Roman Catholic Church: Marist Brothers

Roman Catholic Church

Marist Brothers

The Marist Brothers (Marist Brothers of the Schools) is an international religious community of more than 4,000 Roman Catholic Brothers dedicated to the education of young people, especially those most neglected. The order was founded in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest as a way of combating illiteracy and spiritual poverty in post-revolutionary France.

The Marist Brothers arrived in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in 1939 at the request of Bishop A. Chichester S.J to assume responsibility for education at Kutama Mission. In addition to Kutama, the Marist also presently operate Nyanga High School, Marist Brothers (Marist Nyanga), in Nyanga District, Manicaland and Marist Brothers Secondary School, Dete (Marist Dete) in the Hwange District, Matabeleland North.

Today, the Marist Brothers are involved in educational work throughout the world. They run primary and secondary schools, academies, orphanages and retreat house in 81 countries, including in Africa.

Facilities

References

Contributors
  • Mark Loomis

Roman Catholic Church: Kutama Mission

Roman Catholic Church

Kutama Mission

Jesuit Jean-Baptiste (John) Loubiere, with his assistant Joseph Dambaza, are credited with the founding of Kutama Mission, located near Norton, approximately 80 km southwest of Salisbury (Harare). Father Loubiere named it Kutama after his first convert the chief.

The mission began as an outstation of Chishawasha Mission. Cassiano Ushewokunze, who was trained at Chishawasha, was posted as the first teacher-catechist at Kutama in 1913. Fr Loubiere became the first resident priest in September 1914 (the date generally given as the mission’s founding date) and through his efforts, Kutama became a fully-fledged mission independent of Chishawasha.

Fr. Loubiere’s initial focus was on evangelism, but realizing that educational development was needed as well, he began primary education. By 1926, the Jesuits had established a two-year Teacher Training course for primary school teachers, which would become St. Francis Xavier (Kutama) College. After the death of Fr. Loubiere in 1930, Father Jerome O’Hea arrived in 1931 to become the school’s headmaster.

Fr. O’Hea established a hospital on the mission site using his family’s resources after a request for government funding was turned down. The hospital was later named Fr O’Hea Memorial Mission Hospital (Kutama Hospital) in his honor.

The Jesuit were challenged to both perform pastoral work and run the school, so in 1939 Bishop A. Chichester S.J invited the Marist Brothers to come to Kutama and assume responsibility for education. Under their leadership, Kutama was one of the first missions in Southern Rhodesia to offer secondary (high school) education to Africans.

President Mugabe was born in the village of Kutama and educated at Kutama College.

Facilities

References

Contributors
  • Mark Loomis

Hwange Safari Lodge

Hwange Safari Lodge

Dete

The Hwange Safari Lodge was originally a government-run hotel bordering Hwange National Park built in 1973.

The lodge is two hours drive from Victoria Falls. It is home to the world’s largest population of the African elephant, including the presidential herd, and an abundance of other wildlife including buffalo, lion, leopard and a host of other species. The prolific birdlife is one of the world’s most diverse population of raptors.

The lodge caters for a diverse range of guests from the lone adventurer to couples, groups, families and tour groups. It offers comfort, modern conveniences and an opportunity to experience the real African wild.

The lodge was originally managed by Zimbabwe Sun Ltd, but is now managed by African Sun Ltd.

Postcards

References

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Joan the Florist Ltd

Joan the Florist Ltd

Bulawayo

Joan the Florist Ltd was a florist based in Abercorn St, Bulawayo.

The florist was part of Interflora. The business no longer exists today.

 

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Webb, Low & Barry

Webb, Low & Barry

Bulawayo

In 1897 Rhodesia Railways asked one of Cape Town’s top lawyers Mr Webb to come to Bulawayo to open Bulawayo’s first legal firm. Webb quickly established a firm which provided top quality legal services to the fledgling colony.

Webb soon invited Henry Low, another lawyer practicing in South Africa, to join him. Henry Low was later knighted for his services to Bulawayo and lends his name to the Henry Low primary school in Bulawayo. Michael Barry, the firm’s third named partner, joined the firm in 1922 creating Webb, Low & Barry.

In 1983 Bob Cole became senior partner on Michael Barry’s retirement and the following year David Coltart, the current senior partner became a partner. Norman Pattison became a partner in 1985, with Josephat Tshuma becoming a partner in 1989. David Coltart became senior partner in 1998 when Bob Cole retired.

The firm prevailed through the harsh economic climate and hyperinflation in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2008. In 2006, Webb, Low & Barry took over and incorporated another old Bulawayo firm, Ben Baron and Partners. The firm migrated to larger premises in 2008 in the Belmont suburb of Bulawayo.

Since dollarization in 2009, the firm has continued to grow and expand its client base both within Zimbabwe and internationally. Webb, Low & Barry is a full service law firm with a dedicated team of lawyers that practice in all areas of Zimbabwean law.

References

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Methodist Episcopal Church: Mtoko Mission

Methodist Episcopal Church

Mtoko Mission

 

Mtoko (Mutoko) Mission, located approximately 65 km north of Mrewa (Murewa) in Mashonaland East Province, was founded by Dr. Samuel Gurney of the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in 1911. The Mutoko area had a large population and Dr. Gurney saw it “as a way to move on from there toward Nyanga” and “as a final link that would connect Methodist work in the Mutasa area.”

The British South Africa Company granted MEC an old police camp containing several brick buildings from which the missionary work could begin. Dr. Gurney, then residing at Mrewa Mission, was appointed head of the Mrewa-Mtoko (Murehwa-Mutoko) Circuit, while African evangelist James Apiri was stationed at Mtoko itself.

For the first several years, the Mtoko Mission suffered from the lack a resident missionary. Eddy H. Greeley and his wife were appointed to Mtoko in 1916-17, but were transferred after only six months to Old Umtali Mission. Another missionary was appointed in 1919, but again his stay lasted for only six months. Dr. Gurney managed the mission from his base at Mrewa while juggling his other duties. He wrote in a report to the Methodist Rhodesia Mission Conference in 1919 that in most “respects this Mtoko child of our mission family seems to have suffered from arrested development.” With my time fully occupied and living forty miles distant, “the poor little Mtoko mission received much more of absent treatment than was good for it.”

Nonetheless, with the help of African evangelists (pastor-teachers), and later missionaries, including Wilfred Bourgaize (beginning 1921 – still in the field as of 1954), the mission prevailed. As of 1924, a new church building had been built and there was a small primary boarding school consisting of six boys. By 1944, the Boy’s Boarding school had increased to nearly 100 students.

Today, under the control of the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, Mtoko (Mutoko) consists of the Mutoko Central Primary School, Mutoko Methodist Center/church, and it serves as the base of the Mutoko/Nyadire District.

References

Contributors
  • Mark Loomis

Churches of Christ: Central Africa Mission Evangelistic Literature Service

Churches of Christ

Central Africa Mission Evangelistic Literature Service

Begun in 1965, the Central African Mission Evangelistic Literature Service (CAMELS) is Churches in Christ mission publishing house located in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. CAMELS supports the education efforts of both Zimbabwe Christian College and the greater evangelical efforts in southern Africa by publishing songbooks, lesson materials, religious tracts, baptismal certificates and other printed materials. It also supports itself by doing commercial printing for mission institutions and various church groups.

For a number of years, the publishing house was overseen by Frances Johnson. Marcia Kay Thompson was manager of CAMELS as of 1993.

Reference

Contributors
  • Mark Loomis

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Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe

 

The Church of Sweden became an independent church in 1963 as the Evangelical Lutheran Church now known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ).  As such, it took over administration of all work (including the missions) previously directed by CSM. Jonas Shiri was consecrated as the first African bishop in 1975.

The “struggle for liberation” in the late 1970’s seriously impacted ELCZ schools, causing many to close (some were destroyed).  All Swedish missionaries were withdrawn by the Church of Sweden in 1976.  The schools were re-opened post independence in 1980.  As of 2006, ELCZ had 134,000 members, the vast majority of which are in the southern part of the country. The church runs a number of schools, four hospitals and a nursing school.

References

Contributors
  • Mark Loomis

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Postcards: Tourist Promotion in Africa (Pvt) Ltd – Type IIA – K Series

Tourist Promotion in Africa (Pvt) Ltd

Type IIA – K Series

No.sDescriptionEarliest PMK Date
K/12Kariba Church, Kariba, Zimbabwe

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