Meeting Report - 13 November 2008

It was good to see ALMA Reps bringing members of their congregations to join us for this meeting. We were very closely packed in Room A for the first part where we heard from Clare Rider and Revd Ann Clarridge on their visits to very different parts of Niassa Diocese: Clare to Pemba on the coast and Ann to the Niassan Lakeshore in the Mechanheles Pastoral Area. These were very different visits.

Clare, along with Chris Owens, was on a first visit to their extensive link parish Sta Maria, de Madelina which covers many satellite congregations in the wider Pemba area. It is the only Anglican church in Cabo Delgado province with Revd Juliao Fenias spending a lot of time on the road visiting satellite congregations and working with Across the Barriers (a Pemba version of Churches Together). Despite the nearby sea, water provision is an issue for many of the smaller communities. St Peter and St Paul Teddington have, since Clare and Chris’ return, been joined by St James Hampton Hill as they seek to better accompany Sta Maria de Madelina in its ministry and mission. Mobile phones have greatly improved communications.

Ann, a former health professional, went to work alongside Rebecca Vander Meulen (HIV Co-ordinator) and the Equipas da Vida (HIV teams) in Niassa, taking visual resources from Health Alliance with her. Her journey was physically much tougher as there are no direct flights to the area she was working in, so travel was in open top trucks. Ann taught 5 separate days of workshops with Mothers’ Union, Catechists and Priests in single gender groups as issues of stigma and discrimination were explored. She was also much in demand as a priest and privileged to be able to lead and celebrate in services. In hindsight she wished she’d known she would spend so much time in clerical clothes, which received punishing wear. She also mentioned a special water filter, suggesting that ALMA should purchase one to loan to people going on visits.

LENT. Peter reminded us that accounts for 2007 are now on the ALMA website and then gave updates on Lent 2008 which has raised £92,361.70p excluding Gift Aid – usefully more than the target, as the falling value of the pound against the dollar, inflation in Angola and Mozambique mean there are still sufficient funds to build the three primary schools.

LENT 2009 will be focussing on Water and Sanitation projects – following on from the River of Life Service in July and in line with UN recommendations for achieving the MDGs.

CHAPLAINCY GROUPS in three different rooms – this was a very productive time when people were able to share experiences and question speakers in a less formal setting. In fact it was hard to gather ALMA Reps back for our Portuguese lesson! Revd Muanga taught us the Grace as we closed the meeting. Let’s see if we can commit this to active memory before our next meeting:

We ended by saying ‘Go well’ to Elizabeth Tucker and assuring her (and Robert and Father Paul) of our prayers as they return to Zove.