Caring for Our Common Home in Mongu

Our sister, Cecilia Zavala CCVI, shares with us a few lines about the seeds of hope that are being planted in Mongu, Zambia in collaboration with other religious congregations.  We give thanks to God for this gift and for all of those who inspire us to actively become “protectors of creation.”

(By Cecilia Zavala, CCVI)  What we have done in regards to Care of Creation, together with other religious congregations present in Mongu has been:

• -          Educational Workshops about the care of creation.
• -          Informative pamphlet in the local language (Silozi) with facts about the reality of the environment in Zambia with motivating suggestions for action.  One of the main problems is the indiscriminate felling of trees for the purpose of producing coal, an activity that provides families in the villages an income.
• -          We promote sustainable alternatives like the use of solar energy and we teach how to build and use solar stoves, which is a sustainable ecological alternative to the use of coal. 
• -          In Zambia we don’t have recycling plants, but we do teach and encourage people how to recycle paper, plastic, glass, etc. by optimizing their uses.  We also teach the importance of sorting trash and taking advantage of the organic waste by composting. 
• -          Reforestation campaigns – for example on one occasion we planted more than 150 trees in the external area of a prison.  We involved children, youth, elders, and of course employees of the prison. 
• -          Radio programs that include interviews with people from different organizations: government, churches, local leaders, religious congregations, members of NGOs, etc.

We thank Sr. Cecy, as we lovingly call her, for her sharing.  Each action teaches us that it is possible to realize a loving act for God’s creation each day, in every moment, in every circumstance.  Thank you!  Your initiatives inspire us to continue caring for our mother earth.