ignatian family news april - may 2015 vol.1

ISSUE No.1

First

Edition

April—May 2015

The Jesuit Development Office

37 Admiral Tait Rd

Marlborough Harare

Tel (+263 4 309623 or

712209718

Cover Page:

1.Children from Pedro Arrupe

Centre of Concern , Musami

2. Nurse Aides graduation, Mbare

3. Amazing Women of Mbare

Contributors:

St Pauls Musami

St Peters Mbare

Copyright 2015

There are many good things happening

in our Province. The Jesuit schools, in

terms of performances and producing

well groomed young citizens, are count-

ed amongst the best. We have one of

the best strategic responses to social

justice questions at St Peters Mbare ,

where the parish is involved in a number

of empowerment projects. With the

Magis network, we are reaching out to

more and more young people who want

to be ‘men and women for others.”

We are often too busy to notice

our great strides. Or we are too ab-

sorbed in our own projects to appreciate

the good works being done next door.

We hope that with the arrival of this

newsletter, Ignatian family News, we

shall overcome our short sightedness.

So welcome this First Edition of

Ignatian Family newsletter. The news-

letter is produced by Jesuit Communica-

tions for the Jesuit Development office.It

Editor’s Note:

seeks to

share projects’ news

from around our Zimbabwe—

Mozambique Province. As we read

about other projects, we will be in-

spired to tell our own stories, or we

will want to seek networking oppor-

tunities with those working in the

same constituencies .

Happy sharing!!!

Gift

From the

Development

Director’s

Desk

—

This is the first edition of a regular

newletter from the Development

Office of the Jesuit Province of Zimba-

bwe— Mozambique.

We are writing this specifically for

relatives , friends and our partners in

Mission—those who work with us in

our efforts to make our vision a reality

in Zimbabwe.

We see our relatives, friends and part-

ners as part of the extended Ignatian

family , inspired by the vision of our

founder , St Ignatius Loyola.

Please feel free to offer contributions

to the newsletter. Your thoughts ,

experiences and stories are important

to us, and will be of interest to other

members of our extended family.

It is not only Jesuits who are inspired by St Ignatius Loyola’s way of being a companion of Jesus. From our earliest days almost 500 years ago, up until today, we are supported by so many lay colleagues, with whom we strive to achieve the Ignatian vision. This edition of the Ignatian Family News features three such peo-ple. One of our feature articles shows, Ms Gertrude Shereni who ded-icated her entire life to St Paul’s Mis-sion, Musami, and in recent years es-

pecially to the Pedro Arrupe Centre. We also hear from Mrs Beauty Kamucha currently teaching the hearing impaired children, and who also dedicates much of her free time caring for the chil-dren. The other main feature features Sr Diana Kanyere’s work empowering lo-cal women at our Mbare parish. We would very much like to hear from members of our extended Ignatian Family, so that we can publish your stories and thoughts.

Please get inspired to write to me at [email protected]

2 Ignatian Family News April / May 2015 Issue No.1

A few years ago, the Superior Gen-

eral of the Society of Jesus, Fr Adol-

fo Nicolas, urged every province of

the Society of Jesus to set up its own

Development Office. The United

States provinces have had such

offices in operation for several

years, raising funds for Jesuit activi-

ties both at home and abroad. The

Development Office for the then

Zimbabwe Province was set up in

2011, with the appointment of Fr

Nigel Johnson S.J as the Develop-

ment Director. The newly estab-

lished office had the following man-

date:

To effect transformation

from Jesuits to lay leadership

of some projects.

To oversee the running of

some projects such as:

- Zambuko House,

- Shingirirayi Trust,

- The Integral Youth Devel

opment Project

As well as to fundraise for

specific Jesuit projects

To ensure compliance and

accountability in the running

of projects, in line with bene-

factors and donors require-

ments.

To explore ways of increasing

local funding for projects.

To encourage collaboration

amongst Jesuit works, as well

as to create valuable net-

works with the extended

Ignatian Family.

In 2014 the Jesuit Development

Office grew from a ‘one man show’ to a

team of 3. Charity Bafana, (Programmes

Officer) and Elisha Makadzange, (Finance

and Projects officer) joined Fr Nigel John-

son.

At the end of 2014 the Jesuit

Province of Zimbabwe was merged with

the Mozambique Region to become one

province, the Jesuit Province of Zimbabwe

-Mozambique. This automatically expands

our mandate as an office to also accom-

modate the needs of Jesuit works in

Mozambique.

The Past

For over a century now, Jesuit Mission

offices in Europe have been raising funds

to support missionaries in different coun-

tries. Many missionaries from Europe

have also been privately fundraising in

their home countries for the support of

their work. They also approached interna-

tional donor agencies for support towards

different projects. By these means, many

church buildings were constructed, and

social projects initiated over the years.

The Future

The Church has been in a steady transition

for some time now. From a missionary

church to a local one. The remaining mis-

sionaries will continue to raise funds from

their support groups at ‘home’, but the

missionary era is now over, and these

funds will steadily decrease. The number

of locally born Jesuits is increasing, and so

do the activities necessary to respond to

the total evangelisation of the people.

This transition in terms of both manpower

and sources of income , is at the centre of

the Province’s development agenda.

Although the funding community

is becoming more and more cautious of

which areas to focus on and how much to

give to organisations, the Develop-

ment Office is grateful for funds se-

cured in 2014 for project support.

The Jesuits in Zimbabwe

received a great amount of support

over the years from the following

partners:

Jesuit Missions Nuremberg

Jesuit Missions UK

Misereor

Cafod

FACSI

United States Catholic Bishops

Beit Trust

Missio

Entreculturas

Aid to the Church in Need

ZACRAS

KAF

Trocaire

Main projects funded through the

Development Office in the past year:

St Peter’s Mbare Social Works

Empowerment Projects

Jesuit Education: Child Protec-

tion and Teacher Training pro-

grammes

Magis Africa 2014

Jesuit Communications

National Movement of Catho-

lic Students

Building Dreams:

Introducing the Jesuit Development Office


Current Plans

The main focus for 2015 is to raise

funds for the Jesuit run Missions. All

established more than 50 years ago

with the oldest established in 1910,

they are in desperate need of renova-

tions and upgrades.

The coming on board of the

new province also means we have to

embark on a needs assessment pro-

cess in Mozambique and identity as

potential partners for the identified

projects. These surely promise to be

exciting times for our province.

Another serious matter on

our desk for 2015 is the need to ca-

pacitate our project coordinators in

the areas of project management,

reporting and financial management.

With the strict need to be

compliant with donor funding require-

ments, it is imperative that Standard

Operating Procedures be set out from

this office as a guide for the project

coordinators on how to proceed when

it comes to matters of financial ac-

countability, reporting and general pro-

ject implementation.

This year we will also turn our

attention and energy to launching local

fundraising initiatives. There are a num-

ber of models we can refer to within

Africa and internationally on how local

fundraising has been successfully car-

ried out. These will serve as guidelines

for setting a formula that works in our

Zimbabwean context.

Challenges

The most apparent challenge

the Development Office is facing is the

changing nature of the funding envi-

ronment. Due to the global financial

crisis, traditional funders are either

reducing allocations to African coun-

tries or withdrawing funds complete-

ly. This gives us a challenge to be crea-

tive and think out of the box when it

comes to fundraising. Collabora-

tion, as a concept, is very straight for-

ward. Implementing it is a bit more

complex. We as an office face the

challenge of first and foremost estab-

lishing amicable working relationships

with all stakeholders within Jesuit

works, having an in-depth under-

standing of how they work and what

they are passionate about. This is the

only way to get buy-in and under-

standing of what the Development

Office is trying to achieve.

Meet our Development Team

Nigel Johnson: Elisha Makadzange:

Finance officer. Helps in the prepara-

tion of budgets and financial reports

of the projects.

Charity Bafana:

Programs Officer since September

2014. She works with project coordi-

nators in developing proposals and

projects reports. She helps also in

identifying potential donors, and

monitoring compliance levels during

projects implementation.

Development Director; has

been spearheading the estab-

lishment and growth of the

office since 2011.

Pedro Arupe:

An oasis in the desert


Pedro Arupe:

An oasis in the desert

Little monkeys jump from tree to tree as they

enjoy the cool temperatures provided by the

shade from the big trees that surround Pedro

Arrupe Centre for Concern in Murewa.

However the monkeys soon disap-

pear as little children make their way into the

centre to have their lunch. The children, who

all communicate using sign language, wear

smiles on their faces as they jostle to grab a

plate before retiring into the dining room.

It is the natural habitat, and the lovely

smiles, that always welcome one to Pedro Ar-

rupe Centre, at the heart of St Paul’s Musami,

in Murewa.

The centre was started by the late Bro

Canisius Chishiri S.J as a boarding facility for

students with hearing impairments who un-

dertake classes at St Paul’s Musami primary

school.

Such was Bro Chishiri’s love for chil-

dren in disadvantaged situations that he also

started Zambuko House in Harare’s Hatfield

area , which looks rehabilitates children who

have been living on the streets, and educates

them and links them with their original fami-

lies.

The Pedro Arrupe Centre is named

after the great Fr Arrupe who was the twenty-

eighth Superior General of the Society of Je-

sus, from 1965 to 1983.

The children at the Centre look happy

as they go about their cleaning, washing and

gardening chores after school.

But Beauty Kamucha, their teacher

and voluntary caretaker for the past 10 years,

says life is not rosy at the centre. Taking care

of the children has become a daunting task for

the institution is operating on a shoe string

budget.

The Centre houses more than 15 chil-

dren with hearing impairments but currently

faces a number of challenges that are now

affecting its operations.

Mrs Kamucha called for assistance

from various stakeholders to sustain the cen-

tre.

“We are in dire need of assistance in

every form for us to operate at full capacity.

The money we get as children’s school fees is

not enough and we are working on a tight

budget. Children enrolled here are from very


poor backgrounds yet they require spe-

cialized care. Their parents and guardians

do not have money to pay for high fees.

When operating at full capacity,

the institution caters for 28 boarders.

Mrs Kamucha said the school’s

infrastructure is now dilapidating as there

is no money to refurbish or maintain it.

There is inadequate staff with only one

male employee, who is also deaf, working

at the centre.

“He is taking care of all the chil-

dren especially cooking for them and he is

earning a paltry $60 for such heavy work.

We need a matron because I am the one

who is doing the entire job as a volunteer.

We need care-giver staff to do laundry

because for now volunteers are the ones

doing it all.

“We also need security guards for

the safe keeping of our children but we

do not have money to pay the staff…

“We need to move towards our

goal of producing top class learned stu-

dents, never mind their background. The

children here are deaf but we cannot sit

down and relax leaving their future in a

mess. We need assistance in any form be

it groceries, computers and cupboards

among other things , for us to function

well.

One of the parents Everisto Mu-

rambatsvina from Magorimbo Village

under Chief Svosve area, whose daugh-

ter is enrolled at the institution, hailed

the school authorities for being patient

and using the available resources to ca-

ter for the deaf children. “This place is

the best in this country for taking care of

the deaf children. I agree that it is not

rosy here, and I give credit to the

staff for making ways with the

few resources that they have to

ensure that these disadvantaged

children do get education.”

Pedro Arrupe Centre for

the Deaf is likened to an oasis

within a desert. It is a valuable

place that gives life, but it is root-

ed at the centre of poverty, with

the harsh conditions devouring its

glitter and importance.

The situation at the Cen-

tre has not escaped the attention

of the Development office, who

have been working with Fr Ste-

phen Silungwe S.J, the Mission

Superior, seeking help and sup-

port for the Centre.

The Amazing women of Mbare How do we end poverty? That is a global question which governments

and huge multilateral corporations have been battling with since time immemorial.

That question assumes a new and deeper

context when you are a priest or leader in

Mbare, and every knock on your door, or

every second person you talk to, is penniless

and they are asking for help to afford the

basics of life.

That is the situation that confronted

the Jesuits working in Mbare, starting more

than 10 years ago with Fr Konrad Landsburg,

then Fr Oskar Wermter and now Fr Ignatius

Tambudzai who is the current parish priest at

St Peters Mbare.

Working now with Sr Diana Kanyere

LCBL, the parish then started self-help pro-

jects that involve mainly women, who to-

gether with their children are the worst vic-

tims of family poverty.

The introduction of livelihood pro-

jects has revived flagging hope and given an

opportunity to women to make the most of

their God- given skills.

Projects underway in the communi-

ty include floor polishmaking, poultry,

ice cream making, dress making.

The parish mobilised seed

money for the projects, and organised

project management workshops for

the women to equip them with some

basic project management ideas.

The women, mostly from

under privileged backgrounds have

organised themselves into groups of

between four to ten members who all

contribute to the running of their

projects with the help of skills ac-

quired through refresher courses in-

cluding general business and financial

management.

In the dusty streets of one of

the oldest high density areas in Hara-

re, women from all walks of life, in-

cluding widows, have embraced the

life changing projects which have the

potential to transform not only their

own lives and their immediate

families , but the community at

large.

Forty year old Dorothy

Bakasa is reaping the benefits of

a tailoring project and can now

afford to pay her rentals and buy

food for her family.

“We have been doing

this for only a few months but

already we are getting some-

thing. It’s not a lot for now, but

we are confident that if we put

in a lot of effort we will reach

the level we have set our-

selves ,” she said.

Showing off some of the

garments they are making,

which include aprons, blouses

and skirts, Dorothy is deter-

mined to expand their business

and one day be able to supply


Floor Polish Manufacture

big companies.

Another member of the

group, Caroline Gutu said her dream

is to build a beautiful house in an

upmarket suburb.

“It is an opportunity for me

and my family. I am grateful for the

support from the church” she said.

Equally keen to make it in

this harsh economic environment is

another group called ‘Great hope for

the future’. Formed two years ago,

this group is largely made up of wom-

en living with HIV and AIDS.

“We pool resources together

and embark on several projects like

buying and selling. At the end of each year

we share our proceeds,” said Regina Madzi-

mure.

The members also take the oppor-

tunity to offer each other moral support

and encourage uptake of their antiretrovi-

ral drugs.

Not to be outdone is Thuluzani

Vundla and her group who are into making

of dishwasher and other detergents.

“Our products are faring very well

on the market because our prices are rea-

sonable and affordable, and their quality is

good,” she said, with a hopeful look lighting

up her eyes.

However they face a few challeng-

es like finding appropriate markets for their

products and further training to

keep abreast with new trends.

The projects em-

brace anyone one who is keen on

improving their life. The beneficiar-

ies are primarily the economically

underprivileged who have a desire

to utilize their talents in various

aspects to improve themselves.

While the majori-

ty of the beneficiaries are Catholics

from Mbare and the projects are

open to anyone who is willing to

work hard.

It is envisaged that these

projects after some time, will mul-

tiply and become self-sustainable.

write to me at [email protected]

ABOUT THE JESUITS

The Society of Jesus Province of

Zimbabwe— Mozambique

Website:www.jesuitszimbabwe.co.zw

Inspired ...


ed by Jesuits, and coordinated via the

Development Office, has Sr Diana

Kanyere LBCL taking care of business

on the ground.

Fr Ignatius Tambudzai SJ, St

Peters Mbare parish priest recently

celebrated a graduation Mass for

about 200 Nurse Aides who are being

trained under the parish’s social

apostolate.

The Nurse Aides program

draws mainly young people from

Mbare and its surrounding suburbs of

Sunningdale and Waterfalls. The

training is offered to Catholics and

non-Catholics – for a period of 6

months.

The students are trained in

basic health care with focus on home

based care, offering palliative care to

relatives, friends and community

members with chronic diseases like

HIV and cancer, the appropriate ad-

ministering of medication, counsel-

ling and basic hygiene.

Speaking to the graduating

class, Fr Tambudzai S.J underlined the

role that God plays in the health and

safety of a community. “One of the

most important lessons I am sure you

will carry from here, which you may

not have received from the other

St Peter’s Mbare is not one of your normal

parishes where parishioners meet for an

hour or two on Sunday to receive scripture

notes, and disappear until the next Sun-

day. The parish is daily a hive of activities

with all sorts of social projects going on in

order to help parishioners and non-

parishioners alike to cope with life in one

of Zimbabwe’s oldest suburbs. It is a home

for the widowed, the sick, the disabled and

the old aged; it provides education for the

orphans and the poor!

The parish is located at the heart

of Mbare, making it also central to the

many social activities that happen in

Mbare. Mbare is home to many of Ha-

rare’s low earners, and it presents many

challenges to life – from overcrowding,

social and political violence, unemploy-

ment, malnutrition, to cases of drug abuse

and poor service delivery.

Overcrowding and poor social

service delivery often leads to high rates of

disease. As a direct response to the threat

of diseases and unemployment, the parish

started a program of training Nurse Aides

who work in communities on a voluntary

basis to help sick members. The training

also qualifies some of them to seek em-

ployment with reputable health institu-

tions around the country.

The Nurse Aides project, support-

St Peter’s Mbare embarks on

social empowerment projects

training institutions, and which may

appear to be divorced from your class-

room nurse aide skills, is our belief

that it is God who heals.

Sr Diana, who is coordinator

for the program, was full of praise for

the Jesuits and the support that their

work is receiving from the people of

Mbare. “We are grateful to Fr Ignatius

Tambudzai and the whole Jesuit family

who value our idea to empower our

community especially the girl child”.

Addressing the students, Sr

Diana said: “We thank you all for re-

sponding to our call, and taking up this

challenge to prolong life and give dig-

nity to the sick by using your nurse

aide skills in the community”.

One of the graduates narrat-

ed how their community is plagued

with cases of drug abuse, domestic

violence which affects family organisa-

tion and health, and overcrowding

which brings with it sanitation prob-

lems and the threat of disease out-

breaks.

This was the third graduation

of nurse aides in Mbare, and it won’t

be the last because there is another

class that is already busy learning now.


Nurse Aides

Graduation

ignatian family news april - may 2015 vol.1

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