A new vehicle for a remote parish

Zimbabwe is a landlocked nation in southeast Africa with a population of nearly 17 million. The population is predominantly Christian, although 75% belong to various Protestant denominations. Catholics represent only around 16% of the population.

Zimbabwe has long been plagued by a severe economic crisis, made even worse in recent years by devastating droughts. The Catholic Church in the country urgently needs help, since it lacks the basic resources to minister adequately to the Catholic faithful, while also combating the expanding sects.

We have received an appeal from the parish of Saint Joseph the Worker, with a special recommendation from the archbishop of Bulawayo. This parish is situated in the west of Zimbabwe, in a remote and neglected rural area.

The priests in the parish face an arduous task, given that the 18 outstations lie anywhere up to 47 km from the parish centre, with an average distance of 29 km. The roads are very poor, and the sandy tracks are difficult to navigate.

The priests’ only car is over 20 years old and has more than 900,000 kilometres on it. Needless to say, it is constantly breaking down. Furthermore, during the rainy season, when roads turn to mud, the vehicle often gets stuck, and it is a long and painstaking process to get it out. Sometimes they find themselves stuck again almost immediately afterward.

They urgently need a sturdy and robust all-terrain vehicle, so that they can minister to all the communities within the parish. We have promised them $55,500.