Botswana
area -
582.000 km2
population - 1.5 mln
catholics - 4 %
Botswana's population of 1.5 million is mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the country. Of these, 42% are in the age group below 14 years. Botswana has a multiparty democracy and a bicameral parliament consisting of the House of Chiefs and the National Assembly with 44 seats.
Some of the strains on the environment are periodic droughts, overgrazing, desertification and limited fresh water resources. Subsistence farming and cattle raising predominate. This sector is plagued by erratic rainfall and poor soils. Substantial mineral deposits were found in the 1970s. The unemployment rate remains a problem at 21%. On the plus side there is a substantial positive trade balance. Botswana is a rather rich country with income from diamonds, cattle and tourism / wildlife. All levels of education are free, and the government provides free medical treatment. The communication system is good.
Faithful
to Christ's command to go into the whole world and preach the good news to
every creature (Mk 16:15), the SVD Generalate, after careful exploration
and consideration, and heedful of the request of the Bishop of Gaborone,
decided in February 1981, to begin missionary work in Botswana.
The initial vision of the Generalate was to send, over a period of some years, a maximum of 17 missionaries to Botswana. But the Holy Spirit had another vision! By 1984 we had spread out to Kenya, Zambia (1986) and Zimbabwe (1987). Eventually the three neighboring countries would form one Province in 1993, with today over 60 confreres!