committed to universal brotherhood (Fratelli tutti), justice, peace and the care of the common home (Laudato si’). In a spirit of synodality, we collaborate with people of different cultures, ethnicities and religions for the transformation of the world in accord with God’s plan (cf. CC 46).
The people of Zhomba Mission in Gokwe—a region spanning the territories of three chiefs, Nenyunga, Simuchembo, and Madzivazvido—are facing an acute hunger crisis. Already marginalized economically and socially, the approximately 40,000 residents, who rely mainly on agriculture, have been devastated by a prolonged drought, with no food aid in sight.
The 2023 farming season was exceptionally harsh. Rainfall was minimal and erratic, with rains arriving late and ending abruptly, leaving crops without the necessary time to mature. This resulted in a complete crop failure. By January 2024, the impact of a severe drought was already evident, as water reservoirs began drying up, and both people and livestock struggled to find drinking water.
In this dire situation, residents looked to government, social welfare programs, and humanitarian organizations for relief. Unfortunately, no adequate measures have been put in place to address the crisis fully. A significant setback was the delayed declaration of the hunger crisis as a national disaster, which delayed the response of charity organizations like Caritas. To make matters worse, the response became entangled in partisan politics, with food aid distribution plans announced but not realized.
Programs such as food-for-work initially raised hopes, but they have yet to be implemented, leaving communities disillusioned. The limited aid from social welfare has reportedly been undermined by corruption, with benefits reserved for a few connected to local leaders, while the majority are left without assistance.
In a further blow, people have been compelled to work on road and dam projects without adequate food or compensation. Many elderly residents, long past retirement age, are among those laboring with promises of minimal compensation, often only a small sack of mealie meal. This situation has strained social values, especially respect and care for the elderly.
The struggle for survival has also led to severe environmental degradation, as many are resorting to cutting down trees for charcoal production to sell for food. This deforestation has left the area more vulnerable to strong winds, which have destroyed numerous homes. With no food for livestock, some residents are risking their lives by taking their cattle to graze in game parks, where they face dangers from both game rangers and wild animals. Tragically, some have lost their lives in these desperate attempts, and many cattle have perished from exhaustion and lack of water.
The crisis has escalated into a complex social issue, increasing crime and violent behavior in the area. Many youths have left to seek employment elsewhere, hoping to send money back home to support their families. Families are being separated as men leave in search of work, with many ending up in hazardous and exploitative conditions, including illegal mining, which has had a damaging impact on their physical and psychological health.
Access to water is another major challenge. People wait for hours to fill a single bucket and sometimes must walk over 15 kilometers overnight to obtain drinking water. The few remaining cattle are frequently stolen, or they drown in the mud as water sources dry up. Residents accuse some local police of involvement in livestock thefts by providing clearance documents for stolen cattle. The unrelenting search for water has left many exhausted and stressed, depriving them of rest and compromising their health.
The lack of clean water poses a serious health risk, as people are forced to drink unsafe water. The combination of extreme heat, long treks in the sun, and inadequate rest is taking a toll on their health. Elderly residents, in particular, face tremendous hardship as they struggle daily to survive.
Local schools have recently received government support for a food program, but the mealie meal provided is reportedly of poor quality, with some of it spoiled. The lack of balanced nutrition means that even the one meal children receive at school is insufficient, leaving them hungry for much of the day.
Looking ahead, the hunger crisis is likely to persist as residents lack seeds for the 2024 planting season and have no funds to purchase them. There is widespread frustration over the lack of fairness in government aid distribution and the absence of a platform to address grievances. Although a few individuals have attempted to organize food sharing, their efforts are like a drop in the ocean, unable to stem the flames of hunger sweeping the region. People are now even drawing water from springs deep in the game parks, despite the dangers.
There is an urgent need for food assistance to restore hope to the people of Zhomba Mission. Additionally, an investment in water infrastructure, such as boreholes, would provide a lifeline, enabling a sustainable future for this community.
On November 17, 2024, we celebrate the VIII’s World Day of the Poor and Pope Francis has chosen a particularly significant theme for this year dedicated to prayer, and in the proximity of the beginning of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025: “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (cf. Si 21,5).
This time the prayer has being prepared by the Claretian Sisters (RMI) with references to their founders. Let us join the whole Church in this ecclesial day of prayer.
Each year, from 1 September to 4 October, the Christian family unites in this global celebration of prayer and action to respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world comes together to listen and care for our common home, God’s Oikos.
It is a special season where we celebrate God as Creator and acknowledge Creation as the ongoing divine act that calls us as co-workers to love and care for the gift of all creation. As followers of Christ from around the world, we share a common call to care for Creation. Our well-being is interwoven with the well-being of the Earth.
We rejoice in this opportunity to safeguard our common home and all beings who share it. Amid the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, many are beginning to despair and suffer eco-anxiety. As people of faith, we are called to lift up the hope that inspires our faith, the hope of resurrection. This is not a hope without action, but a hope embodied in concrete actions of prayer and preaching, service and solidarity.
This season, we are also joining our Christian voices through a joint advocacy initiative in support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty that calls for a halt to new fossil fuel projects.
Join this common effort of the Christian family through the three actions proposed for this season of creation:
On September 1, the Feast of Creation, for which we offer a prayer that you can use in both religious and lay communities.
On September 21, we will have a day of action for advocacy: It will be a day of action to support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FFNPT). The 79th Session of the UN General Assembly will take place from 10-24 September and it is in this context that Christians, as a global family, will raise our voices and show how faith communities can be powerful agents of justice and hope around the world.
On October 4, we will celebrate St Francis of Assisi: this day is his feast day and the last day of the Season of Creation. People of faith from all over the world will gather in an online prayer service prepared by the Ecumenical Youth Committee of the Season of Creation to celebrate together our month-long journey.
On August 9, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples is commemorated, which seeks to promote inclusion, equality and respect towards these communities. Today there are more than 476 million indigenous people in approximately 90 countries around the world, who represents only 5% of the world’s population, and the majority are in a highly vulnerable situation.
On this occasion, the prayer has been prepared by the JPIC team of Lay Claretians for the entire Claretian family. Let us make this day a moment of prayer and reflection for our communities. Fraternal greetings.
On 22 April we remember International Mother Earth Day. She is our home, and we have a special relationship with her as a mother. This is not just an intellectual concept, but an emotional and relational concept. It is also a concept that has its roots in indigenous cultures that help us to promote harmony with the rest of creation.
We offer below the materials prepared by the JPIC team of Cordimarian Filiation (Filiación Cordimariana), that as you know they are consecrated ladies living in the world. The design and publication was done by our Claretian brother Vincent Ojwang, one of our Cyber Missionaries. We are so grateful to all of them!
22 March 2024, One of the effects of the triple environmental crisis is the scarcity of water for human consumption and for the sustainability of the environment. That is aggravated by the over-use that some human activities such as mining and agriculture make of it.
There are already many communities that are being affected by this problem, and many species that disappear or are forced to move in search of this precious good with all the consequences that this entails.
This is undoubtedly an important day to pray for the most vulnerable brothers and sisters and nature, and above all for a fair distribution of water. We also make ourselves more aware of a problem that affects us all and in which we can all do something.
As a Claretian family, we want to share this file in which you will find materials to pray as well as information about the origin of this international day and the problem of water. We thank the Lay Claretian who have lovingly prepared this theme for the entire Claretian family.
As usual, you can find the file translated into 5 Languages.
