Catholic sisters promote environmental awareness in rural Zim
ENVIRONMENTAL and wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe has in recent years gained urgency after reports of largescale illegal exploitation of the country's natural resources. Despite legislation that punishes environmental violations such as sand and wildlife poaching, the country's economic hardships are driving illegal activities as residents seek to earn a living, analysts say. Responding to poisoned watering holes that have led to the deaths of hundreds of elephants, deforestation and illegal artisanal mining gangs, authorities struggle to address what they say has become a troubling environmental crisis.
Against this background, the Servants of Mary the Queen, known by their Latin abbreviation AMR (Ancillae Mariae Reginae), in Lupane, a rural district about 161km north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, are engaging young students to raise environmental awareness.
While government has emphasised community engagement in the conservation of natural resources, this has proven difficult as impoverished villagers take matters into their own hands, illegally exploiting protected resources for economic benefit.
Hunting and trapping wildlife has become common in Zimbabwe, with the country's national parks agency reporting a spike in human-wildlife conflict amid shrinking forests and animal habitat.
AMR sisters have taken a different approach by appealing to young people to be protectors of the environment. They have turned to young learners to participate in public campaigns in the country's natural resource-rich but economically poor northwest.
With thousands of people who have left school lacking formal employment, community leaders said illegal activities harmful to the environment had become the go-to way to earn a living. There are reports across the country of schoolchildren abandoning classes to join the gold rush as illegal artisanal miners popularly known as amakorokoza. Young people engaging in these activities have been caught up in bloody turf wars that have claimed the lives of scores of illegal miners.
By targeting young people, AMR sisters aim to stem what has become a national cause for concern, with authorities struggling to control illegal activities harmful to the environment.
While Catholic development agencies have worked with local communities in Zimbabwe's rural areas to deal with climate-related issues, especially in agriculture, Catholic sisters are working to address the intersection of development and the environment.
Among the initiatives to promote environmental awareness, AMR sisters who run a primary and secondary school in Lupane organised their students to take part in the October 21, 2023, Binga-Kasambabezi marathon.
“What informed the decision to organise the students to take part in the Binga environmental awareness marathon was that the marathon's values align with the school's values, curriculum and long-term goals of environmental awareness,” Mildred Chiriseri, te AMR secondary school head, told EarthBeat. The marathon was part of broader community engagement efforts, she said.
The Binga Kasambabezi Marathon was launched in 2017 by government's Youths, Sports, Arts and Recreation ministry.
The sisters participated in the 2023 marathon because they saw an urgent need to bring such wildlife and environmental awareness to their local community, especially young schoolchildren.
The marathon was held under the theme "Running for our wildlife conservation," and Chiriseri said this was just the beginning. The sisters look forward to participating in future marathons and engaging the AMR schools in more activities that encourage social responsibility.
Lupane and Binga lie on a wildlife belt that boasts some of the region's iconic "big five" — lion, elephant, rhinoceros, leopard and buffalo — but are marked by economic deprivation.
Binga, one the country's poorest regions, is an underdeveloped rural area on the banks of the Zambezi River. It is home to the BaTonga people, considered the guardians of the Victoria Falls, a World Heritage site.
The valley is part of the Unesco-recognised middle Zambezi biosphere known for its rich biodiversity, which is threatened by activities such as poaching and overfishing. According to Unesco, the valley's ecosystems, home to threatened wildlife such as the black rhino and painted wild dog can, should be protected.
"Realising that we are stewards of creation we felt that it is our responsibility to care for and respect the environment," Chiriseri said.
"We saw the importance of teaching our learners when they are still young to recognise that the earth is a gift from God that needs to be protected," she said.
The sisters' conservation awareness efforts will promote the protection of wildlife and help local communities derive to economically benefit from natural resources.
"The response (from learners) is very positive as more learners are eager to take part in this year's marathon," Chiriseri said.
"The school has an environmental club and much emphasis is put on teaching learners the importance of protecting the environment," Chiriseri said. "They are also taught the importance of recycling and growing trees and flowers to ensure the environment is protected."
As the AMR sisters continue their apostolate, they have received support from local clergy who have added their commitment to environmental awareness.
"The church is part of the campaigns to protect the environment because it is a great cause of concern," said Pritchard Shoko, a priest who blessed the students before they embarked on the marathon.
"The church by and large is always using its presence in behaviour change, and the response (of young people) is promising. Some of the young men and women are actively involved in environmental awareness," Shoko told EarthBeat.
As the country's environmental challenges continue alongside the economic and political crisis, the sisters' efforts offer hope amid increasing despair.