By Fr. David Ullrich, OMI

Zambia has a land area of 740,720 square kilometers - slightly larger than Texas. The country shares borders with Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zaire, and Zimbabwe. Zambia has a population of 10,175,000. One of the things that strike the visitor is the dearth of older people. 49% of the population is below the age of 15. The life expectancy in the country has fallen over the years from 52 to a startling 36 years. AIDS is out of control. Anywhere from 25 to 45% of the population is estimated to be infected with it or with HIV.

The diversity of the ethnic make-up is striking. There are 72 ethnic groups. English is the official language with Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, and Tonga as major vernaculars and about 70 other indigenous languages. In spite of the multiplicity of tribes, or perhaps because of it, there seems to be relative peace in the country. But the prevalence of death and massive unemployment (60% according to some estimates) combine to create a mood of national depression

Christianity is growing in the country. It composes anywhere from 50 to 75% of the population. An estimated 2,331,000 baptized Catholics and another 110,000 catechumens make up close to 25% of the general populace. The Catholic Directory of Zambia shows 633 priests in the country.

It is to this country and in this context that the Oblates, responding to the call of going to “the most difficult missions”, came in 1984. The goal of the Oblates, when they first arrived was to assist the local church in the predominantly Lozi inhabited western province (which was then in the Livingstone diocese) by taking over the parish and outstations of Lukulu from the Capuchins. The

mission soon expanded. In 1986 the Oblates were asked to take over the mission and outstations of Kalabo. In the same year some Oblates moved to Lusaka and opened what is called the Center House. In 1987 we were asked to oversee the administration of the nutrition center in Mongu. In 1994, we took over responsibility for Limalunga and its outstations.

St. Mary’s Parish in Lukulu and its 70 outstations In Lukulu, J.C. Cain, pastor of nine years, newly ordained Joseph Phiri, the first Zambian Oblate priest, and Max Mwakacheya, the first Oblate brother, live in the rectory of what was the original mission built by the Capuchins. J.C. speaks Lozi . Joseph and Max are still learning it. Nearby live a small group of Holy Cross sisters and a small group of Christian Brothers. The sisters continue to run a small leprosarium. The brothers run a secondary school and a project for high school drop outs (“school leavers”). In the same mission compound is the 180-bed hospital that the sisters formerly ran but handed over to the Zambian government. Dutch doctors sent by their government to assist the Zambian health care system live in the complex and are part of the neighborhood.

The Oblates spend several days a week visiting the outstations. Half of the 70 are on the western side of the Zambezi River. For six months out of the year, the roads to them are virtually impassable because of flooding.

Bro. Max is involved in supervising road construction project. He has just completed two kilometers of what is hoped to be a 100-kilometer project. He is also a mechanic and oversees the maintenance of the vehicles at the mission.

St. Lawrence parish in Limalunga with it 11 outstations Limalunga is just a few miles from Mongu. The parish there, like those in Lukulu and Kalabo, was originally built by the Capuchins. The pastor, Joe Sephamola, is from Lesotho and is the first African to join the delegation.. Because of the similarity between Lozi and the language of Lesotho, he has been able to minister fluently to the people.

The main parish is estimated to serve up to seven hundred Catholics. Fr. Joe has volunteer catechists in charge of preparation for baptism, first communion, penance and marriage. He goes out to the outstations weekly and has arranged that for priestless services in some of the outstations every third Sunday.

The rectory in Limalunga was just recently completed under the supervision of one of the lay missionaries, René Heviammorima.

The area nearby the parish church and rectory include the convent, which is currently being remodeled. Close to that is a sizable facility, a multi-purpose diocesan pastoral center. When this area was still part of Livingstone diocese, the bishop at the time requested the Oblates to take charge of it. The Oblates in turn asked the Holy Spirit Sisters to come to Zambia and take on the project as well as collaborate with the Oblates in the Kalabo mission. The center is used for conferences, courses as well as retreats. Currently involved in that ministry are Sr. Gerry Klein and another sister home on leave.

St. Michael’s parish in Kalabo (Nalionwa), with 26 outstations René Talabo came to Zambia from the Congo.. French speaking René has had to learn both English and is still learning Lozi. Scholastic brother Albert Nalishuwa, a native of the western province, is doing his pastoral year and will be there until January of 2000. Holy Spirit sisters Sr. Rose McHugh and Sr. Janet Nal live in the large convent beside the church. An Irish married couple, Brendan Meghen and Laoise Ní Chonchubhair, along with their infant son born just a few months ago, serve as lay missionaries in the mission.. Sr. Janet is involved in the AIDS home care and outreach. Sr. Rose is primarily responsible for a morning meal every day for the lame, blind, widows and lepers. She is also involved in religious education and catechism. . Laoise is in charge of a daily noon meal for the AIDS orphans. Brendan is responsible for maintenance matters and has overseen part of a road construction project sponsored by the Dutch government.

Since the Holy Spirit Sisters arrived in Kalabo in 1989, there has been a close relationship between them and the Oblates. Together they have formed the “mission team.”

The Center House

George Capen and Eguene Mubuyaeta have been serving at the Center House in Lusaka since January. George is involved in a nearby parish for daily and Sunday masses and Eugene is serving as a deacon in another parish. Both are involved in providing hospitality not only to Oblates but also to Oblates friends and collaborators.

Mongu Nutrition Center

Over the past 28 years, the Mongu Nutrition Group has worked with the people of the Mongu district to improve the health and nutrition of the people of the surrounding area. The Holy Cross Sisters originally started the center but turned it over to the diocese. Eventually, in 1987, when the western province was still part of the Livingstone diocese, Bishop Raymond Mpenzele entrusted the Mongu Nutrition Center to the care of the Oblates. The Oblates since then have been managing it through the use of lay missionaries. Currently there are three lay missionaries working there: the director, Jean Luc Lutz, his wife, Nalikuwi, and Nancy Heviamoorima ( wife of René Heviamoorima).

The Center has developed a variety of programs starting with maternal child health and nutrition outreach programs that educate mothers in caring for their children’s nutrition. Over the years other programs have been developed.

• In 1992 the center entered the rice promotion program. Rotational loans of the equivalent of $450 are granted to groups of four farmers who come together to purchase then animals and plow necessary to start rice cultivation. . Since its beginning, the program has helped 150 such groups obtain these loans and begin cultivation of rice as a crop supplement;
• The center also has milling operations, with two rice mills and one hammer mill. It buys the farmers’ rice and corn to provide them a market. With its large lorry, a 30 ton tractor truck provided by the Southern province, the center transports the grains it purchases from the people to market in Lusaka. The profits then go back in to the operation of the center;
• Also, the center visits surrounding villages to purchase locally made crafts. These are then transported to Lusaka for retail.
• The Dutch government some years ago started a cash-for-work a famine relief project. The projects were country roads. The Dutch chose NGO to administer the projects. MGN is one of these and is currently involved in a variety of such projects.
• The Center also has established seven “depots,” or, branches in to the surrounding countryside where it conducts some of the same programs that it conducts in Mongu as well as sells farming equipment.

The center has a staff of 37 workers. It is said to be the only profitable nutrition group in the country. Due to the management, it is a significant presence in the life of the region with a meaningful impact on the economic life of the Mongu area.

Formation & Vocations

One of the most striking areas of success in the delegation of Zambia has been the number of young men who have been attracted to Oblate life. There are currently 41 in the various stages of formation. There are 23 students in post-novitiate, 8 in novitiate near Durban, 10 in pre-novitiate in Lusaka. And there are many more applying. Ron Walker, who serves in the capacity of a vocation coordinator as well as formation director, is in touch with over 40 applicants a year. One of his biggest problems is deciding which qualified applicants to accept. What makes the situation more remarkable is that the Oblates do no public vocational promotion in the country.

Like other religious congregations that have attracted vocations in the country, the Oblates are looking at the time when Zambia will become its own province with the native Zambians assuming leadership roles. Certainly the numbers of native vocations are there to suggest that this could happen in the not so distant future..

FR. KALERT'S VISIT TO ZAMBIA	VISIT TO ZAMBIA BY FRS. OBIN AND SUDLIK