Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

There has been rejoicing with those who rejoice in ALMA!  We have celebrated: with everyone gathered in St Alban’s North Harrow on 21 September to honour Bishop Donald Arden’s remarkable 70 years of Priesthood and service in Africa and London; with ALMA Rep Anusha Leathard and Peter Hesketh from St Luke’s Chelsea at their marriage on 21 August; with the returning ALMA Visitors all envisioned by their time with their link partners in the last few weeks and finally with Bishop André’s visit to London and our ALMA meeting last week.

There has also been mourning with those who mourn. You’ll be aware from the news and the reports on our website of the Food Riots in Maputo earlier in September when 30 people died and the city was brought to a standstill. The increase in bread prices was subsequently reversed by the government. Do read the wide-ranging Observer article which looks at the role of climate change, commodity speculation and the architecture of the global food system as contributory factors alongside the rise in the cost of living for the urban poor because of global increases in fuel and food prices.

This Circular Contains:

1. Diary Dates
2. News from our Partners
   • Angola
   • Lebombo
   • Niassa
3. London news

1. Dairy Dates:

20-22 September: UN Millennium Development Goals Summit

10 October: Global day of Prayer for MDGs. See www.whatsyourpromise.org.uk for further ideas, prayer and worship materials. All ALMA Partners can take part in this. Please look at Meeting the Millennium Development Goals a booklet with eight good news stories compiled by London’s Global Development Group which includes four with an Angolan or Mozambican flavour. This can be downloaded as a twelve page booklet by sending the PDF to the booklet function on a photocopier (either A4 or A5 size).

20 October: Broadcast of 98th Object in History of the World in 100 Objects

The Throne of Weapons. Neil McGregor and Kofi Annan will discuss this ‘Swords into Ploughshares’ sculpture from Mozambique.

November: ALMA Reps & Friends meeting with Mozambican focus. Date to be confirmed.

2. News from our Partners in brief:

a) Angola:

• John Tasker attended the Angolan Diocesan Synod at the end of August and will update us on this.
• Bishop André visited London for the MANNA AGM and had an action packed visit focussing on theological education, meeting lots of people from Archbishop Rowan to ALMA Reps.
• Nsosso school (Lent Appeal 2008) is now ready for roofing
• Songo School (St Botolph-without-Bishopgate & St Barnabas Connecticut project) is also almost at roof height. See pictures on the St Botoph web site.

b) Lebombo:

• Bishop Dinis played an active part in appealing for calm during the riots. Read his report.
• Father Julio Mutemba shared the sorrow of his congregation: ‘Bagamoyo and Benfica had been badly affected. Today we had funeral of one of our members, a 30 years old boy who was shot by police without having done anything, at his grandparents’ house. Her mother is a council member in our parish’. He added ‘The city is now calm, but full of rubbish, mortuary full of corpses, shops empty, markets with rotten products’.
• Joe Hanlon’s article on the food riots is also worth reading.
• In mid August after the Induction at Beira, Bishop Dinis writes ‘being so near to Chimoio, they took advantage to use Monday to Baptize and Confirm in Gondola and Chimoio and also to see ALMA’S supported projects there, for vulnerable and orphaned young people. It was all so blessed’
• Archdeacon Agostino sends news from Inhambane:

  ‘We had good time with the Bishop. On Saturday we had retreat lead by the Bishop. On Sunday was the great Celebration of the birth of Blessed Virgin Mary in same time with the Celebration of Youth Sunday. Chambone was full with youth from all the Diocese and also the Catechist course from all the Archdeaconry which started on Saturday until Wednesday in total of 36. It was a big challenge for us but God is good’.

c) Niassa:

• Revd Ann Clarridge was in Lichinga during Diocesan Synod and will report back to us on this and exciting malaria work in Mechanelas area.
• The Equipas da Vida have trained 30 new Adeptos (community development fieldworkers).
• Bishop Mark’s visit to Nacala has been re-arranged for the autumn as he attended the African Anglican Bishops Conference in Uganda in August.
• USPG reports the Appeal to assist Niassa Diocese has raised £546. Please do revisit this if you are able to.

3 London News 

• Lent Appeal 2010 for ALMA’s Children has raised £52,000 to date. Thank you so much to everyone who has raised these funds which will be put to good use. In Angola Bishop André has pledged Angola’s share of this Lent Appeal to the building of Benguela School which St John’s Pinner, Benguela’s twin parish, is also supporting. Bishop Dinis is keen to see a ‘Chihunzuine type’ project in neighbouring Magumeto which has 153 registered children and faces the same problems as Chihunzuine. So watch this space! (NB the Appeal books remain open until 31 December 2010 so it’s not too late for donations).
• Two new visit reports are on the website:
  • Southall’s visit to Lichinga
  • Ian Sturt’s visit to Beira for Fr Germano’s induction, and the unveiling of a memorial plaque to Fr Isaias at the spot where he collapsed on Good Friday.
• There have been a few interesting articles in the media about Pakistan learning from Mozambique’s approach to flooding which might interest you. This
• BBC news report on 20 August has a wonderful film and report from Andre Harding. It shows how Mozambique has learnt from the 2000 floods and also updates us on the life of Rosita – the baby who was born in a tree during the 2000 floods.