Pitsford Pupils give water

Pitsford Pupils raise £984.59 for CAFOD

Year 11 pupils at Pitsford School have been fundraising for CAFOD since the start of the academic year and have managed to raise a staggering £984.59 – enough to provide a whole community with a clean water supply. Their school is close to Pitsford Reservoir which provides Northampton with clean water, so providing a community with clean water was a most appropriate gift.

Accepting the cheque Frank Sudlow, CAFOD Diocesan Manager, expressed his delight: “The students here at Pitsford School have always shown a great concern for those in need and once again have shown great generosity. The funds they have raised will help a community develop their own clean water supply and provide much needed sanitation. Well done all!”

1 in 8 people in our world do not have access to clean water.

The pupils organised several fundraising events including a cake sale and a chocolate raffle to raise this fantastic amount!

They will be continuing to focus on water during the rest of the term in support of CAFOD’s “Thirst for Change” Campaign, asking world governments to ensure that we meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people without access to clean water by 2015

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for our blogsite.

We want to share this with all of you.  It was a great year for CAFOD Northampton.  Thanks for your continued support.  We look forward to our 50th year of celebration as the official development and relief organisation of the church here in England and Wales.  We could not have done this without you!

An Underground train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,200 times in 2011. It would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Tillie’s Sweets

The Parishioners of St Anselm’s in Earls Barton have been guessing the number of sweets Tillie had managed to fit in her jar. Over the past month their guesses have helped raise funds to support CAFOD’s work with those in need around the world.  Tillie wanted to make a difference and after discussing what she could do with her parish priest, Fr Damien Walne, she set about raising funds for CAFOD.  When Bishop Peter visited the Pastoral Area, she was able to hand over a £110.  Well done Tillie and many thanks to all the parishioners of St Anselm’s

How St Dunstan’s Virtual Village Became Real

Parishioners of St Dunstan’s parish in Bourne End have raised over £5,000 towards building and kitting out a whole “virtual” village.

The story of “our village” actually starts in another Church.  Whilst Suzannah Goode, our Parish Secretary, was thumbing through CAFOD’s World Gifts Catalogue last year, she noted the article about a virtual village created by the parish of Our Lady Immaculate and St Andrew in Hitchin. After Christmas, she cajoled a small group to brainstorm answers to “why” and “how” questions.  The group thought that the virtual village should, within our parish, encourage fundraising, increase awareness of CAFOD’s work, use the gifts and talents of parishioners and excite all generations. What a tall order!

This is how we started

Parishioner, Sarah Wilson, used her considerable talent to provide the art work to build an eye-catching 3-d display to attract everyone’s attention on entering or leaving the church or its hall. A tube to hold water and a bag for rice were to represent the money raised towards a community water supply and a rice bank respectively. It was considered that clean water was most essential and the rice bank represented growths of crops, so these were the items on which we would first concentrate. We were encouraged to ask for World Gifts for special occasions such as birthdays, Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Confirmation, First Communion or as a memorial to a loved one. The display went on the wall just before Lent 2011 and, from then onwards, the gifts just flowed in.

Every Friday during Lent, we held a soup lunch and asked for donations of money, rather than charge a set amount. The delicious home-made soups made the lunches such popular events that, within a few weeks, we were able to raise the £750 needed to buy the water supply. The rest of the Lenten Lunch money went towards training a farmer as we wanted our food to help the growth of the villagers’ food. The profits from the parish Easter draws bought in a selection of gifts.

Early on in the life of our virtual village, we bought the training of a village vet and then realised that we had not bought any animals to be looked after. So you can imagine what people were encouraged to buy over the next few weeks!

Jackie Brown, a parishioner who has been a staunch supporter of CAFOD since its early days, invited those who shared her 90^th birthday meal in a local restaurant to donate to CAFOD, rather than give her a present. The resulting £1,000 bought the village a second rice bank.

Two non-parishioners, who parked their cars in the church car park, were persuaded by Sister Winifred to show their appreciation by buying gifts for our village. A bicycle was bought in memory of my mother-in-law, all the more significant because she never rode a bike in her life. A World Gift given as a birthday present to Canon Anthony Griffiths helped “to make a child smile”.

After Sunday Masses, children were sometimes heard discussing what World Gifts they would like for forthcoming birthdays and that is how the village acquired its footballs, music and reading gifts. The money raised from the Parish Walk in June went towards providing more animals. The proceeds from Harvest Fast Day funded the training of a Community Health Worker which complemented the “Mother and baby care” gifts already given. Other gifts, such as “Tools for an apprentice” and “Business start-up” encouraged employment in the village. We have tried to avoid a famine being brought on by a lack of water through buying “Drought-resistant crops”.

This experience has taught us, in a very practical and exciting way, how our money can be spent in making a world of difference to those living in poverty in developing countries. It’s been a whole new shopping experience for people of all ages!

Through our prayers and efforts, we have learnt plenty while the village has gained so much. Our virtual village is thriving and packed with essential items and, in our eyes, has now been converted into a very real place.

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This is where we are now - see all the animals and our food banks. The Community has a fully functioning Water Supply and childen are going to school.

William’s 4 CAFOD

William Cooper and Mo Farah with Colin Jackson and Jonathan Edwards in the background!

On Saturday 17^th September, I ran for 4km to raise money for CAFOD.

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me. I have raised just over £600.

I had a fantastic time up in Newcastle.

I came 22^nd out of 339 runners in the 13-14 year old boys and I completed the run in 15 minutes and 27 seconds.

Just before my race, I was lucky enough to meet Mo Farah, World Champion at 5000m and Silver Medalist at 10000m. He gave me some really useful running tips, so I am now thinking about joining a local running/athletics club.

William Cooper (Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Olney)

Tea Time for Change

Andrew Mitchell MP, Development Secretary speaks at Tea Time for Change, a chance for constituents to ask questions of their MP's about International Aid led by CAFOD along with other charities at Methodist Central Hall, London.

Marie Pennell from St Teresa’s, Princes Risborough, writes>

We had a great day in London lobbing our MP on behalf of CAFOD and those in need around the world.

We arrived at Westminister Hall about 11am it was very busy as there were over 1200 supporters from a number  of charities (CAFOD, Action Aid, Christain Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund) and 130 MP’s  

The first person I met was Chris Bain (director of CAFOD) we chatted  and he said he was sorry he would not be able to make Fr Gerald’s funeral but he would be sending a rep from CAFOD, Chris has been to St Teresa’s a few time and was a friend of Fr Geralds. [Tom O'Connor attended the funeral.  He had known Fr Gerald very well.]

We went to the CAFOD stall and got a briefing for our meeting with John Bercow.

Andrew Mitchell MP, Development Secretary speaks at Tea Time for Change, a chance for constituents to ask questions of their MP's about International Aid led by CAFOD along with other charities at Methodist Central Hall, London.

We had a Ecumenical session led by CAFOD, Christian Aid and Tearfund, then an opening plenary session and the principal speakers were Chris Bain on behalf of all the charities and Andrew Mitchell MP, the Development Secretary.

Chris Bain thanked Andrew Mitchell for his commitment to aid and for the government promise to deliver 0.7% of the national income in good quality aid by 2013, he spoke about the work of CAFOD and the difference it makes to poor people, he got a very good reception from everyone in the hall.

Andrew Mitchell made a very good speech also and told us he had been taken to Uganda by CAFOD five years ago and met a nun working for the Medical Missionaries of Mary. She had been working in Africa for 50 years and he was deeply struck by her dedication and commitment and will not forget the experience he had now that he is an MP and development secretary. He said he was delighted when George Osborne stood by the government commitment to aid to reach 0.7% GDP by 2013. He said charity begins at home but does not end there.

 

MPs were invited for tea with their constituents.

We went to Speaker’s House to meet our MP, John Bercow, and we met 2 others constituents, we arranged to ask one question each.

 John Bercow was very welcoming and listened to our questions, he was very positive and said he fully supports

 1.  the government promise to deliver 0.7% of the national income in aid by 2013,

 2.  he will write to the Prime Minister ahead of the G20 summit and ask the UK to put pressure on to make all multinational companies report a basic set of accounts and prevent tax evasion.

 3. He supports the Robin Tax on the financial sector.

 

After our 15min appointment, John Bercow’s secretary took us for a tour of the Speaker’s House, then we went to the public gallery in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, we finished off with Coffee in the café and I bought Laura a bar of chocolate from the House of Commons!

There were lots of school parties visiting the Houses of Parliament also.

Harriet Harman MP for Peckham and Camberwell , Shadow Development Secretary speaks to her constituents at Tea Time for Change, a chance for constituents to ask questions of their MP's about International Aid led by CAFOD along with other charities at Methodist Central Hall, London.

We went back to Westminister Hall for a final gathering at 3.30 and heard Harriett Harman MP Shadow Development Secretary speak and she said she does not agree with the government on many issues but she agrees with increasing aid to overseas and tax and transparency and would be putting pressure on the government to ensure they deliver their promises.

We also heard  two ladies speak one from Ghana and one from Uganda, thanking UK for aid and saying what difference aid can made to women, raising their profile, encouraging education and giving women equal rights.

 There were lots of people wearing CAFOD t-shirts and I borrowed one from the CAFOD stall to wear when going to see the MP as I had forgotten my own one!

It was very encouraging to see so many people campaigning on behalf of the poor and I wanted to let you know what a difference CAFOD are making, they had a very high profile and were very well represented.

 Sorry it is so long but it was a busy day.

St Theresa’s walk for Rwanda

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Parishioners from St Teresa of the Child Jesus, Princes Risborough have just completed a 10 km and 5 km sponsored walk for their Connect2 Rwanda project and so far they have collected over £900.

It was a lovely walk around the Chiltern woods and 25 people took part including the entire CAFOD group and a few children. The photos show that they had a really good time.

If you have stories to tell about your Connect2 activities, please send us your photos and stories.

Frank meets partners in Lima, Peru

CAFOD Diocesan Manager, Frank Sudlow, has just returned from meeting CAFOD Partners in Peru.  He writes:

Throughout my journey I have tried to relate some of my experiences in photos and words on this site.

I invite you to join me with your comments.

To see something of the work we support in Peru, click here.

During four weeks in Lima and Cusco, I was amazed by some of the people I met. 

I  have seen development projects with the poorest and most marginalised communities being led by highly educated and highly motivated women who are able to step back and take the long view.  Research here in Peru and elsewhere shows how women are able to reach deeper into the most marginalised communities and achieve remarkable effects, and the church is supporting and empowering them in these roles.

The Catholic Church is truely empowering young people, women and minorities to take their full place in society.

Young people lead the liturgies and sacramental preparation programmes as equals alongside the adults.  The Confirmation Programme is led by a dedicated team of young leaders. So too is the First Communion preparation programme.

I hope you find these Blogs interesting, do feel free to comment or ask questions, you can be sure I will read and respond to every question.

If you live in Northampton Diocese and would like me to visit your school or parish to twell you more about my visit, just let me know.

Frank

Combatiing HIV and AIDS in Lima, Peru

“Si, da Vida” – “Yes to Life” – is a small organization set up by Cathal Gallagher, a Columban Missionary.

They operate a very successful HIV prevention project in the poverty belt that surrounds Lima.

The project uses a programme for the self management of chronic diseases, applied here for those living with HIV and AIDS.  The programme is delivered by people who are themselves affected by HIV and AIDS, either because they live with the virus, or because someone in their family is living with it. 

When they are trained as instructors of the programme, their personal experience enables them to work closely with those who are most at risk of infection, and with those who are already living with the virus. 

Their main point of contact is with those who present themselves for treatment at the hospitals and clinics in Lima in search of the anti-retroviral drugs that are necessary in order to maintain a quality of life and indeed to survive while living with HIV.

However, the lives they are leading when they present themselves are often far from ideal as they usually come from situations of poverty and vulnerability.  Hence the programme aims to help those who are vulnerable to manage their situation and become proactive in seeking a better life.  For example, if they are drug users or if they have fallen into prostitution in order to survive, the emphasis is put on their dignity and uniqueness as persons. They are helped to overcome the stigma and discrimination that so often causes depression and isolation for those living with HIV.

Once they become involved with “Sí, da Vida” they follow the goal of “A long life, a complete life, a life with dignity and a happy life”

Some of the trainers

I met some of the team who give up their time freely to work with those who are still living in situations of vulnerability.  They each have a story to tell either about their own life or that of a loved one. 

When I asked, “Why do you do this work?” they answered:

“Because I was once where these people are”;

“Because it makes me feel good to see someone escape from their vulnerability”;

“Because this is something I can do, it’s a contribution.”

Not all are living with HIV and AIDS and many work as trainers and/or have a profession related to health care, but what impressed me most about the group was their passion. 

Many of them had been knocked down and knew what life was like at the bottom, but they were up and leading full and fruitful lives.

All these people know about the cycle of Symptoms: fatigue, falling ill, stress / anxiety, emotional difficulties, depression. They work with those caught in this cycle and help them to break out, as they have.  Their programme is extremely successful and it was a great pleasure to meet with them.

 

 

For more about this work, visit their website: http://www.sidavidaperu.org/

 

For more about CAFOD’s work on HIV and AIDS, click here.

 

 

 

Machu Picchu – Peru

The Palaces of Machu Picchu surround gardens, was this a place of rest?

Machu Picchu was built by the Inca – the ruler of the Quechua people – in the 15th century, shortly before the Spanish arrived.  It was never occupied by the Spanish, but was abandoned as the Spanish took control of Cusco and the surrounding area.  However, the first European to visit the site did not do so until 1911. In 1983 it became a World Heritage Site, and in 2007 was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Machu Picchu is just an amazing place to visit.  It is built at the top of a Mountain 2,430m above sea level and over 450m above the Urubamba River (see my Blog about the Sacred Valley). In places the edge of the site drops away vertically with cliffs falling right down into the river valley! It is no surprise that the Spanish never found the site.  There are lots of ideas about why it was built but it would appear to combine – a summer retreat for the Inca; a religious site with temples to the Sun; an agricultural research centre; and an astronomical research centre. 

The following slide show might give you some idea of the wonder of the place, but it is only a partial view. 

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