Some highlights from the annual UK Supporters’ Meeting
Saturday, 1st November 2008 Cheltenham
About 40 friends of IHA-UDP from all over the UK gathered for the annual meeting. Dr Jember had stayed overnight in Cheltenham so she took everyone by surprise when arriving in good time. Glenfall Fellowship hosted the event. A full breakdown of the day is given below, including a detailed update of CRED’s recent activities in support of the Project.
10.00 am REGISTRATION, DISPLAYS AND COFFEE
10.50 am Welcome and opening prayer
This included one of Dr Jember’s favourite passages – Isaiah 58: 6-12
10.55 am Trinity/Glenfall’s journalistic visit in August
Sheila Johnson and Ben Booth showed slides and described their recent visit with Lucy Booth and Steve Cahill. Their trip had been featured in the local newspaper http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Cheltenham-woman-Ethiopia-expedition/article-285695-detail/article.html and later BBC Radio Gloucestershire had interviewed them. Sheila mentioned that where residents preferred not to move into new homes the projects were repairing their homes which made them much better than the typical slum housing all around the city. Ben declined a request to demonstrate his shoulder shaking dance skills – until next year perhaps?!
11.10 am CRED
Simon Paylor sent apologies because of feeling unwell after his recent trip to Ethiopia; so his report was read out (see below).
11.20 am Glenfall’s exploratory visit in May
Before flying into Addis Ababa, Keith Holland had been visiting Dubai on business (he is an optometrist) and he was shocked by the contrast between rich and poor. He has resolved to fill the empty shelves in the Institute for Urban Workers by appealing for academic books. Dr Jember had provided a suitable booklist in anticipation of starting the Master’s course. Further details will be posted on IHA-UDP’s official website (see below). Gill Wyatt read out two of her heart-rending poems and kindly agreed to published them on IHA-UDP’s official website (see below). Dr Jember was keen for Steph Wyatt to share her impressions as a young person and then Revd Jonathan Stott spoke of his admiration for the IHA-UDP staff and the importance of prayer in what is a real spiritual battlefield.
11. 40 am BREAK - view the display of CBISDO craft goods
12.10 pm Dr Jember Teferra’s 2008 report
The general situation in Ethiopia – Large price rises for fuel and food are putting families under pressure and inflation in the economy is a worry. There are also some other issues causing concern.
IHA-UDP, CBISDO & AHISDO – Staff numbers have grown slightly but salaries are lower in real terms which has caused severe tensions in some cases. For the third time in recent years, CBISDO is under serious threats from bulldozers.
Institute for Urban Workers – The Principal has died and prayer is requested to find a new part-time Principal until the Masters course can begin.
ICUC – A local ecumenical group has been working to alleviate urban poverty (inspired by Matthew 25 – the last judgement) since 1994. There is growing understanding and respect for the various Christian traditions. Conferences have been held in 1994, 2000 and 2004.
1.05 pm LUNCH
- grace by Revd Jonathan Stott, Leader, Glenfall Fellowship
– soup, sandwiches and fruit
2.15 pm Family news
Workneh Haile-Girogis showed slides of recent family holidays with Tata and Jemima, their daughter, in Italy and Greece. His elder daughter, Nikita, has recently been awarded eight GCSEs. There was news from Memanasha and Joseph, Lelo and Bibi.
2.30 pm Communications
Ben Booth and Workneh described the latest developments including a PayPal facility:
-
IHA-UDP’s official website http://www.ihaudp.org/
-
a brand new website http://www.friendsofihaudp.org.uk/
They were working with Debbie Lucas in Portsmouth (just back from Addis) to enhance the information for teachers. George Tuck asked for pictures of IHA-UDP staff to be posted on the website subject to the consent of the individuals. Arthur had launched a Facebook group which currently has over 30 members about half of whom were based outside of the UK and this has great potential: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=39465526512
3.00 pm 2007-08 financial report
Chris Hughes had provided a statement of accounts but sent apologies. The income in 2008 was >£21k and expenditure was over £23k. The balance at 31.10.08 was >£52k. Dr Jember explained how this contingency fund had helped ease the food crisis. There were several questions and suggestions. Workneh mentioned that the Ethiopian Diaspora had provided 80% of funding for the clinic since 1994. Chris can be contacted as follows: Hughes@chrisbev.plus.com or 01242-524344.
3.25 pm Toddington
Paul Wilson had recently visited Addis after a gap of four years to develop the child sponsorship scheme. He showed pictures of a young lady who had received support through the scheme and was now heading for university! During the past year over £25k had been given by 140 sponsors. There is still a need for sponsorship of HIV orphans of which CBISDO has 300 and AHISDO had 38. Dr Jember added that so far none of these children have died.
3.55 pm Praying in groups – led by Revd Dr Nigel Scotland
4.15 pm closing prayer
Update from Simon Paylor, Cred Foundation
“Firstly, a couple of apologies. As Arthur may have said, I’m unable to attend today due to being a little unwell. I had really hoped to come and hear everyone’s news and to share ours, but having just returned from Addis Ababa earlier this week, let’s just say that it’s still working its effects on me!
“Also, there are one or two people I owe a large apology to. Last year at the Supporters Meeting I took some contact details from people, and whilst I was able to respond to the majority of people, one or two people were missed. I am extremely sorry about this – as I recall, the sheet of paper I used was lost shortly afterwards. If you have any interest in what Cred is doing, my contact details will be at the bottom of this email – please don’t hesitate to be in touch and I promise to give you a better service!
Moving onwards, allow me to give you some headlines regarding developments in Cred Foundation, especially with regard to IHA-UDP:
1. Change in the Team
Many of you will know or remember Greg Valerio. This year he decided to step down from the Cred Foundation in order to concentrate full on Cred Jewellery. As a result, Paul Sanderson (MBE) has stepped in as Director. Paul has been involved with Community Development projects in the UK for years, founding a project on the Wick Estate in Littlehampton that won national honours, and latterly working with Spurgeons Childcare as a Regional Manager.
We’re so grateful to Greg for everything that he’s done, and we honour him for founding and leading as he has. But we’re also excited to have Paul on board in a season that will undoubtedly bring change and movement into the future.
2. Jewellery Co-operative
Last year I’d mentioned that Cred has seed-funded a new micro-enterprise scheme, a co-operative for Jewellers that aimed to provide a workshop, resources, and capital so that about 10 jewellers could make a sustainable living. In truth there have been some significant problems and challenges along the way, but the workshop is up and running, the jewellers are making product, and they are starting to sell, so we’re hopeful that this will become more of a success story. If you’re ever in Addis, do ask Ato Taye from CBISDO to go and have a look – they do make very good Ethiopian jewellery!
3. ‘The Zone’
Imagine getting a team together of 45 young people and youth workers, ranging from young people in the roughest estate in Littlehampton, through to a member of the Royal Family…
Now imagine taking those 45 people from the UK to Addis Ababa to provide playscheme activities for the special needs and mainstream children in the CBISDO and AHISDO areas for 10 days…
Well, this became a reality for us last week! We were probably the largest group to descend on IHA at any one time, but we were at least earning our keep by not only providing activities for the children, but also providing special needs training for IHA staff, and we were pleased that through various bits of fundraising we were able to leave a cheque for £10,000.
Of course, we hoped to make a difference to Ethiopian lives, and that did happen. But one of the main benefits was for our UK young people (some as young as 12 yrs old). Some visibly boosted in confidence during the course of the week, others reflected that becoming friends with ‘the poor’ will change their lives and outlooks from now on. And one teenage girl usually known for causing trouble at school courageously (and sensitively) held the British Deputy Ambassador in Addis to account for all the poverty she’d witnessed during the week!
This is the kind of thing that we’ll be doing a lot more of, though probably only once a year with IHA-UDP. It’s such a good opportunity to bring something useful to our hosts, to provide a focus for fundraising, to connect people and cultures together, and to also give UK young people an opportunity that will change their lives.
4. The Great Ethiopian Run
And finally, I will be going back to Addis on the 19th November with 4 city slickers from London who will be going to take part in The Great Ethiopian Run! As we speak they are raising funds to be split between IHA-UDP and our other Ethiopian partner – the unique selling point of this fundraiser is that they’ll get to see for themselves where the money is going to be used.
