Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - During a recent visit to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples Bishop Frank Nubuasah, SVD, Vicar Apostolic of Francistown (Botswana), told Fides about the present situation in Botswana, a country with an area of 581, 883 sq km and a population of 1,586,000 (49% traditional beliefs, 50% Christianity inlcuding 5% Catholics). The people of the presidential republic are Bantu Sotho-Tswana (90%), Bushmen and others (9%), whites (1%).
“Botswana in general is a tranquill country with a good government and a good economy - the Bishop said - but sad to say it is afflicted by the scourge of Aids which is now a major problem. About 330,000 people are HIV positive but only 22,000 receive treatment. We have 60,000 AIDS orphans and the disease is spreading. In Botswana 99% of the health care is provided by the government and two clinics are run by priests.
The Church in Botswana is young and small. Catholics, only 5% of the population, are assisted by 8 local priests and a number of missionaries. The religious are mainly involved in assisting the sick and the orphans and education for life, prevention of disease in general and antiretroviral treatment for 46 people. Much is done to open new schools because people want private Catholic schools.
Botswana has good relations with neighbouring countries Zimbabwe to the east, South Africa to the south, Namibia to the west and north. It hosts some 365,000 refugees including 12,000 people from Zimbabwe in search of work.
Our pastoral work consists first of all in forming basic Church communities to deal with all the realities and we are working at this with the help of everyone, lay people and religious because to be a Christian it is not necessary to be a priest, the important thing is to have faith! Most of the work is done by women. In fact 90% of our catechists, teachers and personnel involved in pastoral care are women.
We are a very young and very small church but we want to grow and become ever more numerous”, the Bishop concluded. (AP) (4/7/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:31 Parole:400)
