Zambia Link - St Anne's Mazabuka

The Diocese of Bath and Wells has a link with the Anglican Church of Zambia. In order to support this Diocesan initiative our Parish has, for a number of years, been linked with the Parish of St Anne's Mazabuka in the Zambian diocese of Lusaka.

Following a visit to Mazabuka in the Spring of 1999 the Vicar of All Saints' has been able to obtain further information about St Anne's and how our link can be developed. At the present moment there are particular areas which form a focus for our prayers.

The Parish of Mazabuka and the surrounding area is served by the Salvation Army Hospital at Chikankata. They are doing a wonderful job despite the heavy workload due mainly to malnutrition, malaria and the AIDS epidemic.

There are a number of schools serving the outlying villages. Ngaba Primary School is one which needs much support having virtually no resources and little government backing. We hold in our prayers the ministry of Father Simpande, St Anne's Parish Priest, and the whole congregation as they make their Christian witness in difficult and almost impossible circumstances.

This school is miles out in the bush and serves seven villages. There are just four classrooms for 400 children and four teachers! They are desperate for teachers accommodation - new classrooms - books - anything. The parents will make bricks and build walls, but they cannot afford roofing material. The school and the furniture is exactly the same as it was 30 years ago! The teachers are not always paid.

We try to encourage members of our own community to write to people of Mazabuka in order that they are aware of our prayerful concern.

St Anne's Church Choir - with two interlopers!

Despite the hardship of the Zambian way of life they remain happy and contented people from whom we can all learn much.

Tate and Lyle have a huge sugar plantation and factory at Mazabuka producing 1000 tons of sugar per day!