Welcome to the Luangwa Valley Apostolate

The Luangwa Valley poses unique pastoral challenges to the church. These are due to the valley’s isolation during the rainy season, its proximity to wildlife, and (for most parts) the absence of administrative centres.

The valley’s isolation comes from its poor road network. During the rains, many parts can only be reached on foot or by bicycle. Rivers have no bridges. Large swamps make travelling across the valley very difficult.

Proximity to wildlife means that people’s fields are constantly harassed by wild animals. After sowing out their crops, people need to live and sleep in their fields in order to chase away elephants, buffaloes, hippos, monkeys and countless other animals. Human – animal conflicts occur on daily basis. Therefore, most people are able to cultivate only small portions of land. Until the time of harvesting, all social activities are severely restricted by the demands in the fields. This applies also for church activities.

Many people do not know how to read and write, or are not at ease with reading and writing. Those who know, are more likely to leave the valley in search for salaried work elsewhere. In the church, this poses problems for finding leaders.

For their survival, people rely on their clans and families. These bring in their own cultural demands. It is not always easy to reconcile these demands with the ordinary church regulations that we find in other places of Zambia.

A rich linguistic and cultural diversity imprints itself on the valley. People speak Chinsenga, Ambo, Kunda, Chinyanja, Wiza, Tumbuka, and Senga. Many people do not pray in their mother tongue but switch to a "liturgical language" (from the plateau) for prayers. But many people do not easily relate to official liturgical prayers from the book.

The church is responding to people's spiritual and social concerns especially by her way of being present.

Presence means to be physically there in the villages, also during the rainy season when travelling is difficult and when many organisations withdraw from the valley.

Presence means to live with people, know them, be part of their families and clans, take part in all important social activities.

Presence means taking roots and become aware of the complexities between families through which people need to navigate when taking decisions for their lives.

For the Church in the valley, to tackle social issues is often a matter of becoming directly involved, case by case, in issues that affect or divide the community and that have no easy answer.

All such factors make the valley a unique place for the church. These have led to many years of ongoing reflections:

How can the church become more present in the valley and be more relevant for its people?

What can the Church learn from people’s religious heritage? How can the Church relate to it?

How can the Church be touched and respond to people's social and economic struggles?

And how can the Church be faithful to her own mission?

This website brings together reflections, of many years. Some are found in the public area, while others are accessible only in the reserved area - until their time will come to be born into the public light.