Mission – Zimbabwe

In the 1920s the 1% white minority owned 70% of the best land. After independence from colonial control in 1980, Zimbabwe maintained stability under a new black president.

In 2001 the president started a land redistribution process in which the black majority could take hold of white farms by force.

Many white farmers have fled. Yet their farms are now mismanaged and falling into ruin. Agriculture, once Zimbabwe’s mainstay is struggling and the country is now in freefall as unemployment increases.

The increasingly unpopular President Mugabe, maintains power by heavily censoring oposition and press. He has lost international support and zimbabwe is increasingly isolated.

1 million children (10 % of the population) have been orphaned because their parents have died from AIDS.

Almost 40% of the population are under 15. Many young people are really disillusioned with the political system and the high unemployment rates.

The numbers of Christians is growing, particularly amongst indigenous Zimbabwe churches.

Recently, Christian denominations within Zimbabwe have become united in a common goal to be a voice of moderation and reconciliation amid their country’s seemingly unstoppable slide into chaos.

In 1992 Christians in Zimbabwe committed to seeing the number of churches double by the millennium. This goal was reached! – 10,000 churches grew to 20,000 in eight years.

The high rate of unemployment is putting pressure on Zimbabwe’s cities, as hundreds of thousands of people come looking for work. Crime is on the increase and more people are living as squatters in poor conditions.

AIDS is devastating Africa and Zimbabwe is one of the countries which has been most badly affected; 25% of the population carry the virus and 700 people a week are dying from AIDS. This means that in the next 25 years the population of Zimbabwe could fall from 12 million to 9 million. Pray that the government and the people of Zimbabwe would start to resolve the problem.

Zimbabwe is under great pressure. Unemployment and food shortages are growing. Pray for the nation– that there would be change without violence.

Pray for a peaceful and fair resolution to the issue of the distribution.