ZAM 02 - FAMILY WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?

The project takes place in Makeni, 5 km south of the capital Lusaka in Zambia. The reality of this suburban area presents social problems of alcoholism, vandalism, disintegrated families, domestic violence, street children, drugs etc. The presence of the Comboni Missionary Sisters in this area dates back to 1996 when the Missionaries were engaged in the social sector with AIDS patients and refugees from Rwanda.

The family is a central place where men and women are formed in their individuality, in their identity as human beings. The family provides and creates positive energy in its members and in society, gives stability at various levels. It is a place where joy, health, illness and suffering are shared, where solidarity is lived, where moral and spiritual values grow.But now we are faced with the challenges of families that have lost their role as educators, trainers and heralds of human values... in most cases they stopped being the center, the first school where you receive a holistic education. The families of Lusaka are experiencing a serious loss of identity, we find families with large internal fractures and problems to which they do not know how to respond adequately. Communication is deteriorated, there is no mutual responsibility, the idea of personal well-being is above the family, children are abandoned to the values that society offers them.What to do to face these challenges together with the family, is a very complex situation and presents itself to our eyes as a great monster to face, but I believe that starting from small things we can overcome it and we can have integrated families that respond to the vocation to which they have been called. We give training meetings to 20 couples once a week for a year. After this period the couples themselves will form support groups in their various areas.

• Create support groups for couples
• Giving holistic training for family life
• Accompany couples by offering counseling, dynamics and sessions

Beneficiaries

Direct: 20 pairs

Indirect: about 100 children and the local community.   

Referent Sisters of the project Sr. Rosangela Motta and Sr. Martha Toscano