OUR OVERSEAS LINK – KAGERA
Alleluya! News from Kagera As many people know, Editha Jasson, our Worker in Kagera Diocese, has had a difficult pregnancy and many people have been praying for her and her family. We have now heard that she has given birth to a boy, on 7th October, a brother for Ebenezer and Mugisha. Mother and baby are both well and everyone is rejoicing. His baptismal name is yet to be decided, but his local name, translated, means God can do anything.
This Year we are focusing on Kagera in Tanzania, as our DP Lucille will
be visiting Tanzania August. Editha Jasson is the community development
worker and this is about her work and life and was written by CMSAustralia
workers who clearly value Editha’s work. It gives an interesting
insight as how other agencies view us.
I’d like you to meet Editha. She worked for the UN here during the refugee
crisis in 1994. She’s a ‘stand out’ worker – organised, reliable, good
communicator, computer skills, good English, and she’s so passionate
about the aims of MU (Mothers’ Union), that she took a pay drop to accept
the position of Diocesan ‘MU Worker’. (The position is funded by
Mary Sumner House, UK.)
A diocese in England donated some money for MU projects so she has
used that to pay for travel to villages to present seminars. I could fill the
page with all the ‘challenges’ she is presented with. I’ve been trying to
encourage her a little by driving her to villages occasionally and taking
photos for the donor.
One trip involved miles of driving up & down hills along goat tracks, chai
in a pastor’s mud hut, a service and seminar in a little mud church with
a choir accompanied by drums, then back to the mud hut for a meal.
About 20 women at Nterungwe were made new members of MU, and I
took photos as they received their certificates and happily waved the MU
books they were presented with. At the end of the service, they handed
it all back until they could save up to pay the required 3,500 shillings for
the book and certificate (about $2) – what a let down. (For me anyway –
none of them seemed to mind.) No wonder each group needs help with
income generation. We’ll be returning at the end of the month hoping to
see their new venture suggested by Editha – a banana plantation on parish
land – which is also funded by Mary Sumner House.
Last month we went to a village for an MU marriage seminar. As part
of that, they requested instruction in cake baking. Selling patty cakes is
a good business, and besides EVERYONE has to have a big cake for
their wedding, and just a select few know how to bake.
People in our Aussie church MU donated six goats, which was a huge
encouragement for Editha. She has suggested that two go to each of
three MU groups, to generate income by breeding more goats.
Now Editha needs to prepare for hosting the provincial MU meeting to
be held here this year – 150 MU leaders from all over Tanzania need accommodation
and food for 3 days and of course, all the materials for the
conference. Since we are so remote and lack the facilities available to
most other dioceses, it will be the first time in the 26 year history of this
diocese that we have done so. It’s well and truly our turn.
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Preasidents Visit KAGERA
I want to thank you all so much for enabling me to visit our link Diocese of Kagera in Tanzania.
I had a wonderful time and arrived back safely apart from several
insect bites!
I am looking forward to sharing my photos with you so if you’d like me to visit your branch in 2013, please invite me!
We stayed in Murgwanza, a small village where the Cathedral, the Christian Hospital, Diocesan Offices, the Mothers’ Union office, the Bible School and the offices of other Christian charities. In fact there were Christians everywhere you went, greeting us in their traditional way. ’Habari?’ How are you? With the beautiful sunny weather I wondered if this was a bit like heaven – although I hope in heaven there will be clean running water! The people are very poor and have a limited diet of cooked green bananas and beans. Thousands of refugees settled in this area in 1994 after the Rwandan genocide, bringing HIV/AIDS and stretching the already imited medical and agricultural resources.
The refugees have all gone now and the people are gradually replanting food crops.
The women make crafts and sew clothes to generate income. They desperately need more qualified teachers in their schools. Mothers’ Union is working longside other agencies to help train families in childcare, managing their homes and efficient ways of growing food to eat and to sell. However Editha, the Community Co-ordinator, is severely limited due to the high cost of fuel. (Keep
supporting the Wheels Appeal!)
There were some very hard-working, committed Australian missionaries funded by CMS-Australia who worked in the Hospital and a solar power project.
During the final 4 days of our visit, 120 delegates from all over Tanzania arrived in the little village. Editha, almost single-handedly had planned the whole conference, finding accommodation, arranging for food to be cooked, meeting rooms etc. It was a very lively conference with lots of wonderful singing and dancing as well as serious issues being discussed.
The local branches appreciated the gifts of reading glasses, sewing threads etc.
Please continue to pray for Editha and her work. She is very isolated as they cannot afford to organise the election for a new Diocesan President.
Thank you again for your generosity in allowing me to visit. It was such a privilege and I look forward to telling you more at future events.
