IN JULY, 1985, a party ot six peopfe, five from the Annunciation Parish, Chesterfield, all active in the field of Justice and Peace, spent three weeks in Tanzania and Kenya. Their main purpose was to see what happened to the medical aid, sent out from this country, to hospitals, clinics and dispensaries, in these two East African countries.
The visit made them so aware of the difficulties of travelling about, that, on their return, they decided to try to raise sufficient money to send out two Landrovers: one to Tanzania and one to Kenya. These vehicles are intended to be used to advance the servicing of the educational and medical work being carried out by African doctors, nurses, teachers, etc., whose efforts are often hampered by lack of reliable transport, especially in areas where roads, as we know them, are non-existent.
By means of talks, slide shows, coffee mornings, jumble sales and other efforts, very many people of all denominations and of none in many parts of the country, have, together with SurviveMiva (an organisation specialising in the supply of missionary transport), helped to raise sufficient funds to make possible the ordering of the first, and largest, of the two vehicles, intended for use in the Diocese of Moshi, in northern Tanzania.
At a coffee evening, held in the Annunciation Parish Centre, on April 9, 1987, a cheque for £6000 was presented to Mr Edward Hughes, General Secretary of Survive-Miva, who are ordering the vehicle. When it is delivered, prior to shipment to Dar-es-Salaam, it is hoped to have it on view in Chesterfield.
Substantial progress has also been made towards obtaining the second. This is intended to go out to Kenya, to a young African nun, to enable her to extend her educational work among native women in villages in the Diocese of Eldoret. At present, she has to walk anything up to 25 miles to and from her groups, which vary in size from fifty to one hundred plus and this in all kinds of weather.
Further information: C E Lovelock, 62 Blacksmith Lane, Calow, Chesterfield 544 5TQ, Derbyshire. Telephone: (0246) 78334.