Zambia, a large country in the heart of sub-equatorial Africa has more than a quarter of its 11-12 million people living in two urban areas near its capital city of Lusaka and in the industrial towns of the Copperbelt. The rest of Zambia is very sparsely populated.

A predominantly Christian Nation, the Gospel reached here just two centuries back. But the word of God found fertile grounds. Most Zambians today are devoted and avid readers of the Bible. The Bible is much closer to their heart and a way of life for them. The Zambian people welcomed the Good News of Christ with joy.

The Church has a strong presence and various orders like Order of Friars Minor Capuchin of Ireland, members of Society of Jesus, the White Fathers etc sustain the faith. Besides, Indian missionaries too have responded to the missiological challenges in the region and orders like Missionaries of Charity, Sisters of Charity SVD Fathers etc are already working here.

However, the Church is faced with many challenges

The Cross of Poverty
Today it is one of the poorest and least developed nations on earth. A majority of people here make their living as subsistence farmers earning less than a dollar a day. In four decades of independence, Zambia has found peace but not prosperity.

Scourge of AIDS
Zambia's problems have since the mid 1980s been compounded by one of the world's most devastating HIV and AIDS epidemics. The statistics alone are shocking:

• one in every six adults is living with HIV
• 98,000 people died of AIDS in 2005
• life expectancy at birth has fallen below 40 years
• 710,000 children are AIDS orphans.1

HIV has spread throughout Zambia and to all parts of society. AIDS has worst hit those in their most productive years, and, as families have disintegrated, thousands have been left destitute. Zambia is living its faith but dying with AIDS and the country is in great need of healing, both physical and spiritual.
Darkness of Superstition

There is a deep-seated and widespread belief in witchcraft and sorcery, which is the main obstacle to the growth of Christianity in Zambia. This belief is so invidious and divisive that it can sow unfounded doubts and suspicions diametrically opposed to Christianity within the community.

Pallottines in Africa
It is in this context that the Church finds itself in the role of a healer and no amount of intervention is enough, it seems. The Pallottines, who are already in Africa in countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Camaroon, Mozambique etc too have felt the need to respond to the challenges in Zambia.

Specially, the indigenous Catholic population is ready to take up the cross, which is evident from the large number of youth who are accepting the vocation to be priests and religious. More and more Zambians are coming forward to work for and with the Church.

How the idea for Zambian mission was sown

Zambia thus deserved special care and during the jubilee celebrations of Pallottines in India, the very Rev Fr Fritz Kretz Provincial Rector of South German Province threw a challenge before the Indian fathers to go as missionaries to this African nation. The Indian fathers took up the challenge and at a meeting in 2002

The Archbishop of Lusaka, the Rt Rev Dr Medardo Mozombwe was approached who was most generous in entrusting the Holy Family Parish of Mandevu to our pastoral care. This parish till now was being looked after by the Polish fathers.

Mandevu- the 28,000-strong Vibrant Community
Mandevu, is a thickly populated suburb of Lusaka and has a strong Catholic presence with around 28,000 parishoners.

English and local dialect Mass
Two masses are celebrated in local dialect on Sundays and one in English on Saturday.

Parish with 35 choirs
The community is very vibrant and the Africans’ love for music infuses a life of its own in the celebration. 35 choirs vie with each other to lead the congregation in praise and worship.

Jesus loves a generous heart
The community comes together on these occasions and shares its joys in the offertory by bringing farm produce and poultry.

Sunday School
The Sunday school evokes overwhelming response from tiny tots who flock in huge numbers to listen Biblical stories.

Basic Christian Community
The Basic Christian Community too is very well organized with families coming together for scripture reading and word of prayer. The youth centre of the parish provides an ideal place for the young to engage proactively.

Support to HIV-AIDS affected
The Mandevu parish also renders support to the social service society of the diocese. Unlike many other societies where HIV affected are ostracized, the terminally ill stay with the family where medical aid is provided by the Home Based Care program.  Support is also provided by the church to AIDS orphans who stay with family.

Now after a year in Zambia as the two Indian missionaries settle down to the hectic pace of mission life, it is time now to move beyond.