Our story at Passo a Passo
Discover the journey of Passo a Passo, a Christian charity dedicated to education and community development in Gondola, Mozambique. Learn about our mission, our values, and the impact we've made since 2010
Background Information
Francis and Ursula Fitzsimons are an Irish couple with rich backgrounds in education and have a desire to see lives transformed by the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Francis grew up in Dundrum, Co. Dublin and in 1979 he graduated from UCD with a BA Degree. He studied for a further year at Carysfort Teacher Training College in Blackrock.
He was on the teaching staff of St.Mark’s Senior Primary School, Tallaght, before heading to Mozambique in 1992 to take up the post as School Director at a Mission school in central Mozambique from 1992 until 1999.
Ursula grew up in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. She has a degree in Home Economics and Irish from St. Catherine’s College of Home Economics in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. She taught in St. Mac Dara’s Community College, Templeogue.
Francis and Ursula married in 1987. They lived in Firhouse, Co Dublin where their two sons John and Matthew were born. Their daughter Lisa was later born in Zimbabwe .
Before setting out for Mozambique, they attended Blackrock Christian Fellowship Church and while there they were
involved in youth work, Sunday school teaching and youth camps throughout the country.
Our aims for the community
In 1991 Francis had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks at a mission station in central Mozambique. Moved by this experience and sensing the call of God, Francis and Ursula
with their two young sons moved to Mozambique in September 1992. Within a month, the civil war ended, and the Fitzsimons family stepped up to the task of assisting in the education of a
new generation of Mozambicans.
Francis became the Primary School Director where he completed the school’s construction, implemented a development plan, and guided it through a time of rapid growth. Before long the school was reaching over 500 local children.
All three of their children attended the primary school headed by their father where they learned through the medium of
Portuguese alongside their Mozambican friends.
Ursula home-schooled their children through secondary school, and all three children graduated from Universities in Pretoria , South Africa, and now follow careers in health and education.
Brief History
Francis and Ursula spent their first 17 years in Mozambique developing and managing a Mission Primary School in central Mozambique and serving at the Mission orphanage. The school reached over 500 children from the surrounding villages. However, due to poverty and related social problems, many children could not continue into second level studies.
In 2010, the Fitzsimons transitioned to Africa 180, a neighbouring mission for five years during which time they developed and registered their own non-profit Mission association called “Passo a Passo.”(Step by Step)
The Mission Association is located in the central Mozambican province of Manica, in the district of Gondola, in the locality of Nhambia, and there they have built Nhambia Christian Secondary School.
Passo a Passo also impacts the community through a variety of other ministries. These include Ladies’ Bible studies, prison ministry, social aid and a small agricultural programme .
They have also partnered with a couple from the U.S. involved with Audio-Scripture ministry, Palliative Care and Agriculture .
"Our Christian beliefs guide our mission, ensuring every decision reflects our dedication to serving the community with integrity and compassion."
The Passo a Passo Team