Lake Kariba and Siavonga

Lake Kariba and Siavonga

Joe Keaney, SJ and I took a three day trip to Lake Kariba and stayed at a friend's lakeside home in Siavonga. Lake Kariba was formed when the Zambesi river was damned to provide electrical power for south central Africa. Siavonga is about three hours from Lusaka over very good roads (now, they had severe flooding earlier). It was fascinating to pass through changing landscapes until we arrived at the lakeside.

The home was very comfortable and nice and we had a great verandah for watching the lake and the birds of the area. Joe is a birder and so I am far more aware of the great variety of birds in Zambia. Zambia has nearly 700 species of birds and Joe has spotted over half.

The time was not filled with great activity, but with very good conversations. We enjoyed a couple of good dinners and it was fun to have the opportunity to cook. Each late afternoon we took a stroll into Siavonga and watched people and wandered in the market. The people of this area are Tonga speakers and Joe was able to greet people and to surprise the children that he could speak their tongue.

Above this post are a number of pictures from the time in Siavonag.

Ministries

Last Sunday Josephine Lungu and I conducted a communication workshop for the 10:00 choir at St. Ignatius. The choir is one of the gifts of the parish, but the members have been struggling with some issues. The pastor asked that we give a workshop to help the choir identify and address the issues. We met at Luwisha House at the JCTR (Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection) con-ference room for six hours of hard and intense work. I think that we were able to help them identify the issues and to see where they need to do additional work. It was a good experience, and I was able to tell them that Joy Sherman and the SU choirs had them in mind. The Zambian choir just produced a CD and I will bring it home to share with others. We had 30 of the 40 attend the workshop and I believe that they are committed to working together in this important ministry.

This coming Sunday, Josephine and I will do our final workshop. We will repeat some aspects of the spiritual leadership workshop for younger members of the Christian Life Communities. I think that they are wise to encourage young people to take leadership positions in the Church.

Tonight we have a community gathering to discuss ministry in Malawi. The Jesuits want to expand their presence in the country and are considering the various options. Peter Bwanali, the Provincial is from Malawi, as is the Rector of the Arrupe College in Zimbabwe. I will be a note-taker.

Adolfo Nicolas, SJ

On Saturday, January 19, the delegates of the 35th General Congregation selected the 19th successor to St. Ignatius Loyola to lead the Society. Father Adolfo Nicolas, a Spanish Jesuit of the Japanese Province, is our new General Superior. The picture shows Father General with the Zambia/Malawi delegates, Peter Bwanali, Provincial, and Charles Chilinda, director of Loyola Productions, the elected delegate. Peter and Charles live at St. Ignatius and it has been a real gift to come to know them. Being out of Province at a time like this is a wonderful gift, for it helps one experience the universality of the Society of Jesus. The men in Zambia share the excitement of the men in Seattle and the Northwest. We become more aware that we are all of one Society.

The new General brings qualities reminiscent of Father Arrupe. A missionary to Japan and to southeast Asia. He has experience in leadership as the moderator of the Southeast Asia and Oceania Jesuit Conference. We are getting reports from people who know him and he sounds like a remarkable man. The missionary background was no surprise, but his age was a surprise as he is 71 years of age. He has great vitality and energy, speaks five languages and has worked with a great variety of cultures and religions.

Zambia Observations

The rains continue to fall and they are now creating real concern. In the southern region there is significant flooding and the President has declared a disaster area. Of course, the people who suffer the most in these situations are the poor for they have few resources. Likewise, the infrastructures of the roads and bridges have not been maintained and so they create havoc as well. In Lusaka, the greatest problems are located in the compounds where the latrines overflow and the pathways turn to mud.

The uncle of Winnie Nkhata, the parish administrator, died this past week. He was the sole provider for an extended family who lived in his six-room dwelling in the compounds. Winnie said that the house had been built over time, however the rooms had very little light or ventilation. The uncle worked as a security guard and had a monthly salary of $50 to support over eight people. When Winnie arrived at the home, they had nothing other than salt. No charcoal, no candles and no food. Sadly, this is the working poor who have so little.

Rural Chukuni Images

The pictures highlight that Chukuni mission is in a rural area of the Southern Province. The Zambians are close to the land and I was told that the Tonga people have always been good farmers. Father Moreau, SJ, the founding missionary taught the Tonga to use their cattle for plowing and domestic work. The upper picture shows various land plots farmed on the Mission. The middle picture is of a woman using an ox cart. The lower picture is some thatched dwellings on the way back to the main road. The farming people in Zambia are like farmers world-wide, watching the weather and often finding it too wet or too dry, or too hot or too cold. Some fields were thriving while others need a spell of dryness. On the return trip to Lusaka we saw many people (primarily women) weeding their fields. The sweet potatoes and the pumpkins were planted and seemed to be thriving.

Chikuni Mission Programs

The Jesuits are not the only religious working on the Chikuni Mission. There are three communities of religious women at the Mission and they run the hospital, work in the parish, run the Girl's school and reach at Charles Lawanga. CRS assisted the hospital to add a new building that will be used for HIV/AIDS work. The sign caught my attention as it noted that in the rural areas the hospitals also serve as the mortuaries.

Other works on the Mission include the parish and a Tonga cultural center and museum. The Mission also has a fine mechanic shop directed by an Irish Jesuit brother for the repair of Mission equipment.

Radio Chikuni is the creation of a very talented Polish Jesuit, Lesniara Andrzej. The radio station serves the Chukini area of the Southern province. The station is on air for about twenty hours per day. In addition to music, news and evangelization they also provide a school curriculum to students who are too remote to come to class. Students have a mentor and a crank operated radio for their lessons. The station supports itself by producing music CD's and tapes. They also sponsor an annual music festival featuring local area music that draws a crowd of 10,000.

This is the parish center for Home Base Care for HIV/AIDS. I was very impressed with the work of the center. They serve over 800 clients in the area in about 25 out stations. The sign in Tonga lists the services. In addition the the health issues of prevention, awareness and care, the center is also supporting programs to help the people be self-sufficient in food and resources.The center engages a large number of volunteers who are sent forth annually by the Bishop.