St. Joseph's Catholic Mission in Shambyu, Namibia

THE MISSION

The population of the Shambyu area is approximately 21,000. Of these 73% are youth and children. There are 2668 families.15600 of these are Catholics. The most the prominent among other churches in the area are the Elcin, Full Gospel, Baptists, Methodists, Anglican and Apostolic church. The parish is spread over an area of app.2500 sq.km. The farthest outstation is 185 km and the nearest 4 km. away from the Mission. There are 39 outstations. The along the river and along the old road to Grootfontein there are big communities. Others are in the bush and are smaller. All these communities have their churches. 24 outstations have permanent church buildings and in the remaining 15 substations there are thatched huts, which serve as chapels. The priests visit the outstations to give the sacraments and teach the people.

SCHOOL AND HOSTELS

From the beginning the missionaries gave great importance to education as essential for development. They started schools and hostels and trained teachers. The first school was started in the mission in 1932, and other schools were started in the outstations. After Independence, the church gave the schools to the government since they could not afford to pay the salaries of the teachers. But the church kept the ownership of the buildings. In the Kavango most of the missions kept the hostels too. Shambyu has two Hostels; Don Bosco Hostel for boys and Marian House Hostel for girls. There over 300 children coming mostly from the outstations to stay and attend the junior primary school run by the government. Hostel children are provided with all facilities required for their living, study and recreation. The mission has also built a kindergarten, which is entrusted to the Benedictine Sisters. There are 83 children attending this pre-school.

ST. JOSEPH'S CLINIC
In an arrangement with the government after independence, the hospitals and clinics of the church in Namibia were kept under church management with the state paying for the expenses. St. Joseph's Clinic in Shambyu has 16 beds. Although there is no resident doctor, twice a week a doctor comes for consultation to the clinic.