TDT News letter winter 16

Partnership News Issue 61, Winter 2016

2000 households in flooding crisis (Page 6)

Plus‌.

Dramatic Hospital Improvements

Compassionate Fund Treats 1000 People

Graduations at Ngariam Vocational College

In this edition Compassionate Fund Treats 1000 People Page 3-4

2000 households in flooding crisis Page 6-7

Dramatic Hospital Improvements Page 10-11

PLUS NEWS & UPDATES

From the editor On pages 6 & 7 of this newsletter I have written about the recent flooding in the north of Teso. I wrote something similar 12 months ago. What I noticed, this time round, is how personal it had become. 18 months into my role with TDT, and after 2 trips to Teso, I now recognise the names of communities that I write about and can recall being on the ground in those very places that are now in crisis. I have spoken to people whose homes have now been destroyed by water, and whose crops are now ruined. I have become involved with this flooding, because it involves my friends and by brother and sisters in Christ. It is no longer just another humanitarian need in a far off country.

I have also been thinking a lot about the story of the Good Samaritan, and how he paid the innkeeper to look after his Jewish enemy. That speaks of personal involvement, even through there was no relationship. Whether or not we have personal connections with people in Teso is not the issue. It should be personal for all of us, as we are called by God to care for those in need.

For some that involves being active on the ground, like the inn-keeper. For some it might involve providing finance for support to take place, like the Samaritan. So, as you read this newsletter, don’t be detached from the stories of celebration or crisis. Instead be like the good Samaritan, and make it personal!

James

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Compassionate Fund treats over 1000 people The Kumi Hospital Compassionate Fund has now supported over 1,000 patients!

However the effect is felt even wider as it removes the fear of debt and a hospital bill which they just cannot afford. It is estimated 5,000 poor patients have attended the hospital for treatment, who would not have done if the Compassionate Fund did not exist! Thank you to everyone who has given to this since 2014.

Harriet, who is part of the Compassion Fund Team at the hospital shares these stories‌‌ Pulmera, Charles and Donald are all the children of one family who got Bilateral Gluteal Fibrosis when they were young. According to the father, they were all administered with a quinine injection from a nearby drug shop in their village Ngariam, Katakwi District. This left them with a condition of

inability to sit walk and squat, and prevented them from going to school as the other children laughed at them.

During an outreach clinic organized by Kumi hospital to their village, the Compassionate Fund team gave them an appointment to come to the hospital.

They underwent surgery, which was follow by physiotherapy. They are now able to sit and squat well. The children are now back at school!

The family is happy to the hospital and compassionate fund for restoring hope to their children.

Joseph, 10 years old, is the 4th child in a family of 9. He got admitted to the Nutrition Unit with Kwashiorkor, characterized by severe oedema, pneumonia and low appetite.

Medical intervention was done in paediatric ward, along with nutritional rehabilitation. After

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Give a Goat one and a half months Joseph had improved enough to go home. Whilst at the hospital attending to Joseph, his mother gave birth to baby boy.

Economically all the parents are peasants and their family situation is generally needy. They were very happy for the support given to them in all the rehabilitation process of Joseph.

Aaron, who is 7 years old, was born with Cerebral Palsy. His mother brought him to Kumi Hospital with malnutrition. He was rehabilitated at the unit and given treatment in children’s ward. Since Aaron was born with Cerebral Palsy the father denied his wife, leaving her to take care of Aaron by herself. The compassionate fund paid for the treatment bill.

Some time ago TDT launched a campaign to provide all Church of Uganda clergy in the Kumi diocese with a goat. We are now wanting to roll that programme out to the Kumi Pentecostal Assemblies of God pastors as well. By giving them a goat, or possibly a pair of goats, we can provide them with a means of boosting their income.

A goat currently costs around £20. Could you ‘give a goat’ to support one of these pastors?

Thank you to St Stephen’s Church, Stoke-on-Trent and others who haver raised money for 40 goats so far!

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Bible Translators complete 7 books In May 2015, a team of 3 trained translators (Father Paul Ebwolu, Rev Godfrey Okello and Rev Jeremiah Acelun) began revising the Ateso Bible. They have been hard at work, and in just a few months have completed the books of Joshua, Ruth, Jonah and the 4 gospels.

A management committee also met for the first time in October 2015, with representatives from all the major Christian denominations in the area. This committee will be responsible for overseeing the work and forming sub-committees that are needed, such as the revision and finance committee.

TDT are financing the rent of office space in Soroti, which provides a good venue for the translators to work and for committee meetings to take place. They do have some other challenges, such as water bills and transport costs, but are making steady progress with the resources they have.

It is hoped that the whole Bible will be completed by the end of 2016. Well done to the translators for their excellent work!

Illness‌. We have recently received news that Rev Jeremiah cancer. Please pray for him and the family.

The Translation Team

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2000 households in flooding crisis The humanitarian situation is expected to deteriorate further in the coming months.

This year’s El Nino weather phenomenon, which brings increased rainfall to East Africa, could possibly the strongest on record. In Teso rains are pounding the region and many communities have already been affected.

Nearly 2000 households have seen their homes destroyed or have crops rotting in the ground. The districts of Amuria, Katakwi and Serere have had sections of their communities displaced and are being housed in schools. This is just the beginning with the forecasters predicting that rain could continue through to January or February, which is usually the ‘dry’ season.

Moses Egayu, the Director of TEDDO (the development agency for the Church of Uganda Soroti Diocese) comments: “The situation is quite alarming, yet this is just the first month of rains. Its predicted that the situation will worsen. Acanga primary school and Obulejet Primary school in Ngariam are hosting displaced persons.

The sanitation situation is horrific since latrines have collapse and sewerage flows along with water; cassava is rotting in the water logged gardens and households are having challenges drying what they have harvested.”

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Sylvia’s Wedding If the situation continues as predicted, issues such as water-borne disease and food availability will become a major issue. Action is needed NOW to avoid this becoming a significant humanitarian crisis in the region. Water purification tablets along with fast growing seeds are urgently required, along with tarpaulins for emergency shelter. The TDT partners in this area (TEDDO and PAG KIDO) with be distributing aid over the coming months.

Please mark any donations ‘Flood Appeal’.

Sylvia Anyango has been working with Revival Time Ministry for many years, developing their community projects that are funded by TDT. Recently Sylvia got married!

The ‘Introduction’ took place in Mayuge district, Bukoba village on the 7th November.

This ceremony is the traditional marriage in Uganda, and involves the in-laws bringing Dowry to the parents of the girl.

The church wedding took place on 28th November, with people present from the projects that Sylvia manages in the communities of Wera and Abarillela.

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43 more graduates at Ngariam The Technical Institute at Ngariam is continuing to thrive!

TDT has been supporting the running and development of this college for 2 years, which equips young people with the skills necessary to find work.

During the past 12 months it has provided training in tailoring, joinery and bricklaying to a further 43 students. On 3rd October a wonderful graduation ceremony was held to celebrate their achievements.

These young people will now take their place as working members of the community, and help the development of rural villages in the area.

It is envisaged that the college will have a significant impact on local communities when graduates start to generate income and contribute to the

local economy. It was great to discover, on a recent visit to Teso, that this is already happening. The head-teacher reported that students who graduated last year have already been making and selling items in the local markets. We are looking forward to hearing more about how this college is helping to bring social and economic development to this area.

Rev Sam Ediau (Church of Uganda Diocesan Education Officer) comments on this: “PRAISE GOD!” Congratulations to all the students and staff at Ngariam Technical Institute.

Further Developments…..

We have recently received a grant of £2000 from St John’s Wealth Management and a £2000 donation from Bournemouth Deanery for the college. This will go a long way to providing tools, electricity, security and a welding workshop.

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Ngora Parents’ School Honor and Clement Dixon (TDT Secretary) recently visited Teso, spending much of their time in the Kumi Diocese. They have been one of the main ’driving’ forces in the very success partnership between St Peter’s Church, Ruddington and the Ngora Parents’ Secondary School. During their visit to the school, Clement and Honor presented them with a clock, which is now fixed to the wall of St Peter’s School Hall in the grounds. They then told the students there is no longer any excuse for them to be late for class!

Below is some of their comments about the school: Richard, the Headmaster, seems to be efficient and caring. As you know, many of the families served by the school are very poor. Richard has come up with

an excellent way of both helping them and improving the school.

A covered dining area is needed.

At the moment, if it is raining or very hot, the pupils have to take their meals into a classroom or find shade under a tree. Neither option is satisfactory.

So, Richard is encouraging pupils to make bricks for the dining area, which he then buys and stores.

The money earned is then used towards school fees. In a similar way, pupils and/or parents can grow tomatoes, which they sell to Richard to be used in the school meals. Again, the money is used to offset school fees. It seems to be working!!

It really was a joy to be there, to see all the progress already made with your help, and hear the plans for the future. We, of course, passed on all your messages of good will and interest, but what was so very moving was to hear from them just how deeply they appreciate all that you do for them, both practically and in your prayers.

Their message to you is, "Thank you and we love you so much."

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Dramatic hospital improvements

supporters there.

Ngora Freda Carr Hospital has had a long -standing association with TDT, with a number of our committee members and having worked

During recent years the hospital experienced a sustained and significant downward trend in its ability to provide high-quality care to the 150,000 people it serves.

But, thanks to a renewed interest in restoring the hospital to its former glory, 2015 proved to be a significant year!

A change of management structure and staff quickly

reversed the trend. Rev Dr Janet White was appointed to oversee the restoration of the hospital, along with Rev Simon Omoding who operated as the administrator.

Within six months patient numbers had risen to around 4000 a month, providing the necessary finance to increase the quality of care. The number of staff increased to 3 doctors, 5 clinical officers, a permanent anaesthetic officer and 12 nurses. The quality of care has also rapidly improved, increasing the reputation of Ngora Freda Carr Hospital among the communities.

This hospital has made an exceptional turn-around, thanks to the dedication and

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hard work of the new staff.

It now has the potential to play a significant role in providing quality health-care to the people of Teso, alongside the other health services in the area. The hospital is now working in cooperation with the Government run Maternity Unit, which is situated across the road, and the Nurses Training School next door.

This enables a ‘joined-up’ approach to health services, and provides a strong foundation to further develop the hospital.

It continues to face challenges. Particularly new beds and mattresses, and the hospital buildings are in desperate need of repair.

There is also a need for a reliable water and power

source, along with new medical equipment. TDT was pleased to be able to start supporting the development of this hospital again in October 2015, and we look forward to seeing Ngora Freda Carr become even better than it has been in the past!

To support the restoration and development of this hospital, please get in touch or donate now, mentioning Freda Carr Hospital!

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Major Progress for our Water Programme At December, I am pleased to share with you that we have raised and transferred a total of ÂŁ37875. We have been helped by some major personal donors and the Drinking Fountain Association.

23 projects are complete giving clean water locally to 13,000 people.

At the beginning of 2015, our partners identified a programme of 33 water projects that would help communities get accessible clean water.

The scale of the programme reflected the amount of work our Church teams have put in to identify community needs but also the extent of the need.

We embarked on a major effort to seek to attract as much funding as we could to and also prayed that God would provide.

10 boreholes have been refurbished in Asamuk in Amuria district and Ongino in Kumi district, undertaken by the Church of Uganda TEDDO team.

11 shallow wells have been completed by the Pentecostal Assemblies of God team in Soroti and Serere. PAG Kumi completed a borehole and a shallow well.

One borehole project is underway but not complete in Katakwi due to recent floods, meaning it is impossible to get on site with drilling machines. Once the weather changes, it will proceed.

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The challenge remains as 10 of the identified projects are outstanding and more will come through the community work of Church of Uganda and PAG as the problem remains massive.

For 2016, we have a fine start as Wilmslow Wells for Africa have just approved a grant of ÂŁ10,500 for 7 projects as a result of a specific fund raising operation for Teso.

Next year, we will have the joy of meeting those who will share their gratitude for your help.

We and our many Teso friends are so grateful to all who have given or worked to raise these

much needed funds.

Please consider raising money for a well – we have a special leaflet that gives the full story available from James (jamess.tdt@gmail.com / 01482 826731) If you want further detailed information, e.g. details of a project you want to back contact me on david@drwatts.co.uk. or 01384 376494.

David

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Children’s Bible The Ateso Children's Bible project is still in its early stages - but we have faith that it will flourish into something wonderful!

In August, Lucy Hefford and the team had a great time meeting with children in different schools around the Teso region. The aim of the visit was to see if an Ateso Bible was something that children, parents and Sunday School teachers would value. The answer, in short, was yes! In fact, after discussion it was decided that a DUAL language Bible (Ateso and

English) would be the most desired end product.

At the moment, the project is in the hands of a local Teso committee, made up of people working with Children in schools and church. This is being led by Robert, the Teso rep for Uganda.

The idea is to do a pilot project with Mark's gospel. We look forward to seeing where it goes next and pray that the translation team have strength for the task!"

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Heifers Multiplied!

In 2012 TDT supported a Women's Group in Kapir, Kumi District. These ladies had all been made widows through the incursion of the 'Lord's Resistance Army' in 2004. We supported through providing finance that paid for 8 heifers.

4 years on, all these heifers have produced calves, which have been distributed to another 8 families. Now 16 families in Kapir have a cow and are enjoying the milk!

Get Involved As an individual: There are always more requests for financial support than TDT is able to meet. Requests for help vary from relief, community development projects, clean water, education and Christian ministry training. By giving a little to TDT you can join with hundreds of others who believe that when many give a little it can go a long way. If you would like to give a regular or one-off gift please complete the ‘response sheet’ included with this news letter.

You may also like to consider becoming a TDT local Ambassador.

We can support you in spreading the word about TDT. As a Church or organisation: We can match you to a practical project that is right for you! We are currently looking for churches or organisations that are interested in sponsoring the following projects: Village Savings And Loans Associations, Food Security projects, Skills Training for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Water Boreholes and Wells.

Contact Us‌.

For more information about our projects or how you can partner with us please contact James Seager - TDT Coordinator 01482 826731 / 07446 898149

15 Eildon Hills Close, Castle Grange, Hull. HU7 4ZJ. Cas info@teso.org.uk/ jamess.tdt@gmail.com www.teso.org.uk TDT is a membership association and individuals directly donating ÂŁ10 or more in a year to TDT funds or campaigns will become a member for that year and the next.

Management Committee Chairman Jim Sampson 2 Homefield, Cupernham Green Romsey, Hampshire SO51 7WG 01794 514722 jimandjanet@talktalk.net Hon Treasurer Andrew Third Old Garth, 1 Moor Lane Gotham, Nottingham NG11 0LH 0115 983 1205

Hon Secretary Clement Dixon 64 Musters Road, Ruddington Nottinghamshire NG11 6HZ 0115 921 1565 clement.dixon@ntlworld.com Projects and Fundraising Dave Watts 24 Sandhurst Avenue, Stourbridge West Midlands DY9 0XL 01384 376494 david@drwatts.co.uk

Anrew.home@integracommunications.co.uk

A Registered Charity 1005139 HMRC number XN84557

Dr Hugh Mason Florence Odeke Philip Good Lucy Hefford Christine Moyes Dr Frank Guinness Rev Robert de Berry