Choma, Southern Province, Zambia – 1 February 2026 – The United Church of Zambia (UCZ), together with a high-level delegation from the Evangelical Church in Dortmund, Germany, today celebrated the official handover of 10 newly built housing units to The United Church of Zambia for CHODORT Training Centre in Choma. This latest phase brings the total number of completed houses in the CHODORT Housing Estate to 18 units, crowning nearly 28 years of partnership between the two churches.
The German delegation was led by Rev. Heike Proske, Superintendent of the Dortmund Evangelical Church, accompanied by Rev. Dr. Sabine Breithaupt-Schlak, Chairperson of the Partnership Committee in Dortmund, and Mr. Dirk Loose, Head of Department for Ecumenism. Together with UCZ leaders, they officiated at a day of worship, thanksgiving, and celebration to mark the handover.
During the service, Rev. Heike Proske preached the homily, drawing on the biblical promise that God is “making everything new” and linking this hope to the shared journey of The United Church of Zambia and the Evangelical Church in Dortmund. In her remarks at the handover, she underlined that this is a partnership of equals—not one where one side is strong and the other weak, or where one only gives and the other only depends, but a relationship in which both churches share gifts, learn from one another, and walk together in faith and mission.
Presiding over the civic ceremony, Rev. Dr. Chipasha Musaba, General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Synod of The United Church of Zambia, received the housing units on behalf of the UCZ and hailed the project as a powerful example of what long-term collaboration can achieve.
“It’s a pleasure to be here today as we celebrate the handover of these 10 housing units that have been under construction in the last 3 years, built with the generous support of Dortmund Evangelical Church,” Rev. Dr. Musaba said. “This gesture is a testament to the strong partnership between our district churches; The United Church of Zambia, Choma Consistory in Zambia and the Evangelical Church of the city of Dortmund in Germany, spanning over 28 years.”
He noted that the housing development has been delivered in phases under successive leadership:
- Rev. David Nixon & team – initiated and delivered 4 units over about 7 years
- Ms. Jenny Featherstone & team – delivered another 4 units over about 7 years
- Dr. Edward Nondo & team – have now delivered 10 units in the current 7‑year span
“And so today, we are celebrating the receipt of a gift of a total of 18 units, making a pledged number of houses constituting CHODORT Housing Estate delivered in an incremental manner,” Rev. Dr. Musaba added.
CHODORT’s Mission: Skills, Dignity, and Sustainability
CHODORT Training Centre, a ministry and project of The United Church of Zambia, Choma Consistory, was established in 2003 as a partnership between The United Church of Zambia, Choma Consistory and the Evangelical Church in Dortmund. It is a vocational skills training institution registered under the Government’s skills training authority TEVETA. Located at in Mochipapa, Choma, CHODORT provides practical training to vulnerable and disadvantaged people—including orphans—in:
- Carpentry and brick-making
- Tailoring and dressmaking
- Computer applications (as an ICDL test centre)
- Food production and hospitality
“As the General Secretary of The United Church of Zambia, I’m delighted to see this project come to fruition,” Rev. Dr. Musaba said. “These houses will enhance the centre’s capacity to empower trainees and contribute to community development in Choma district, Southern Province and the country as a whole.”
The new housing units form a key part of CHODORT’s investment and sustainability strategy. Rental income from the houses will help secure the long-term financial footing of the centre’s training programmes and related community initiatives.
Recognising Partners and Implementers
Rev. Dr. Musaba expressed heartfelt thanks to all partners and implementers who contributed to the successful completion of the project:
“We appreciate the efforts of all involved, particularly the CHODORT management team, JOWA Construction, and Consulting Muteto Muteto Architects. This milestone is a reflection of what we can achieve together.”
He concluded with a special word of gratitude to the German partners:
“To our partners at Dortmund Evangelical Church, we say Mwabombenipo mukwai (Twalumba) – Thank you! We look forward to continued partnership and exploring new avenues for growth. May this partnership continue to bear fruit, and may CHODORT Training Centre remain a beacon of hope and development.”