Friends of Makeni Newsletter
April 2006 Newsletter
Dear Friends of Makeni
Warm Greetings from Makeni Ecumenical Centre. The main purpose of this mailing is to let you know that the MEC Annual 2005 Report is now available from the front page of the website, http://makeni.org.uk, or on request by email (please specify PDF or DOC format).
As you know, all the centre's departments have been feeling the absence of Father Pierre Dil, who passed away just over a year ago and Mrs Christine Allen (Administrative Manager) suffered a prolonged illness in 2005, but is now, thankfully, back with us again.
Some other general news from the last year:
Sandy Adams (Scotland), returned to continue working in the main office and lending a hand wherever he is needed. We were also joined by Deborah and Bruce Milano (USA) as long term volunteers working with the Family Planning and AIDS outreach units.
The children of St Nicholas Village enjoyed the company of volunteers Yvonne Kars (Holland), and Matthew Dil (Canada), both of whom developed a great rapport with the children and provided many interesting and entertaining activities for the children.
Jan and Truus Veldkamp (Holland) renovated the primary school playground, provided entertainment facilities and also decorated at St Nicholas Village
The large new ARV (Anti-retroviral) Clinic is nearing completion within MEC grounds. This will be of great use to Makeni and surrounding townships, in the fight for longer survival and quality of life of AIDS sufferers. This programme is a co-operation between MEC, the District Health Management Team in Lusaka and the Ministry of Health.
A local steering and strategic planning board has been formed including interested parties who are not staff members to help ensure that we achieve our aims. Details of current membership are in the full report.
The rains have been very good this year – almost too good, since prolonged rains after crops are harvested can be a problem for drying grain.
The Open University (UK) has now donated a total of five computers to the centre, and we are extremely grateful for the support of Operation Sunshine (Folkestone, England) a church-supported charity, in shipping items to Zambia. The first shipment of three donated computers left at the end of April.
In addition we have continued and generous support for St Nicholas Village from Africa Aids Angels in Canada, and renewed support from churches in England, Holland and Canada, including the Kloosterkerk Worldwide in Holland.
Once again we thank all our friends for their support over the past year, without which many of our our projects could not survive.
Please consider renewing your commitment by making an annual donation to the Friends of Makeni fund, by sending a donation to Mrs Christine Allen at Box 50255, Lusaka, Zambia, or through your local Friends of Makeni support group!
Mailing List
We hope the above reports are of interest to you. Please use them to publicise our work in your congregation and among friends. Its contents will be included also in our website which you may visit at http://makeni.org.uk. (There may be a delay between the newsletter and website materials being updated.)
Please let the webmaster (Anton Dil) know, by writing to postmaster @ makeni.org.uk:
· If we are not using your preferred email address
· If you would prefer not to receive the newsletter
· If you know the address of someone else who might like to receive the newsletter
Yours in Christ
Mrs Christine Allen (Administrator), Fr Andrew Mukuyamba (Chairman), Mrs Wenda Dil and family and the staff of MEC
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