Bishop Saddock: “Lack of rain is more serious for us than Covid-19”

The Rt Revd Saddock Makaya, the Bishop of the Diocese of Western Tanganyika (DWT), our link diocese in Tanzania, has spoken out on the devastating effects of climate change.

In a recorded Zoom conversation, his message to this Diocese is stark – that climate change is happening, it is happening now, and people in his diocese are dying as a result.

Bishop Saddock said, “At this time of year in Tanzania, we are supposed to have enough rain…This change of weather… has really affected us. In Tanzania, people live by agriculture. Their life depends on the rain.

“So if it does not rain, people starve.”

He explained that the Islamic community in Tanzania have declared three national days of fasting and prayer that God would bring rain.

“If there is one specific area I would like to ask the whole Diocese of Gloucester to pray for us, is climate change. Climate change has affected Tanzania in a way that we cannot explain, in a way that we cannot tell you… Lack of rain is more serious for us than Covid-19.”

Hear this powerful conversation with Bishop Robert, the Revd Helen Sammon, our link officer for the DWT partnership and Damian Baraka, Diocesan accountant for DWT.

 

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