Have you thought about a special Commitment for Life Sunday? Contact your local Advocate or Church House for speakers. A CD Rom of service ideas is available for all four countries.
· Use the notice board to make an impact. Blow up stories from our e-letters or updates. Use colours to match the flag of the country. Drape fabrics to complement the display. Christian Aid resources are useful for campaign focus displays. Images from the CD can be printed and enlarged on a photocopier. Make it bright and bold.
· If your church has a Traidcraft stall, ask them to sell items from your particular country one week. Have tastings of Caribbean bananas or Palestinian olive oil after the service.
· Hold a flower or Christmas Tree Festival, with arrangements or decorations based on your chosen country and issues such as Fairtrade, Trade Justice, HIV or Debt.
· Many churches hold themed meals with a speaker. Scour the internet for recipe ideas.
· Tell the young people about the situation in your focus country, they will have wonderful ideas of how to get the message across.
· This sheet will give you lots of information to make up quizzes or write magazine articles.
· Include campaign postcard signing as part of your service.
· Start an action group. Decide on an issue and encourage each other to learn about it and write letters to MPs or companies.
· Try pitta or naan bread for communion. Use ethnic cloth to decorate the communion table.
· Show films such as Inconvenient Truth (climate change) The Iron Wall ( Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories situation).
· Collect stories about your country from the media and use as stimulus for prayer each week.
· Music related to your country adds atmosphere to a service. Try World Church Hymns.
We have many resources which we are willing to lend out to churches. Speak to us for ideas to help you engage with the issues. Please contact Commitment for Life. Linda Mead; 01702 315981
URC logo and address
Christian Aid logo and charity number
World Development Movement logo