by Alison Papenfus

Since 2004 I have been travelling in a number of African nations, and talking up the possiblity of helping individuals to start their own micro-enterprises under the guidance and support of their churches.  The concept has been generally well received, but there has been no thrust to put it onto the ground.
 
In May this year I visited Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.  The city used to have a fairly strong light industrial and manufacturing base, supported by good local farming.  But almost nothng remains.  Businesses are closed wherever you look - factories shuttered.  Everything for sale has been imported, much of it from South Africa.  Zimbabwean farms no longer produce the crops and meat that the city consumes.  Over the past 8 years Zimbabweans have developed a "Woe is me, what else can go wrong?" mentality and hung on grimly waiting for change, and preachers have preached "trust in God and everything will be OK" with very serious faces!