NOVEMBER 2005

Local Volunteers to help build African Community Centre

Two local volunteers will be among a group of local people who will head off to Makutano in Kenya next year to help build a Community Centre for the locals there.

Annette McColgan from Muff and Noleen Boyle from Buncrana will join around eighteen others from North & West Housing and Children in Crossfire on the trip next Easter. North and West Housing with children in Crossfire have been working together since 2001 to help provide sustainable improvements to the people of Makutano, Kenya, Africa. The Makutano people are an impoverished community who experience very harsh living conditions, particularly in relation to food security, water and sanitation, ill health education and family income.

This partnership was initially developed in response to an urgent need for finance to complete the construction of an earthen dam in the semiarid district of Makutano. Today, the dam provides a constant supply of drinking water for almost 5000 people and their livestock. The dam has greatly improved the quality of life of everyone in this community, especially the women and children whose task it was to carry water over very long distances. Since the construction of the dam further funds have been raised for other projects. At the request of the local community a food and seed store was constructed earlier this year. This project will provide the space for farmers to store their seed and food when it is harvested. This will help prevent food shortages when there is crop failure or inadequate rainfall.

Their next priority is to build a Community Centre to provide a space for training and capacity building. The Centre will also be used as a meeting place where people can gather in a safe environment. At present this happens under trees or in hired places, which are not conducive to learning as often the sun is hot, people have nowhere to cook or sleep, or no place for writing or demonstrations.

Volunteers will experience living and working in the Makutano community. This promises to be an enduring but rewarding experience.

Donations can be forwarded by contacting Annette on 04871 278928 or 074 9384270. Your financial help and support to assist the people of Makutano would be greatly appreciated.

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