Sudan Celebration 2nd May 2010

International Director of Tearfund, Peter Grant spoke at the 11:00 am service on
May 2nd, and joined us in celebrating the sucess of the Building Bridges project so far, and also about our next project for the Sudan.

Our Initial Taget for the Kembedole bridge was to raise £6,500, but the final total raised was a staggering £9,808.64

Click Here to listen to what Peter had to say.

	Peter Grant played a DVD that showed how the victims of AIDS within Africa can be helped to overcome the stigma that is often attached to this disease, and to enable them to seek help with obtaining vital drugs and support. He went on to explain that our next project was to raise over £10,000 to enable the setting up of such a facility under Bishop Hilary in the Parish of Yei in Southern Sudan. This money would enable people to be trained to help and support those in need seek help for testing and treatment.
At the end of the service the worship goup play us out.

	After the service, we celebrate with a barbeque even though the Bank Holiday weather is against us.

	Finally Peter Grant is presented with a cheque for £6291 on Behalf of All Saints' Church, and Barry Smith receives a certificate in recognition of our efforts from Tearfund

 

Kembedole Build a Bridge Project

KEMBEDOLE BRIDGE APPEAL CROSSES FINISH LINE

The appeal to raise £6,500 launched at All Saints in September to help build a bridge in the southern Sudanese village of Kembedole has reached its target, thanks to the amazing response of the church and community of Burbage.
The need for a speedy completion of the bridge was brought home recently after news of the tragic death of a Kembedole primary teacher who slipped from the temporary rafter crossing and hit his head on a rock in the waters below.
Construction of the new bridge started last April and by the end of June, all concrete works were completed. The community took responsibility for mobilizing local resources in the form of stones, sand, unskilled labour and food for construction workers – much of the work done by village women. Steel and cement was provided by Tearfund’s partners in Sudan, Across, and the local government stepped in to donate a 15 metric tonne truck chassis which has been lifted on to the concrete columns.
Tearfund representative in Nairobi Jonas Njelango said he was so grateful to the people of All Saints for playing a part in lifting the community of Kembedole out of physical and spiritual poverty.
The project caught the imagination of the church and the community through a whole range of fund-raising events – from dancing lessons to sponsored runs, jewellery auctions to a head shave – and these were boosted by individual and group donations.
Appeal chairman Barry Smith said the response was beyond his wildest dreams.
“It has been so exciting to see how the build a bridge project really took off and a lot of people have worked really hard to make the dream of the Kembedole community come true.
“It looks like we have exceeded our target and we are thrilled about that because any extra money raised will be kept by Tearfund in a special account to be used for another project to be decided on in the next few months.
“We hope this will be just the start of links between All Saints and southern Sudan because we don’t want to just build a bridge and forget about it, but build a bridge between our communities which will not only enrich them but us too”.

 

Click Here to see pictures from Build a bridge and learn to dance

 

Barry Smith reads a letter from Bishop Stephen on reaching the £6500 target. 24/01/2010 Click on the arrow to play.

Launch in external player

 

The Kembe Bridge – Current State

This 15 metric tone Trailer Chassis was successfully mounted on the 15th Sept. 2009. It is 12m long and 3m wide. This width will be increased to 4m as shown below.         The Bridge as it stood on the 21st Sept. 2009

A piece of metal plate is to be welded to increase the width of the bridge from three meters to four meters.

Making the bridge larger

The welding work going on

This will be the last bit of the work before completion of the backfilling and painting.         A heavy Generator was hired to ascertain the strength of the weld.

Another Development

Kembe Dole Community Demonstration plots in preparation for market production

	The newly appointed Food security staff is beginning to impact the communities. Kembe Dole is giving the other communities the lead. These Demonstration plots below belong to a group of the Kembe Dole community members. Such plots are now a characteristics of the communities involved in PAP.       Beans Demonstration plot

Ground nuts Demonstration Plot	Maize demonstration at the extreme end