Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Friends,

The first weeks of 2016 have been busy within the ALMA partnership and in the wider church. In January the Anglican Primates summit took place in Canterbury.

The second Angolan national youth conference met in Benguela; Lebombo hosted the African Primates retreat at Xai Xai and Maciene and the Niassan Electoral Assembly met for three days in Lichinga chaired by Archbishop Thabo. After 21 rounds of voting the exhausted Assembly agreed to delegate the appointment of the next Bishop of Niassa to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) Synod of Bishops which met this week.

The foot washing at the end of the Anglican Primates Summit

The Angolan National Youth Conference in Benguela Church

The reception of the guests at the airport for the African Primates’ retreat at Xai Xai and Maciene

We have just heard that no new Bishop of Niassa has been elected and that the decision has been deferred until the September Synod. Please continue to hold the ACSA Bishops and the Niassa team in your prayers.

Diocese of Niassa electoral assembly

All these events in Angola and Mozambique have taken place against the backdrop of the very severe drought right across Southern Africa which is seriously affecting all partner dioceses (more on this below), continued tension in Mozambique between Renamo and the Government, and the economic pressure resulting from the collapse of the oil price in Angola.

Revd Maria Domingos, our link officer in Angola, reported today that three weeks ago a bag of rice was 4000 kwanzas. Now it is 11,000.

1. Diary Dates

Tuesday 19 April. ALMA Reps Meeting at Diocesan House Main Hall 6-8pm. Light refreshments from 5.40pm

Sunday 10 July. ALMA Sunday – afternoon tea with Bishop André Soares – 3.30 - 5pm at St Vedast Foster Lane (very near St Paul’s Cathedral).
Followed at 6pm by ALMA Sunday Service St Paul’s Cathedral with Bishop André - to mark the coming of age of our partnership: ALMA is 18.

Tuesday 12 July. Lunch for Priests with Angola Parish Links with Bishop André. 12.30 - 2pm Main Hall Diocesan House.

Tuesday 18 October. ALMA Reps Meeting at Diocesan House Main Hall 6-8pm. Light refreshments from 5.40pm

RIP Bishop Paulino Manhique

Bishop Paulino Manhique died on 2 February. Bishop Paulino was the second Bishop of Niassa, and visited London in 2000. He served in Lebombo after his retirement in 2002 - seen here on Children’s Sunday June 2015 at Influene Church, Maputo.

2. Drought

The drought right across Southern Africa is a very severe in this El Ninõ year. In mid - January we shared on our facebook page the news from Ivan Macie, our Lebombo Link Officer:

“In the south of Mozambique we are now facing extreme drought resulting from not having rain since October. It was reported that only in Maputo Province more than 200 animals died in the last two weeks due to lack of food and water. At the same time in the centre and north of Mozambique people are facing challenges due to floods. It's the effect of climate change. We can feel it. We also heard about the floods in UK, we put you in our prayer”

ACT Alliance has launched an appeal for Southern Mozambique

Bishop André has recently been on a pastoral visit to Cunene in the South of Angola and writes:

“In some areas there has been no rain for three years. People are leaving their region to go in Kubango region to feed their animals. We had some confirmations and baptisms, but in others places we did not find people there. People don't have drinking water or food.”

Bishop Manuel has sent news from Rebecca Vander Meulen in Mecanhelas:

“The Diocese of Niassa is currently carrying out emergency response work in the provinces of Zambezia and Nampula, responding to food insecurity that has emerged as a result of late and minimal rains in the 2015-2016 planting season and poor harvest from the 2014-2015 planting season due to flooding.

Many farmers planted their seeds a few months ago, when the rains began. But then the rains stopped, and the small seedlings withered and died. These farmers are in a very dire situation.

According to the UN, the current main source of cereals is the market instead of own production which indicates low production. This also means that prices are inflated.

The Diocese of Niassa plans to lead a targeted distribution of at least 2600 KG of ‘60-day cowpea’ seeds to some of the most vulnerable farmers within the next ten days. The cost is a little less than £2 GBP or $3 USD per kilo, including the costs of transport, distribution and monitoring.

60-day cowpea has been recommended to us by a visiting agronomist associated with one of our partner organisations. This plant should mature within a 55-60-day period, which is quicker than most beans. Cowpeas are rich in potassium and vitamins A and C and its leaves are also high in calories. The diocese will use our existing community-based DRR committees to help to select the most vulnerable families in affected communities.”

ALMA: Short Term Response:

• On 8 March ALMA Strategy Group meeting will discuss sending some money from our General funds for drought relief and mitigation measures
• A donation from the harvest Appeal at St Stephen's Canonbury has already been used for the purchase of cowpea seed in Niassa
• Parishes, especially those with links in affected areas, are also invited to take a special collection which we can send to partners

ALMA: Longer Term Response:

• Go green. Make both personal and church commitments to reduce our carbon footprints in solidarity with our partners who bear the brunt of climate change
• Consider becoming an Eco Church. The new scheme was launched in St Paul’s Cathedral on 25 January with the first Eco Church award presented to the Cathedral's Canon Philippa Boardman. This scheme helps churches become better and pro-active stewards of God's beautiful creation.
• Join the MU of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and give up polystyrene.
• Support projects like WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and all efforts at Rainwater harvesting (remember those tanks Jo built? And the smaller scale domestic ones)

St Pauls Institute reception to launch Eco church

Canon Philippa Boardman

3. News from our Partners

a) Angola

• In our last newsletter we reported on the severe financial and social consequences of the fall in oil prices which has led to rapid inflation. The Angola Monitor reports that

  “The budget for 2016 was set in December 2015 on the basis of an expected $45 for a barrel of oil. Angola was applauded for its conservative approach to the likely price of oil by commentators such as the Economist; however in mid-January 2016 the price is around $28 a barrel…..Angola has one of the least diversified economies in the world. It is largely dependent on the price it gets for its oil.”

  Revd Maria Domingos, our Link Officer, shares the very real impact of this in her news on the tripling of rice prices in three weeks (see earlier).

• The latest edition of Journal O Mensagiero (2983Kb) is now available. It has news of the second national Angolan Anglican Youth Conference in Benguela and also some photos of another stage of the Benguela School Project (an ALMA’s Children and St John’s Pinner project) – the bathrooms – middle picture below.
  

b) Lebombo

• Lebombo Diocese has hosted the African Primates’ retreat at Xai Xai and Maciene and is preparing to host the ACSA (the Anglican Province of Southern Africa) Children’s Workers Conference this summer with Anglican Youth already involved in preparations.

c) Niassa

• Huge energy went into the Electoral Assembly in Lichinga in January. Today’s news from Synod in South Africa may be a real disappointment to many. So as the work of the Diocese continues under Vicar General Bishop Manuel, we pray for the leadership team and the Diocesan Board in the months between now and September that they may be upheld as they continue to be the hands and feet of Christ in the areas they serve.

4. London

• We mentioned at the last ALMA Reps meeting that Chareen Lyle, who works at Diocesan House is doing something very special, and very challenging, for ALMA in April. She writes:

  I am running the Brighton Marathon on 17 April this year and raising money for ALMA. I am proud to be running for ALMA as I think this partnership is a great thing which makes a real difference in these two post-conflict countries. Projects include school buildings, community health posts, water and sanitation, church buildings and above all training and mentoring leaders from community leaders to lay and ordained ministers. Recently ALMA has invested in 2200 Tutudesks (lap top desks which are also teaching aids) for children in schools without desks.

  So please sponsor me, so I can give ALMA the support they need to keep on doing the good things that they are doing. Thanking you in advance. Please click on my JustGiving webpage to sponsor me.

  Some of us are planning on going to Brighton to support Chareen so let me know if you want to join us for a day by the sea. Our next ALMA meeting is just two days afterwards so hopefully we will be able to salute the victor!