By Dr Last Mazambani
There was a time when the missionaries of old packed their
few belongings, crossed seas and dusty terrains, and arrived in unknown lands
with one clear conviction: to make a difference where there was none
before. They built schools where there were no classrooms, hospitals
where there were only grass-thatched huts, and churches where the people had
not yet gathered. They did not wait for comfort, funding, or recognition. They
came with a burning mission to transform lives. Today, in the same spirit,
Zimbabwe’s rural areas call out for a new kind of missionary: you!
The Spirit of the Missionary
A true missionary does not wait for ideal conditions. They
move when the need is greatest, not when the circumstances are perfect. They
work with what they have, right where they are, and inspire others to believe
in what can be, not just what is. In the dusty roads of Muzarabani, the
mountains of Chimanimani, or the valleys of Binga, there lies untapped
potential; human, natural, and social. But this potential needs a spark, a
vision-carrier who will not sit and wait for government programmes or foreign
aid to transform the community.
That person is you. Whether you are a teacher, farmer,
entrepreneur, nurse, student, or church leader, you are the missionary of rural
development.
Investing Before the Rain
If the missionaries of the past had waited for people to
afford tuition before building schools, there would be no schools today. If
they had waited for hospitals to be funded before treating patients, many would
have perished without care. Likewise, if we wait for conditions to be “ready”
before investing in rural Zimbabwe, we will wait forever. Development begins
with faith—the kind of faith that sees a clinic where there is only a bush
path, a factory where there is only open land, and a future where there seems
to be none.
A missionary invests before the rain. They sow
in the dry season, trusting that their effort will call forth the blessing.
That is the mindset needed for rural development today. It is time to build
that poultry project even if the market seems far away, to start that
agro-processing venture even if capital is limited, to initiate that irrigation
scheme even if the dam is still under construction. Rural development begins
with bold steps taken by visionaries who refuse to let uncertainty dictate
their pace.
The New Frontier: Rural Zimbabwe
Rural Zimbabwe is not a place of despair; it is a place
of unrealized opportunity. The land is fertile, the climate
diverse, and the people resilient. From Marondera to Gokwe, from Tsholotsho to
Mutoko, the rural landscape holds immense potential for agriculture, tourism,
renewable energy, education, and cultural industries. What is lacking is not
potential, but passion, leadership, and coordinated effort.
Being a missionary of rural development means seeing these
opportunities through the eyes of possibility. It means building businesses
that not only profit but uplift the community. It means using local resources
innovatively—turning maize into flour, fruit into jam, solar into power, and
knowledge into enterprise.
Rural development is not charity—it is investment in the
nation’s backbone. More than 70% of Zimbabwe’s population lives in rural areas.
If these areas thrive, the whole country rises.
The Power of Ownership
One of the greatest lessons from missionary work is
ownership. The missionaries did not merely give fish; they taught people to
fish, to read, to heal, to lead. They built foundations that communities could
sustain long after they left. The same principle applies today.
To be a missionary of rural development is to ignite ownership.
The people in our villages must see themselves not as passive recipients of
aid, but as active participants in progress. They must know that development is
not something brought to them, but something they create with
their own hands.
Encourage rural youth to see farming as a business, not a
punishment. Inspire women’s groups to form cooperatives that process and sell
local produce. Challenge local leaders to prioritize infrastructure, education,
and technology. Development is not imported—it is incubated.
Leadership with Compassion and Conviction
Every great missionary was driven by compassion—love for
people and an unshakable belief in their dignity. Development without
compassion is shallow and unsustainable. It becomes about profit, not progress;
about statistics, not stories. Rural development requires heart-led
leadership—leaders who listen, who walk the dusty roads, who understand the
struggles of villagers fetching water from distant boreholes, or mothers
walking miles to reach a clinic.
But compassion alone is not enough. It must be paired
with conviction. Conviction keeps you building when funds are
short, planning when others have given up, and believing when results take
time. The missionary spirit is that of stubborn hope—the refusal to
give up on the dream of transformation.
You Are the Bridge
Think of yourself as a bridge between what is and what could
be. The rural-urban divide in Zimbabwe is not just about geography; it is about
access—access to markets, to technology, to skills, to opportunity. You can
bridge that gap. If you work in the city, consider mentoring or supporting a
rural initiative. If you are in the diaspora, consider investing back home in a
meaningful project. If you live in the rural area, start where you
are—organize, innovate, and collaborate.
The bridge-builder does not wait for permission—they create a
connection. A single small solar project can light up a village. A single
borehole can transform an entire community’s health. A single cooperative can
change livelihoods. And all it takes is one missionary spirit to start the
movement.
The Call to Take a Stand
Rural Zimbabwe does not need sympathy; it needs champions.
It needs men and women who will say, “I will be the one.” You are not too
small, too poor, or too late. Every big transformation begins with one
committed individual. The missionaries who built our oldest schools and
hospitals were not many; they were a few, but they were driven.
Take a stand today. Be that missionary of progress. Refuse
to be limited by what you lack and start with what you have. Plant trees. Build
small dams. Mentor youth. Promote local innovation. Advocate for rural
industrialization. Every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the
nation’s rebirth.
Conclusion: The Mission is Now
Zimbabwe’s next phase of growth will not come from foreign
donors or distant investors; it will come from its own sons and daughters who
believe in their land enough to act. The missionaries of old brought the gospel
of faith; today’s missionaries must bring the gospel of development.
So rise up, builder of schools, grower of crops, creator of
enterprises, teacher of minds, healer of bodies. Rise up and take your stand.
The mission field is not across the ocean; it is across the road, in your
village, in your community, in your hands.
You are the missionary of rural development.
The mission is now.
Bio:
Last Mazambani (PhD) is a transformational
project management and change management professional in the public sector. His
academic publications are on sustainability, financial inclusion, financial
technology, and cryptocurrency. Click here to
access his academic profile. Last can be contacted at lastmazambani@gmail.com.
