United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Synod Bishop His Grace the Rev Sydney Sichilima paid a pastoral visit to retired Ministers at Kasaka settlement earlier this year. Accompanied by the Synod Projects Secretary and Communications Secretary, he donated 40 kilograms of mealie meal (flour made from maize) and two litres of vegetable oil to each of the retired ministers. These donations were made in view of the rising costs of electricity tariffs, fuel, mealie meal, and difficult economic conditions arising in part due to the effects of climate change.
The Lusaka Centre of the UCZ University launched its long-awaited Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programme on 18 January, and the institution will offer both undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes through ODL, said Centre Director Professor Edwin Silavwe in his orientation speech. Welcoming new students in the lay theological training certificate programme, Prof Silavwe said that the opening of a centre in Lusaka is a way of making the Copperbelt Campus more accessible to potential students in the other provinces, and as the centre expands, there are plans to register two more schools – School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and School of Business and Management Studies.