Macha Mission is a

mission station A Christian mission is an organized effort to carry on evangelism, in the name of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries. Sometimes individuals are sent and ...

in the Choma District of the Southern Province of

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

. While it started out as a place to convert the local population to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, it has grown into a community centre with a church, five schools, a hospital and a

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

research centre. Macha Mission began as a Christian mission station in 1906.

Hannah Frances Davidson Hannah or Hanna may refer to: People, biblical figures, and fictional characters * Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin * Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin * Hanna (Irish surname) (inclu ...

, an American

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

from the

Brethren in Christ The Brethren in Christ Church (BIC) is a River Brethren Christian denomination. Falling within the Anabaptist tradition of Christianity, the Brethren in Christ Church has roots in the Mennonite church, with influences from the revivals of Radic ...

(BIC) church, traveled there from Matopo Mission in

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a self-governing British Crown colony in Southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally known as South ...

(present-day

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

). She was accompanied by two African helpers and Adda Engle, another missionary. Davidson and her companions subsequently embarked on the task of converting local

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

and

Ila people The Ila people are an ethnic group in The Republic of Zambia who make up 0.8 percent of the total population. The Ila are closely related in language and culture to their more numerous Tonga neighbours in Southern Province. The Ila people mainl ...

s to Christianity. They established a school, a church, and eventually a clinic. In the 1950s the medical mission of the site greatly expanded due to the presence of Alvan Thuma, a physician and BIC missionary from the United States, and his wife Ardys. The history of their involvement in Macha has been documented in the book ''First a Friend'' The mission became the anchor for later Brethren in Christ mission work in Southern Zambia with missionaries expanding to Sikalongo and to Choma. The mission continues to function currently. It has grown considerably and now includes a hospital, a

nursing school Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

, two

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

s and two

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

Developments since 2000

Long term ongoing research in malaria got a boost early 2003, with the establishment of a formal malaria research centre. The Malaria Institute at Macha (MIAM) collaborates with

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is the public health graduate school of Johns Hopkins University, a private university, private research university primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded as the Johns Hopkins ...

to do continuing research in malaria and related diseases. Later the research also encompassed TB and HIV, with special attention into Pediatric HIV. Macha Works, a cooperative organisation, partnered at Macha Mission and implemented an aerodrome, ABFA, restaurant, Care House, Library and Craft Shop, ICT training center, Macha Innovative Christian School, and housing facilities at Ubuntu Campus. In addition, a large Jatropha Farm was started at Macha Mission by Macha Works. From the base at Macha, Macha Works extended activities in 8 other rural communities throughout Zambia (status mid-2010). Vision Community Radio Macha, broadcasting from Vision House just off Macha Mission, can be received in an 80 km radius on 92.9 MHz, FM.

Notes

References

* Engle, Anna R., J. A. Climenhaga and Leoda A. Buckwalter (1950). ''There is No Difference, God Works in Africa and India''. Nappanee, Ind.: E. V. Publishing House. * Davidson, Hannah Frances (1915). ''South and South Central Africa''. Elgin, Ill.: Brethren Publishing House. A
Internet Archive
* Wittlinger, Carlton O (1978). ''Quest for Piety and Obedience: The Story of the Brethren in Christ''. Nappanee, Ind.: Evangel Press.

External links

Macha Mission website

Macha Research Trust (MIAM)

Macha Works website

Hospital website
{{Christianity in Zambia Choma District Schools in Zambia Nursing schools in Zambia Christian missions in Zambia Anabaptist organizations Buildings and structures in Southern Province, Zambia Malaria organizations

Developments since 2000

See also

Notes

References

External links