September 2023 Update
Mothers Union Meeting on 12th September 2023
The Mothers Union for St John, Warley & St Hilda, Halifax enjoyed a visit today from Arthur as our link worker from Mara Diocese. It will be his last visit in this capacity before he retires.
We heard news from the Diocese of Mara in Tanzania. He was thrilled to receive £428 raised for the FGM Safe House at St Hilda’s final service and extends his thanks to everyone.
August 2022 – Newsletter from Mara Diocese
March 2020 Update
As previously mentioned, Melina was married (to Festo) at the end of December. I haven’t heard from her since but I’m sure she has more than enough to do and think about!
A group from Wakefield area is visiting during February so we should have news from Mugumu when they come back. We have sent a wedding present with them. It had to be
something quite small and light for the luggage allowance! I decided on a framed wedding photo from the selection which were sent to Oriel Kelly, (the local Mara committee member) and 3 Yorkshire-themed tea towels! (I wrapped them round the already wrapped photo for added protection!)
Oriel is one of the people visiting Mugumu so we should get news of Festo! I think he works for Mara diocese. She may also be able to tell us a bit more about the main needs of the House. People were so generous during Lent in 2019, enabling money to be used for school uniforms. Perhaps this year we could “buy x metres of security fencing” for the grounds of the House, if that is what is needed?
On a serious note. There have been reports recently of a major plague of locusts in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. Climate change may be part of the reason, because of an increase in cyclones over the Indian Ocean which have brought rain to drought-affected areas and provided breeding grounds for the locusts. The rainy season for E. Africa begins in March so by June there may be more millions of locusts around to feast on potential crops. Please pray for the areas badly affected already and for Tanzania, that the plague may not reach them this year.
October 2019 Update
Melina has sent quite a long e mail so I’ll try and summarise.
I asked about the fence they are planning. “The fence we need so as to keep the girls in Safe House safe, it is suggested that its height should be 2 metres or 7ft, …….. the district land surveyors haven’t been cooperative enough to ensure that the area to be built (I think this means the whole length) a fence is measured. Melina goes on to say that the dry season has meant a rise in food prices but ensuring the girls have sufficient food may mean less money available for other needs, books, stationery or underwear.
There is some good news: “Currently we have managed to reunite 4 children with their families after a reconciliation and they were so happy to finally meet with their family members. It is so difficult to be successful in this since most of these girl’s homes are so remote that we use a day or two to get to one. Sometimes a car can’t get there so we have to walk a reasonable distance…..some of the girls here really wish to get to their homes due to the smiles that were all over their faces when reunited” It seems that a lack of fuel, due to the cost is making it difficult to do outreach work – raising awareness to villages about the illegality and damage of FGM. There are some pictures of the girls re-joining their families. I’ll print some for display.
In addition to learning vocational skills, like tailoring, soap making, and batik, they are now learning how to make reusable pads. (I think she might mean sanitary towels).
When I went to the meeting about the safe house in August, Oriel Kelly said that Melina had become engaged. I asked Melina if I could pass this news on because you would be interested.
“About my engagement you can let the church know and I would love to see you to my wedding on 28th December 2019”.
“Thank you so much for always being there for us.”Barbara R
September 2019 Update
Melina wrote in early July. She had been on holiday for a month, visiting family, which I am sure, gave her a well-deserved break.
Also in July I was invited to a meeting of the Mugumu Safe House support group. This is a sub committee of the main Tanzania Link committee mainly within the old Wakefield diocese area. Their purpose is to increase interest and on-going financial support for the House.
Melina has reported that the girls are now learning to do batik to be able to print material and make items for sale, e.g. aprons or bags. There is also an urgent need to provide fencing round the area of the house for safety for the residents. (Bear in mind that the house does not seem to have any electricity). The Support Group are looking at the plans and will provide more information soon. This would be a big project, involving lots of other people – what do you think? We could work by the metre to raise a bit at a time and “build” our own stretch of fence! I’ve asked Rebecca, the organiser of the support group, to let us have more details so that we can give it more thought.
Melina was very grateful for the money we have sent since the school uniform donation (i.e. from the coffee morning and Caroline and Aidan’s project) and wanted our approval of her proposal to spend some of it on batik supplies and some of it towards the fencing. I replied that she did not need our agreement because we had raised it for the work of the House and she knew best what was needed in their circumstances and with God’s guidance.
I am on the lookout for a better, more eye-catching collection box for your Mara pennies so watch this space! Please continue your prayers for the girls, staff and Melina in their important work.
Barbara R
The work they do at the Safe House is so very important and FGM is now high on the Government list of priorities with girls from Britain still being sent ‘home’ for this barbaric procedure. Our support is vital.
June 2019 Update – Mugumu Safe House
I e-mailed Melina to tell her the great news that we had raised £180 from the Lent appeal and within the day, two replies came! Technology does have some good uses!
The first from Canon Simon:
Barbara, God is very good to us all here in Mara and we hope you’re doing great right there. Well, thank you so much for your generous support to our girls a Safe House. God bless you abundantly!
Blessings
Canon Simon Chiwanga
Diocesan Development Officer
Melina wrote:
Thank you very much for your kind heart for finding was possible to help the Safe House. We truly appreciate your continuous and generous support. We highly value what you are doing to help the diocese of Mara and we are always praying for you. Your generous financial report will help to buy girls uniforms for those who do not have. Once again thank you so much for always thinking the best for the Safe House and for making possible for the girls to have a better life. I wish you all the best in whatever you do to raise funds for us. Yours in Christ
Melina
It is good to have some feedback and for you to see where our money is going and how it is used. Onwards and upwards! Our fundraising continues with a Coffee Morning on June 15th 10am -12 noon. We shall have a small display of photos and info about the house and two people with close connection to the project, Oriel Kelly and Sue Featherstone will be coming and will be able to update us. Oriel will bring some craft items. It would also be good if we could have a cake stall, which is usually popular, so any baking donations would be most welcome! Please pass details of the coffee morning out to your circle of friends/organisations.
Thank you – we are making a difference!
Barbara R
May 2019 Update – Mugumu Safe House
The good news is that up to now all the girls are attending primary and secondary schools and on Saturday and Sunday they are engaging in learning sewing and attending church activities and services. Indeed our center is developing despite the challenges we are facing.
Achievements
We now have 54 girls – 29 girls are in secondary school, 23 girls are in primary school, and one girl joined further studies at Serengeti Tourism College pursuing certificate in Professional Tour Guide. This is the result of good relationship we have with friends from different countries. One of our friends generously volunteered to sponsor the girl to SETCO.
We achieved to get 106 plastic chairs from our friends of Anglican diocese of LEEDS.
We achieved to send 8 girls who pass the primary national exams to join with secondary school.
We achieved to get sewing teacher to help our girls to learn about tailoring. We succeed to get birth certificate for some girls who live at safe house center in order to complete the process of getting National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Success Story
Improving cleanliness and hygiene environment has been our priority since January 2019, we are now using new standard bathrooms which help our girls to be safe and self – regulate when they do physical cleanliness.
Through friends generosity we have been able to improve cleanness and hygiene especially in eating manners. Now our girls are using tables and seats to eat food, instead of sitting on the flow with their plates. The lesson we have learned to here is to continue building strong and good relationships with our friends, this will help improve the conditions of our facilities in our center.
Challenges
We don’t have electricity in dining hall; this is the big challenge because at night it is very difficult to our girls to eat without light.
Lack of uniforms to our girls: – this makes us to lose our image whenever we are invited to attend district occasions. Example in women day our girls looked shabby because of having different kind of clothes. If we have uniform we will be smart as we always see others example GB girls, Issenye or BGSS (secondary schools in Mara)
Poor electric connection, this creates a problem every time and we incur unnecessary costs to repair electric wires and sockets almost after one month.
According to the government officials (health officers and social welfare officers) we haven’t reached enough qualification to be registered. For example we need to have incinerator, uniform for girls, Fence and proper outside toilet.
Recommendations
To improve the quality of ACT-Mara Safe House to reach the government qualification for registration. Building incinerator will cost almost Tshs 300,000/=
To introduce safe house uniform for the girls to improve cleanness and hygiene as well as the image of the center. For example we can have T-shirts with safe house logo. T-shirts costs 10,000/girl x 54 girls equals to Tshs 540,000/= and printing one T-shirts costs 2,000 x 54 girls equals to Tshs 108,000/=
We recommend that, our little girl Salama to be send to Diocesan nursery school or to be sponsored to join a near by school because for her age now she need to join school.(Tshs – Tanzania shillings – £1 = approx 3000 Tshs)
Next Month Plan:
We have planned to fulfill all the requirement needed by the government officials and complete safe house registration. Also we are planning to introduce different projects which will help us earn some income for the safe house. Example making batiks, liquid soap, and petroleum jelly, we will only need almost 250,000/= to start the project. That will include paying a person to Instruct on how to produce and materials used in production.
Melina Galimbona, March 2019
April 2019 Update – Mugumu Safe House
Melina sends greetings
During cutting season of 2018 we received about 25 girls who flee FGM and up to now we have a total of 52. We had about 59 girls up to January this year. In January we normally do reconciliation and take girls back to their home place. By doing so we manage to send home only 7 girls and we encountered big challenges during the process. It is sad to say that parents have refused to take back their daughters because of what they say that they have been disrespected and humiliated by their child so it is better to live without them, others even dare to curse their daughter and disown them. We went to the village with two police officers and together we decided to bring back the girls to the centre. The situation of cutting in Serengeti is now getting worse and scary because there is no specific time of cutting. According to some parents and village leaders they do cutting any time because if they wait for the time the girls run away.
We are very happy that all our girls have got chance in primary school and secondary school. This year our main focus is to provide education to all 52 girl we have at the centre. We have manage to get a sponsor who has agreed to help a girl to continue with her studies in a tourist college in Mugumu.
Jackline was chosen to take the sponsorship because of her life story and her examination results which did not allow her to continue with high school.
We also plan to buy academic text books for the girls to read after school. All this is the way to create new mind set of the future mothers as the way of eradicating traditional believes and FGM.
Please remember us in your prayers.
With Love,
Melina
Our Aim
During Lent we have started our Lent project for uniforms for the girls at Mugumu. PCC also decided that our money for Mara should go to the Safe House during 2019 with opportunity to renew the decision as we go.
We also hope to hold fundraising coffee morning in June, and will include Churches Together and the Women’s Interfaith Group in the invitation. Hopefully this will be on the 8th June but further planning is needed.
Just in case the writing is too small
A shirt/blouse costs £2-£3
Brown skirt £5
School Bag £6.50
Socks 75p per pair
Black shoes £8—£25
So a full uniform costs £25
December 2018 Update
Dear Barbara,
It is nice to hear from you today, how are you doing? We are doing well and we are full recovered from the long journey we had. Our Journey back home was tiresome but we were grateful that we had chance to visit you and see our brother and sisters from the other side of the world.
We really enjoyed everything in your country and especially the weather, it wasn’t very cold nor very hot. I am very sorry that it is so cold now I hope you can keep warm because being cold isn’t a good thing.
I am sending you greetings from the ACT Mara Safe House, the girls are doing well and we thank you for your prayers and support you give us. We are expecting to have about 100/150 girls in the upcoming season although we believe that people have now aware of the effects of FGM so many will not practiced it but we are not so sure as people seem to pretend that they are going to stop it while the do it secretly. I am so delighted to learn from you that the UK Government is putting efforts to stop FGM in Africa in next 10 years. our government is also striving hard to eradicate FGM to zero in 5 years to come, so lets keep praying for all these plans so that the Almighty God can pave a way into success of the matter. Up to now we have 55 girls and young women at the centre.
In deed we thank our brother and sisters for their kindness and generosity they have show to us. We thank God that we are now getting food and other basic needs for the girls, we are also planning to refurbish our sewing machine as many were not in good condition and buy materials so that we can start sewing project soon. The materials we need are available in the market but the money to buy them is still limited because we have focused in fulfilling all the basic needs of girls, so whenever little money comes we spend it in buying food, pads, soaps, books and other necessities. Computer class is going on well although we face challenges. We also have plans of buying chairs and hire them to people and make money for the Safe House. For now we will start with 100 chairs and when we get money we will buy more chairs. And may be one day you will come and teach us how to nit and we will teach you how to sew…shoulder to shoulder.
Please remember us to our friends at St Hilda’s Halifax and let them know that you are always in our prayers.
Thank you once again for keeping in touch with us.
Melina.Project Co-ordinator/Ass. Link Officer
Mara Diocese
October 2018 Update
Once again visitors from Mara will be visiting the former diocese of Wakefield area during October. last year Canon Arthur came and updated us on various happenings in Mara. He brought with him a female colleague, Melina, and she will also be returning this year. Last year I think she was visiting schools to build links.
This year Melina Galibona will be coming to St Hilda’s on Thursday October 18th to speak about her work with the Safe House for girls at risk of female genital mutilation. She will be able to update us about the work and the needs of the Safe House. The Safe House has come through a difficult time over the last year and are in desperate need of financial support. We plan to have an information display and some goods to sell in aid of the House.
The meeting will begin at 7pm and there will be light refreshments.
Melina will no doubt explain the work but a recent profile of the House gives the following aims:
- To provide temporary accommodation for girls who flee from FGM.
- To protect human dignity and integrity of every person in the community regardless of their gender.
- To end FGM in the community in Mara region, especially in Kurya and Ngoreme tribes.
- To assist the girls to achieve their goals and dreams in getting education, skills and self-awareness, such as secondary and primary education, tailoring skills, entrepreneurship skills and computer skills.
- To provide education and sensitization to the community on the effects of FGM to girl and the society.
- To create awareness to the girls and the community on the laws against FGM and their sanctions.
- To follow up the girls who have accomplished their training at the centre and returned home to see how they are doing.
We have invited people from our local churches and the Women’s Interfaith Group so we hope for a good audience. Female genital mutilation is a dreadful thing and should be a concern for people of all faiths or none. I don’t think that Melina’s words will be comfortable to hear but the message she brings will be important. I hope we hope may raise some funds on the night and we would welcome your support.
Barbara R
June 2018 Update
PCC has agreed that any donations towards coffee/tea etc made on Sunday mornings or at the “Coffee and Chat” Wednesday afternoons, during the month of June, should go to Mara to the Mugumu Safe House for girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Last year we raised anamazing £161. any such support will be welcomed this year is the “cutting” year.
Tanzania Links Update – February 2017
from Revd Canon Stephen Spencer, Tanzania Link Officer
for the Diocese of Leeds
stephenspencer8@me.com Tel. 01484 518204
Bag of Maize Appeal
Dear Friends of Mara, Rorya and Tarime
First of all, a huge thank you for the magnificent response to Bishop George’s appeal for help with buying maize for his clergy and people. Individuals and churches across Leeds Diocese have responded with wonderful generosity and we were able to send £12,686 at the end of January, half to Mara diocese and a quarter each to Tarime and Rorya dioceses. All funds allocated to named parishes have been sent to those parishes. Bishop George has written back: ‘I can’t thank you and God’s children enough for their sacrificial love. Oh, thank you for demonstrating your faith to these hungry God’s ministers. It is all about putting faith into action and it’s a miracle to me! May God bless you richly for doing this to us at this early juncture of my ministry in the Diocese of Mara.’ Bishop John Adiema of Rorya writes ‘It is good to hear from you. It is true that we have been facing periodic drought which has resulted in food scarcity. We highly appreciate the efforts you have made to support our clergy at this time. We will look forward to receiving the funds and buy maize to distribute to our clergy. I know this is a great support for the clergy and may God bless all those who have made this noble thing.’ Bishop MwitaAkiri of Tarime writes ‘Thank you for this timely support…This comes with my appreciation. Mwita’.
There are additional funds still coming in and these will be sent at the end of this month. As I write the rains have still not arrived in Mara Region and this additional support is still needed.
‘Asante sana‘ – thank you very much.
Mara Synod
Bishop George has informed us that he is calling the Mara Diocesan Synod to meet from 1-3rd March. He has been able to gather sufficient funds to do this, which included the £2687.45 we sent. Thank you once again to everyone who supported this appeal
Teacher’s Visit
A group of 12 teachers from schools in our diocese are currently visiting Mara. They are visiting linked schools as well as the cathedral and diocese. God speed..
Bishop George to visit Leeds Diocese
Bishop Nick has invited bishops and church leaders with links with our diocese to a meeting at Parceval Hall at the beginning of April. This will include Bishop George. I am delighted to let you know there will be some opportunities for the rest of us to meet him and hear him preach. Here are the details – everyone is invited to all:
Sunday 2nd April, 10.30am at Halifax Minster: Bishop George will preach within the Sung Eucharist. Coffee afterwards. The Mayor of Calderdale will attend.
Summer Visitors
I am delighted to let you know that Canon Arthur Mauya, Ms MelinahGalibona, Mr Joseph Nyamgoncho (headteacher at Issenye) and his wife Benta will be visiting Leeds Diocese from 20th June to 10th July. They will be visiting link churches at weekends and schools during the week. There will be a Links Service at Wakefield Cathedral on Sunday 2nd July at 3.30pm. Please book the date now. Oriel Kelly will be holding the programme for Arthur and Melinah (graham.oriel@btinternet.comTel. 01484 719352) and Eelin Megson will be holding the programme for Joseph and Benta (eelinmegson@msn.com)
Water for Life
Tarime Diocese is planning to install some more water harvesting systems on its churches. The target is £2000. Can you or your church support this important life-giving project? Please send donations to Finance Dept, Leeds Diocese, 17-19 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2EX and write on the back of your cheque ‘Water for Life Tarime’.
Thank you very much.
St Hilda's Church, Halifax 