ALMA
link

Reps Circular

Logo

ALMA EMAIL CIRCULAR 1 MARCH 2010

From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Communications Officer
almacomms@london.anglican.org T: Tuesdays: 020 7932 1231

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

This is a supplementary circular to last week’s one as we have received:

  1. a report from Josephine Mutemba, the Lebombo Link Officer with welcome news from Lebombo parishes;
  2. news from Bishop André on an exciting new HIV initiative in Angola: REDE ESPERANÇA which he, Luandan clergy and the Luandan Clergy wives are leading
  3. news on the second reading of the Vulture Funds Bill.

    I’m also including

  4. A link to an interview with a Mozambican fairtrade farmer – could be useful if you are connecting ALMA and fairtrade fortnight.
  5. News on the Canon Collins Trust
  6. A reminder that it’s not too late to request 2010 Lent Appeal Materials, plus another way of raising funds for the Appeal!

1. News from Lebombo February 2010

St. Barnabas Parish: Kindergarten - our pre-school has started again, with 25 children now. This kindergarten needs to be revitalised, since in the area there some other pre-schools. We are discussing strategies of improving our performance, and we are organizing processes to link with BBC, to see if it can help improve the education of the children.

Water Distribution - This service has become the source of income for the parish, as most people in the community are drinking our water, and pay some money. We were able to purchase 3000 bricks for the building of the guest house. We will soon buy steel and stone. We are gathering building material so that when we have sufficient we can start our construction, though it will take time

Fr. Juliao has started working at CCM coordinating ecumenical services since January 4th, and is working partial time in the parish. It means that more coordination is essential between him, the assistant priest and the catechists, for any emergency during the week.

St. Monica Mahlazine: This congregation is working towards finalizing of electrical installation. They are contributing for the purchase of cables, lamps, switches, and they also raise money for the plastering of the floor, painting of the building, plumbing and connection of electricity. Every month there is special contribution of the works. St. Monica is preparing for its patronal festival to be observed in the beginning of May.

St. Michael and All Angels in Marracuene:  This congregation is building a church by phases, and started with foundations, followed the wall-pier. The next phase will be to do the roofing to enable people to have where to stay during rain and hit, and the last phase will be to build the walls, do the doors and windows. The congregation is led by a woman catechist and receives the priest’s visit, once every month. The Church is located in the new developing town called Marracuene, by the National Road Nr. 1.

Dumping Ministry: The ministry on the dump appears as part of the needs found during the study carried out by Juliao Mutemba, and the parish felt it was good to be involved. St. Barnabas will support the children who work in the dump with school material and make sure they attend school. The parish is contacting the school to see what is needed for each child in order to attend school. While assisting the few cases of illness.

St.Mark’s in Matola: The St. Mark’s parish is building a big new church which will accommodate members from the new created city of Matola. Foundations are complete, the wall are close to the level of the window girder. The area of the building is 17 X 32 metres. The School in this church has prepared a room for teaching computer and financial management, as complementary to the normal lessons they have.

The Good Samaritan Church in Zimpeto, Maputo: On Sunday 14 February, this church hosted an ordination ceremony of Benedito Mahumane, who was made deacon after he had been attending seminary as an external student for a couple of years. The event was attended by members from Maputo archdeaconry. Benedito was a member of the Parish of SS. Stephen and Lawrence in Maputo.

The day before ordination, Bishop Dinis started talking again, and he could do ordination without interpretation, and supported with priests in other parts of the liturgy. Though he talks, he was advised by doctors not to make a lot of effort.

The Good Samaritan Church is one of the churches which contracted damage after the military arsenal blast, and since then it was never repaired, due to incapacity of the local church.

Chihundzuine Project:  Chihundzuine, this year started their activities on 15 January, with 30 children, of the age of 2 to 5 years. It is expected that more children will come to the centre. There will be an awareness in the community. The water has been running well and community is taking benefit of it. We have had a very long severe drought, and in our community the system has helped a lot.

The Seminary: St. Christopher’s theological seminary has started their academic year, with new students from St. Bernard Mizeki – Chimoio, Matola and Maputo. Classes have started but, there other students who have requested a distance learning system, as they are working for the government in different provinces, and if this can be implemented, the number of students will increase.

Inhambane Archdeaconry: Archdeaconry of Inhambane is vast and is served by only four priests, a deacon and four full-time catechists and many non-stipendiary catechists. There are three parishes linked to Alma. St. Monica Homoine is continuing with building of the church within the support they received from ALMA.

At Chambone people are contributing money for the building a hall for hosting big meetings. The parish is also concerned about fixing the entrance to Chambone which was destroyed by rains, and protect the church when it is raining. The deacon serving in Chambone is going to be ordained priest next 28 February in Nhamatanda.

Ordinations in Pungoe District: Five deacons will be ordained priests in Nhamatanda (100 kilometres from Beira) on 28 February 2010. Their names are: Manuel Bassopa, Joao Camanguira, Micaias Caessa, Araujo Caetano and Joao Roque. It is the first time that people are ordained priests in the area, and it will be an opportunity for the families and communities where these candidates were born to attend without having to travel long distances.

(*SB Please continue to pray for Jospehine, who is still coping with intermittent abdominal pain and whose next hospital appointment is not until April)

2. “HIV and AIDS Challenges and the Church”

News of this initiative is in the HIV/AIDS section of this site.

3. Update on Second Reading Vulture Funds Bill 25 February 2010

The Vulture Funds bill passed its second reading in Parliament with all the political parties supporting the bill. However, given the proximity of the general election it will be a major task to get it onto the statute books before then.

Nick Dearden, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign said:

“We are delighted that the vultures bill attracted cross-party support, and we understand the desire of MPs to scrutinise the bill to make sure it is as effective as possible. But we are also concerned that the bill may now fail to become law through lack of time. We call on all political parties to ensure that this bill progresses as fast as possible through Parliament, and that all parties commit to introducing legislation if they form a government in a few months time.”

ALMA Reps may like to ask their MPs to press for this too. If passed, the Bill would limit the ability of vulture funds to use UK law to prey on the poorest countries in the world. There is excellent information on Vulture funds on the JDC website including the Greg Palast report on Newsnight.

4. Fairtrade Fortnight and ALMA

There is a good interview with Moises Raposo  ‘Fairtrade reaches nut growers in our link Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique’ on the Diocese of London fairtrade campaign.

The target for reaching Fairtrade Diocese status has moved recently – 50% of churches must hold a fairtrade certificate rather than simply be using fairtrade. Could you check your church status in the ‘Progress in the Parishes’ section of the website and see if you could go the extra mile in 2010? John Bells’ address to the recent Diocesan fairtrade conference might be the inspiration you need to do this.

5. Canon Collins Trust Postgraduate Scholarships

News from John Tasker

The Canon Collins Trust was established in the 1960s to assist South Africans gain education in the UK which they were denied in apartheid South Africa. The partnership between this Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral and Southern Africa resonates with our ALMA partnership. Today the trust enables young people from any South African Development Community (SADC) member country to access higher education. It does this through funding scholarships in the UK and South Africa.

We think a relationship with Canon Collins Trust will have mutual benefit. For ALMA, obtaining access to higher education scholarships will help young people achieve their potential, and give glory to God. The Canon Collins Trust will value having access to Angola and Mozambique, where they have very few connections.   When considering applications for scholarships, the trust:

If you become aware of young people in linked parishes who could benefit from this opportunity, do tell them about the Canon Collins Trust and encourage them to apply.  Details are available at their web site.

Applications for Distance Learning MBAs at Edinburgh University are open to 31 March.  Scholarship applications for study in South Africa in 2011 will be accepted from April and, in September, the next round of applications for study in the UK from September 2011 will open.

ALMA’s work with education has so far focused on establishing primary schools and developing theological education.  We hope this relationship with the Canon Collins Trust may in time open up an additional level of support for young people, who are the future of both the church and their country.

6. 2010 Diocese of London Lent Appeal: Transforming Lives .. ALMA’s Children

It’s not too late to request resources for the Lent Appeal. A4 Posters, A5 cards – designed for display on mantelpieces or prayer corners throughout Lent - and Gift Aid envelopes are available. Email almacomms@london.anglican.org to request materials, which will be packed for you to collect from Reception at Diocesan House.

In addition there are online resources. I understand there have been problems downloading some of these so here are the links again - they have been re-checked.

Please do hold this Lent Appeal and our partners in prayer remembering the extraordinary challenges they face: 

Population under the Age of 15
Angola 48%
Mozambique 46.9%
United Kingdom 16.7%

And Finally ...

St Paul’s Knightsbridge have a novel way of increasing funds for their Lenten causes which they have rolled out on a larger scale this year. They have negotiated a £1 donation to the Diocesan Lent Appeal for every meal at the eleven Spaghetti House restaurants in central London (voucher required for each person). Download the voucher and read a little more on Spaghetti Sundays

Sheenagh Burrell ALMA Communications Officer Diocese of London
Email: almacomms@london.anglican.org
T: Tuesdays 020 7932 1231