St Michael’s Church, in New Marston, has joined forces with women thousands of miles away to make life sustainable in Adyaka, near the Equator in Uganda.
A total of £3,000 has so far been raised with events such as a sponsored 13-hour pool marathon (nicknamed pots and noodles!) by grandmother Jennie Bridge and 15 year-old Laurence Whittaker (pictured below).
Churches in Marston are raising funds for the Dongpacu Adyaka/Marston Mill Project to build a maize mill and store.
The project forms part of the ‘Dongpacu’ movement, started by the women of Adyaka to meet the needs of their people and boost morale after years of rebel activity to the north has seen businesses, medical and education services move into the big towns, leaving the smaller ones without education, health care, or employment.
Dongpacu Co-ordinator, Doreen Opwoya, keeps Marston informed. At Christmas she wrote: ‘We have started the foundation work... It has been so costly given the type of soil we are building on... Our humble request to you our friends is that you could, kindly help us and release part of the mill fund so that we complete the foundation and raise the wall. The mill house... will be able to accommodate a three-phase machine and a small store,’
Funds will be released to get the mill wheels turning. Elaine Parry, project secretary in Marston says: ‘A Marston representative will visit Adyaka in the Spring, acting as a direct contact. He would help the women learn to use the digicam effectively (sent last year by St Nicholas’ Church, Old Marston), as a means of communication with us and also providing visual material to help generate interest in Oxford. The women of Adyaka are an inspiration to us.’
For more information visit www.unauthorisedversion.co.uk
Leave your comments on this item
More website comments