Districts And Parishes
Mabira District
1. Introduction
Mabira District lies to the west of the Diocesan Headquarters. It borders:
- Kituntu District to the east
- Murongo District and the Kagera River to the west
- Kyerwa District to the south
The District Pastor of Mabira is Rev. Jerryson Mambo.
Mabira District was established in 1979, the same year as the Diocese.
The District consists of approximately 18,000 Christians, six parishes, six pastors, 40 congregations and 39 evangelists.
2. Church Leadership
The pastors serving in Mabira District are:
- Rev. Jerryson Mambo – District Pastor
- Rev. Blasio Tinkasimilie – Nyamilembe Parish
- Rev. Sevelian Simon – Businde Parish
- Rev. Geoffrey Amos – Kishanda Parish
- Rev. Blasio Kibilizi – Nyakatuntu Parish
- Rev. Erastor Bukambu – Ileega Parish
3. Health Services in Mabira
In addition to its church activities, Mabira District runs a dispensary at the District Headquarters in Ibamba.
Mrs. Emiliana Bwenge leads the dispensary.
With support from Swedish and German donors, the dispensary buildings have been expanded and there are plans to upgrade the facility to a health centre. At the time of this report, discussions were expected to take place in July 2014, when partners from Germany were scheduled to visit.
The construction of the new and modern buildings for Phase One had already been completed.
4. Life in Mabira
Mabira District has many mountains, reaching heights of up to approximately 1,000 metres.
The rainy season lasts from August to May each year, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 1,000 mm.
Temperatures are high during the dry season and lower during the rainy season, with an average temperature of approximately 25°C.
Because of the long rainy season, the soil is fertile. Most inhabitants are peasants who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
The main food crops include:
- Bananas
- Potatoes
- Cassava
- Maize
- Millet
In most cases, agricultural production is for domestic consumption.
Unfortunately, the previous year experienced insufficient rainfall, which resulted in food shortages. The District is grateful to its partners for the assistance they provided during this difficult period.
5. Coffee Production
Coffee is the major cash crop in Mabira.
However, due to poor trading policies, coffee prices have fluctuated for many years. This has negatively affected the income and development of peasants.
The situation also affects the Church District because the District depends on offerings from its members.
6. Partnership
In 1982, the partnership between Mabira District and the German Church District of Nassau was established. The partnership was initiated by Rev. Rudolf Stahl from Germany. At that time, the District Pastor was Rev. Nelson Kazoba, who later became Bishop and is now retired.
In 1990, the Deanery of Selters, under the leadership of Rev. Manfred Spehr, joined the partnership with Mabira District.
A delegation from Nassau was scheduled to visit the Karagwe Diocese in July 2014.
7. Goals and Activities
The vision of Mabira District was to build a strong community through preaching, teaching and advocacy.
Therefore, the District provided services aimed at promoting sustainable development within the community.
These activities included:
- Conducting seminars on stewardship and marriage for young people.
- Organizing open-air meetings.
- Constructing buildings and other facilities in Mabira.
- Constructing one sister's house.
- Constructing three pastors' houses for Nyamilembe, Businde and Ileega Parishes.
- Constructing five water tanks for Kishanda, Nyakatuntu, Ibamba Dispensary, Nyamilembe and Ileega.
- Completing six churches.
- Installing an ATV system, desktop computers and a printer in the District Administration Office.
- Installing solar panels at the pastors' houses in Businde, Mabira, Kishanda, Nyamilembe and Nyakatuntu.
The District had also prepared a five-year strategic plan, which was under discussion and would be divided into annual plans.
8. Contact
For further information, please contact:
Rev. Jerryson Mambo
District Pastor, Mabira Church District
District Pastor, Mabira Church District
Telephone: +255 787 996 609 / +255 766 887 484