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Sustainable changes to the lives of people in the project area: Special Needs Centre
DURING the 2007 visit we were all very touched by the story of the mother of a disabled child, Mrs Mashumu, who decided something needed to be done for all the special needs children in the area.
She walked to every home to identify the children in question, then arranged for them to meet in a disused church which had a damaged roof and no floor, so was not wanted for any other purpose. She then negotiated with the local chief to give her a 99 year lease on some land to build a centre. Following our visit, Choko made that the focus of fund raising and, within one year, raised the £25,000 required to build the centre and £3,000 to equip it.
We were able to see the foundations in April 2009. Mrs Mashumu and the Kodumela ADP have got local involvement from the Ministry of Health and the new centre includes a gymnasium for physiotherapy.
In the photo, Choko visitors and Morabudi Centre members stand in the foundations of the new building. The child at the front is holding a plaque presented by us which says the Centre was a gift from their friends in Cholsey and South Oxfordshire.
School links
DURING the 2007 visit we were all very touched by the story of the mother of a disabled child, Mrs Mashumu, who decided something needed to be done for all the special needs children in the area.
She walked to every home to identify the children in question, then arranged for them to meet in a disused church which had a damaged roof and no floor, so was not wanted for any other purpose. She then negotiated with the local chief to give her a 99 year lease on some land to build a centre. Following our visit, Choko made that the focus of fund raising and, within one year, raised the £25,000 required to build the centre and £3,000 to equip it.
We were able to see the foundations in April 2009. Mrs Mashumu and the Kodumela ADP have got local involvement from the Ministry of Health and the new centre includes a gymnasium for physiotherapy.
In the photo, Choko visitors and Morabudi Centre members stand in the foundations of the new building. The child at the front is holding a plaque presented by us which says the Centre was a gift from their friends in Cholsey and South Oxfordshire.
Building cohesion between communities: community visits
In 2007 and 2009, Choko supporters went on self-funded community visits to the project. Here we were able to see first hand the results of our fund raising efforts. An example is the grinding mill, for which funding was sent by
St Mary’s Church. A small mill was purchased as villagers had to walk many miles to reach commercial milling companies, which insisted on having large quantities of maize before they would grind it.
Many times, this required villagers to purchase the more expensive maize from the company to make up the minimum weight. The mill at the project office will grind small quantities and has been so successful that the modest charges they make for their produce have allowed them to employ two staff members and purchase a large mill so that, at peak times three outlets are running.
Rain water harvesting project
OUR latest project is to support the Roof To Garden Rain Water Harvesting system.
Two hundred early beneficiary households will be established as examples and given modest equipment and seeds to get them started. Training will be given to 40 leader farmers on trench gardening, a highly appropriate farming method that has proved its worth in a number of World Vision projects. Having been trained, each of them will train up another 20 farmers within the first year.
This will require a total of $50,000 to be raised by Choko to complete the full project. As it will be implemented in phases, it can start once we send the first instalment. The photo shows the type of trench garden which will allow each home to produce vegetable for consumption and sale.
Visit www.choko.org.uk or www.chokonewsletters.blogspot.com to find out more. |
