Christ Church West Wimbledon.

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The Link between the Diocese of Southwark and three of the four Anglican dioceses in Zimbabwe began in 1991. The Link has grown stronger during the ensuing years through prayer, the sharing of gifts and resources, and exchange visits bishops, diocesan advisers, clergy, adults and young people from parishes. Each of our three Episcopal Areas is linked to one of the four Anglican Dioceses in Zimbabwe.

• The Diocese of Matabeleland (RED ON THE MAP), Bishop Wilson Sitshebo, is linked to the Episcopal Area of Kingston
   

• The Diocese of Central Zimbabwe (YELLOW ON THE MAP), Bishop Ishmael Mukuwanda, is linked with the Episcopal Area of Croydon
   

• The Diocese of Manicaland (GREEN ON THE MAP), Bishop Sebastian Bakare, is linked with the Episcopal Area of Woolwich
   

• The Diocese of Harare is linked to the Diocese of Rochester.

Writing in 2003, Bruce Saunders (Canon Missioner for Church in Society) commented that "Our Partnership Link with Zimbabwe during the past year has been overshadowed by fear, political brutality and hunger. Even the most faithful are finding it hard to hope. ...Link across our three Episcopal Areas, reflects those social and political realities."

   A DETAILED MAP CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE AS AN ADOBE PDF FILE (250kb) : ZIMBABWE POLITICAL MAP
(Tip - the map will open in a new window, close any sidebar you have open in this new window and then click "full screen" on the standard buttons toolbar.)
 

Christ Church West Wimbledon and the Matabeleland Link

In 1999 Christ Church PCC decided to raise £5000 to fund the building of a windmill for Filabusia remote rural village as a millennium project. Father Mark Mpumpulawne in Filabusi had been working on a number of self-sufficiency projects for the village.

From Christ Church "News", Christmas/Winter 1999 :
When Bishop Peter visited Zimbabwe in August 1999 he was very impressed by what he saw in Filabusi, a remote rural village community where the parish priest, Father Mark Mpumpulawne, is trying to get a number of self-sufficiency projects off the ground. There are already locally organised projects such as baking, needlework and horticulture, and Fr. Mark’s ambition is to crown the agricultural work by the building of a windmill to pump the water. Currently the water to irrigate the fields is hand-pumped, which is a time-consuming and labour-intensive activity.

Fr. Mark has already organised the building of the base for a small windmill (see photos) - and the most efficient and simplest come out at around £5,000 - big money in terms of the local community.

The Bishop of Southwark’s Lent Call next year will almost certainly support the setting up of an Ordination Trust Fund in Matabeleland, the income from which would pay for ordinands’ training. Bishop Peter felt that to ask for the Windmill Project to be supported as well would detract from both projects.

At the last meeting, Christ Church PCC agreed that this would be our millennium project. It is very easy for us as a congregation to become absorbed in the day-to-day running and finances of a British suburban church and its running costs. But here is a real need that makes Christ Church’s financial problems pale into insignificance: water is the stuff of life!

The aim is to raise the £5,000 - or more - over the coming year. I know we can do it! Christ Church can raise this £5000 - it will be our contribution to the Millennium.

The money was raised by September 2000; the windmill was completed during the following months.

From Christ Church "News", May 2001 :
During his recent visit to Zimbabwe, Bishop Peter actually saw the windmill for St Matthew's Filabusi. He writes:
"On 2nd May, the Dean and I visited the engineers in Bulawayo and demanded to see how the work was progressing. All the various parts are complete, but there has been a problem of supply with the bearings in the main mechanism. All now appears ready for final painting and testing with construction planned within the next few months." Bishop Peter also writes: "The biggest single need for the people of Matabeleland and the rest of Zimbabwe is prayer and solidarity of regular communication. Please pray for a just, peaceful and life-giving resolution to the current difficult and dangerous situation."

Because of the political climate this need remains

   ST MATTHEW'S FILABUSI WINDMILL PROJECT

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Download a PDF (93kb) of the report from Christ Church "News" vol 3.1, Christmas/Winter 1999, which launched the Windmill project
 

Related Links

Anglican Africa - The Anglican Africa home page serves as a directory of information about Anglican provinces, dioceses, parishes, theological colleges and other institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.
www.anglicanafrica.org

Diocese of Southwark - World Mission & Development
Resource page - several downloads
www.southwark.anglican.org/bcs/social/wmdresource.htm

Diocese of Southwark - Board for Church and Society:
www.southwark.anglican.org/bcs/social/worldmission.htm

Croydon - linked with Diocese of Central Zimbabwe
Area Link Representative:
Hilary Brand 01737 821900 brand@btinternet.com

Kingston - linked with Diocese of Matabeleland
Area Link Representative:
Revd Bill Warren 020-8789 5932 wfwarren2003@yahoo.co.uk

Woolwich - linked with Diocese of Manicaland
Area Link Representative:
Revd Naomi Whittle 020-8856 5858 naomi@whittle30.fsnet.co.uk

Southwark-Zimbabwe Link newsletter from January 2003
   download 2.75mb PDF SOUTHWARK-ZIMBABWE LINK (use your browser's back button to return to this page)

See page 2 of this newsletter for a report by Revd Celia Thomson (Vicar of Christ Church West Wimbledon 1996-2003) on her visit to Matabeleland at the the invitation of the Rt Revd Wilson Sitshebo.

The Southwark Diocesan World Mission & Development Group guide
   download 230kb PDF THE ZIMBABWE LINK (use your browser's back button to return to this page)

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