Vusumuzi Dube
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
CARITAS Zimbabwe has called on people to join hands in protecting the environment protection and through the Laudato Si’ Movement is encouraging people to care for nature.
Caritas Zimbabwe is the official Catholic agency for humanitarian and development work in Zimbabwe.
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical of Pope Francis published in May 2015. It focuses on care for the natural environment and all people, as well as broader questions of the relationship between God, humans, and the Earth.
In a recent interview, Caritas Zimbabwe Bulawayo Development Coordinator, Mr Welcome Sibanda said
“We are calling on communities to proclaim the Laudato Si’ which is an encyclical that came from the Pope that talks about care for creation and environment. When we are talking about care for the environment we are saying it is all our responsibility to take care of the environment,” he said.
“We are forming small groups of circles which we call the Laudato Si’ circles with the schools and communities where they can get time to meet, reflect and see how they can relate with nature and all that is created.”
He said there was need to conserve, preserve and protect all that has been created and it was achievable with the groups of circles that have been formed cascading information to communities.
Mr Sibanda said in Matobo District, Matabeleland South they managed to form five groups.
“The first group was of Caritas Zimbabwe and its volunteers, then the other ones being Whitewater Primary School, Nduna Primary School, lead farmers for seedbank and the environmental management ambassadors.
“We hoping if this concept can go countrywide where people can really come together in small groups to talk about the environment then we can all address some of these environmental challenges that we are facing in our communities, country and world at large,” he added.
Bongani Ndlovu