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1. Diocese of Angola The Diocese of Angola falls within the boundaries of the Republic of Angola. Covering an area of 1, 246, 700 km2 (slightly less than twice the size of Texas) it is home to a population of 11 million people. Of this population, 43.5% are under the age of 14, more than 50% are unemployed and up to 70% live below the poverty line. At least 85% of Angolans live outside of the main cities. Although Portuguese is the official language of the Republic of Angola, it is not widely spoken outside the main cities. 47% of the population adhere to indigenous belief systems, 38% are Roman Catholic and 15% Protestant. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is estimated to stand at 5.5% of the adult population, with an estimated 110 000 orphans. Angola has just emerged from a quarter of a century of nearly continuous warfare. An apparently durable peace was established in February 2002, but consequences of the conflict continue, including the impact of widespread land mines. Their communication infrastructure is slowly being established while infrastructure for transport is still is disarray. While travel around the Capital City of Luanda is possible, most other travel is only possible by airplane – an extremely costly means of transport. Some road travel can be achieved, but only with 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Maria comes from a background in community work. She works closely with the Mother’s Union, running church programmes such as bible studies, dressmaking and cookery classes. She has one daughter, Domingas Sebastiao Ferreira.
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DIOCESES 1. Angola
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