Overseas Updates

Update from Sachibondu

13th November 2007

The latest newsletter from Ruth Wallis in Zambia is available to download from the Resources section of the website.

News from Zambia

8th January 2007

News from Ruth Wallis at Sachibondu

The Health Centre keeps busy. We have started building a new laboratory in front of the Health Centre as we have to do so many tests now in our small lab. We are the local TB and HIV testing Centre. Sadly there are several new cases each month; but it is so good that now with treatment they soon improve. The local folk have made all the burnt bricks, and carried stones and sand, and with some gifts we have managed to buy some cement and other supplies and continue to look to God to supply through other gifts to complete the lab. as we really need a decent size one.

Friday 1 December was World Aids Day; we got some of our people living with Aids talking to the patients at the Health Centre and the schools, and there is drama too which they all love.

News from Leontina at Mutende

The 1st of December was World Aids Day. Mutende participated on a community level. On 29th November there was a march from the point where the houses start in Lulamba right up to the local Fire Baptized church for candle lighting at 4 pm. During the morning the community visited Mutende and donated assorted items and did a little cleaning of the surroundings. Then on lst December we went to the offices of the D.A.T.F.(District Aids Task Force) and presented poems, sketches, and each organisation with a banner and a message on HIV/Aids awareness. The theme for this year was "Stop Aids, keep the promise".

I had a very nice afternoon sitting on the kitchen doorway step with all the pretty little girls in Mutende doing their plaits. Across from us was a bunch of boys near the playground. They had collected old cardboard boxes and were cutting them into squares and putting numbers on them. The bigger boys picked two sides of under 6 years old and pinned these numbers to their backs. They named themselves as coaches for the teams who stood in smart lines and started to sing what went for the equivalent of the Zambian national anthem. So there was Zambia playing Brazil right before our eyes! The whistle went and pandemonium broke loose, it was goals galore and in 20 minutes Zambia was leading by 9 goals to 8, and little Joseph was one of the top scorers. The girls cheered with all their hearts. I never had a good laugh as I did then!

All the other children and house, mothers came out to watch Zambia beat Brazil in that magical 20 minutes. We later had mangoes, and plans for a future re-match against the teams. The girls planned to come up with a ladies

News from Uganda

6th April 2006

Toks Akinbadewa, Paediatric Nurse, working with a community of Christians, bringing good health care to a rural community in the south west of Uganda.

Kagando hospital was founded just over 40 years ago. It is based at the foothills of the Rwenzori’s and serves as a local and referral hospital for this South West region of Uganda.

It is a big hospital with 280 beds. Many of the patients live in the mountains and owing to the lack of roads and transport, walk or are carried to the hospital.

I work on the busy paediatric ward with 67 beds. Though we often have over 100 children admitted on the ward, because of the lack of quality heath care providers.

Most of the Staff here are committed Christians. People come to Kagando because the doctors and nurses care.

The work that goes on in the hospital is one of the projects run by the Church of Uganda in their witness to the community. Other projects are a primary school, a community development programme and a school of Nursing and Midwifery.

Prayer requests for the moment include the need for more midwives and nurses. We have a lot of difficulty retaining staff due to delays in paying their salaries. The remote location and heavy workload is also off putting. We do have a small group of committed midwives and nurses for which we are thankful.

Other images of Kagando are viewable in the Overseas Pictures gallery.

It’s a Girl!

15th February 2006

Congratulations to Steve & Fung Chu Dickinson, on the birth of their baby girl– Hannah Joy. She was born on the 12th of February at 6pm (Malaysian time), weighing 6lbs. Steve says: “she is very alert (must be from my side) and cute (which comes from her mum’s side obviously!)”

Christmas News from Zambia

14th December 2005

Hello everyone.

We thought this would be a good time to send out a Christmas circular and to give you an update on our news. We have been here for over a month now living as part of the Chetani family. Bishop Greg and his wife Juliet are taking good care of us despite the fact that their youngest daughter Naomi has been very unwell with diabetes. She has just come out of hospital after a week’s stay. Bishop Greg is the national overseer to the Fire Baptised churches in Zambia– we have not met a bishop before let alone lived with one!

The Mutende Children’s village is about 6 miles from where we are living on the edge of Chingola. It is home to 28 children in 2 units with a further 14 children due to arrive in the new unit soon. As it is the school holidays a good number have returned to stay with relatives for Christmas so it is quieter here at the moment.

Most of the places for the 3rd unit are sorted including 5 children from the same family cared for by their 73 year old grandfather, who is caring for 12 grandchildren in all. The younger ones will be coming to Mutende.

We are enjoying being at Mutende several days per week and have taken on a decorating project in the new unit, painting bedrooms. So far we have completed 2 with 3 to go. We are also spending time with the children particularly on days when they are due to have computer lap top sessions which is a highlight of the week for many of them. There are other things going on which we have a hand in one of which is trying to get the right people in to mend the bore hole which has not worked for some time– the water supply there is frequently cut off as is electricity! Having been out here for some time in July for an initial visit we have got to know the children already and they gave us a great welcome when we arrived in November! Since July there have been a number of changes with a new playground and library resource room set up by Malc and Donna who are part of the same church as us in Bristol. These are very well used and appreciated by the kids!
It has been very hot here with some spectacular thunder storms, so it does not feel like Christmas however we are told that on Christmas day there will be a party at Mutende in the afternoon so we are looking forward to a different experience this year!

We are getting used to a different culture– many people speak English but we do not have sufficient time to really get hold of the language (Bemba). The singing and rhythms are very vibrant– a great sound to listen to even if we don’t pick up the words. Last Sunday was given over to an appreciation of Bishop Greg and Juliet– this apparently happens only rarely but it is an opportunity for people to bring presents. These included a satellite dish, which now means we have a range of channels and good TV reception, and a new fridge amongst other things.

We have been able to use a pick up van quite often to get around, which means that people will jump on the back for a ride: about 3 or 4 armed policeman the other day! Otherwise we have had the fun of using buses and taxis many of which are well past MOT status and at the very least require bump starting.

We are learning to appreciate the basic necessities of life, the water goes off regularly. Other things which are luxuries at home are readily available, e.g. we are eating mangos from the tree in the garden now they are in season and literally falling off and hitting the roof as they go!

Future plans: we have made contact with Ruth Wallis who we visited in North West Province 5 years ago and we hope to see her for a few days in January before we leave here. Prior to returning home we are planning to visit Victoria Falls which Muriel has seen but Ian has not, then on to Kenya where our friend Julia is based for a short holiday there.

Thank you to all of you who have been in touch with us prior to Christmas– we really appreciate it. Have a really great Christmas and a happy new year!

Love from Ian and Muriel