Njale- Parish Priest Fr Francis Mpatsa
We did not start to twin with this Parish until 2011.
Since then we have given help with repairs to school and church buildings and have financed a Micro Loans project.
PARISH REPORTS
January 1st 2013
Dear Brian,
I hope you had a very nice Christmas celebration. Here everything was good; we are just looking forward to what the New Year will bring for us.
2012 was a year that we had recorded success as far as Tonbridge projects for Njale parish are concerned and also some locally initiated projects.
-We have managed to do wiring and install burglar bars in one of the blocks at Njale Catholic primary school which is our main school. In this block is where the computers will be put in, in order for the people to access them. Everything was already finalized we are just waiting for the electricity supply company to install meter and power, this takes long time since the country is in very big financial crisis and essential goods are in low supply but still we are on the company’s waiting list, any time power will be installed.
The container project was also a huge success. Many people benefited from the items which were sent to us. Six primary schools benefited and many poor people in the village also benefited.
-Now it is raining and our kitchen is dry no more leaking, the kitchen was well renovated with funding from Tonbridge.
-Another success story is on the loan and savings scheme. Now we have a membership of 30 households and many more would like to join because it is a direct fight against poverty and is working very well. The only problem we is the increased demand, many people would like to join but our funds are very limited. We received at the beginning from you an equivalent of about MK 400,000.00 (Malawi Kwacha) and now we have MK 600,000.00 in our revolving fund, indeed things are working. My plea is if in future some funding will be available consider us to increase the capacity of the Loan and Savings scheme.
Sponsorship program for students is going on very well; the number of students in the program has increased in 2012.
Two bright students from the college of medicine one boy and one girl have been sponsored by government for a two week education visit to Kenya in January, this girl happen to be our sponsored student Taona Yakobe. Thanks to Tonbridge the future of our student is bright. You can inform Peter and the student’s sponsor that Taona is a huge success in the program.
– We had a locally funded project of building public toilets at the parish. We managed to mobilize resources locally and the work was successfully completed, everyone here is very happy of the achievement.
-Our major project for the year 2013 is the renovation of the parish church. Our church is in very bad state, people were thinking of building a new church but I felt we cannot afford a new church now and we resolved to have the old one renovated. We have started fundraising activities locally, we have also made an appeal to all people who come from Njale parish and are working in town to help.
Our plan of work is very big. We have agreed to start working in phases until the work is done, it doesn’t matter how long it takes we are determined to do the work. We are therefore asking for donations towards the renovations of the church no matter how small, no donation towards the renovation of the church is too small for us. I will attach the plan of work for you to see may be some people there will be able to help.
Lastly I wish you, Tina and the entire Wilkins family a prosperous New Year. Extend my greetings to Malawi Twin Team.
Regards,
Fr. Francis
These pictures are of the parish church, which was in need of renovation.
They show progress of the work, which we helped to fund, and the finished building.
