The Roman Catholic Church is expanding its influence in Masvingo Diocese, where massive projects to establish new parishes, schools, clinics and self-sustenance projects are underway.
by OWN CORRESPONDENT
The church has also embarked on a huge scheme to distribute 5 000 goats to single mothers in Bikita and Zaka districts, as part of its social services drive, diocese spokesperson, Father Walter Nyatsanza said yesterday.
Speaking to journalists after the official opening of St Mary’s Secondary School in Beitbridge, Fr Nyatsanza said nutrition gardens to benefit people living with HIV have been rolled out throughout the diocese.
“Its a way of spreading the gospel, if people are socially stable, they appreciate the gospel easier,” he said.
“We have numerous agricultural projects, including cattle rearing spread throughout the diocese and we want to increase our presence.” Fr Nyatsanza said the church’s development arm, Caritas, was responsible for managing some of the projects.
Masvingo Catholic diocese spreads across Gutu, Bikita, Masvingo, Chiredzi, Mwenezi, Chivi, Zaka and Beitbridge districts all in ecological region five, characterised by long dry spells and poor rainfall.
More than two million people in those drought-ravaged districts are in need of food aid, while their animals need supplementary feeding.
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Nyatsanza said his church will establish new parishes and build new mission stations, with a deliberate bias towards resettlement areas. Already a new mission settlement is under construction at Avunga in Mwenezi district where a hospital, church and a school are being built.
The church will build another school and establish a second parish in Beitbridge town and upgrade St Mary’s School to offer A levels.
Fr Nyatsanza said beneficiaries of goat schemes receive three breeder females, whose first offspring are passed to other beneficiaries, after which, first beneficiaries retain the nannies and subsequent kids.
Nyatsanza appealed to development agencies working in rural areas to have a co-ordinated approach to achieve desired results.
St Mary’s Secondary School in Beitbridge was established in 2010 with an initial enrolment of 167, and now has 628 pupils and 23 teachers.
The school is the national champion of the Book of African Record Quiz competition, won by juniors below 15 years and has a good O Level pass rate above the national average.
Head of the Masvingo Diocese, Bishop Michael Bhasera, officially opened the school at a function attended by hundreds of Beitbridge residents and several heads of Catholic institutions throughout the diocese.
Bhasera appealed to residents and the school to work together for the proper dispensation of education and school growth.
