Friday, February 13, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Newsletter Article
Sierra Leone is a small coastal country about the size of New Brunswick located on the Atlantic in West Africa. It is home to approximately 6 million people. Sierra Leone is just beginning to emerge from a decade-long (1991-2001) brutal rebel war that claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people, and destroyed the entire infrastructure of homes and institutions. Local United Church minister, Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande of Wyevale-Waverley is just one of many people displaced by this conflict.
The destruction of the rebel war included Peter’s home town Bunumbu, where he was born and raised. As Peter contemplated visiting home he began to form a plan to help his home town. With support from Wyevale-Waverley (and the whole of Simcoe Presbytery) Peter has spearheaded a project that has raised $33,000 to rebuild the Methodist Primary School that he and his parents attended. Another $10,000 has been raised to provide two wells for the school and the community. Minesing United Church is a supporter of this exciting and transformative project. In June of this year Peter visited Sierra Leone after being absent for eight years to see first hand the work on the school.
He met with the village elders, people working on the school, and many of the children. Previously a few village children sat on rickety benches in a church. Now the presence of a real school has encouraged registration so that more children in the area go to the new school which has six classrooms, offices, a staff room, plus toilets.
There’s lots more work to do for the school and the community. Minesing United Church along with the churches in the area (and some schools, service clubs, and community members!) look forward to a long and productive partnership. Anyone interested in donating funds, or with a good idea for fundraising, please contact Minesing Church (705) 737-5322.
- Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
The destruction of the rebel war included Peter’s home town Bunumbu, where he was born and raised. As Peter contemplated visiting home he began to form a plan to help his home town. With support from Wyevale-Waverley (and the whole of Simcoe Presbytery) Peter has spearheaded a project that has raised $33,000 to rebuild the Methodist Primary School that he and his parents attended. Another $10,000 has been raised to provide two wells for the school and the community. Minesing United Church is a supporter of this exciting and transformative project. In June of this year Peter visited Sierra Leone after being absent for eight years to see first hand the work on the school.
He met with the village elders, people working on the school, and many of the children. Previously a few village children sat on rickety benches in a church. Now the presence of a real school has encouraged registration so that more children in the area go to the new school which has six classrooms, offices, a staff room, plus toilets.
There’s lots more work to do for the school and the community. Minesing United Church along with the churches in the area (and some schools, service clubs, and community members!) look forward to a long and productive partnership. Anyone interested in donating funds, or with a good idea for fundraising, please contact Minesing Church (705) 737-5322.
- Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Pictures of Bunumbu School Project
These are pictures of the Bunumbu School Project. In addition the story below was written by Rev Peter and can be used in newsletters or other handouts to promote the project. Simply attribute the article to Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Letter
Below is a copy of my letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper that you may feel free to cut and paste and personalize in whatever way seems good to you. This is following up on the Make Poverty History materials that we highlighted during the election. It is not a letter "from the church." It is simply a resource that you may make your own for use in your own church, with your family, and with your friends.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
October 21, 2008
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
This past spring, when it looked like there might be an election, Make Poverty History worked with their partners (including the Assembly of First Nations) to ask the leaders of all parties what their plans were to combat poverty. At the time, your office responded that they were not going to answer the specific questions. Now that the election is over, I am writing to you today to reiterate the fact that poverty is still an issue.
I hope that as you set the agenda for the next government you and your government will answer yes to the principles endorsed by Make Poverty History – More and Better Aid, Trade Justice, Cancel the Debt, End Child Poverty in Canada – through your actions. Specifically I am asking you to consider the following.
1. Your government last year made a significant move towards better-targeted aid and it was a good first step. However, we in Canada must increase our foreign aid to 0.7% of our national income (GDP). We promised we would but we have been negligent (and increasingly so) dropping our aid significantly over the past few years. Help us to become, once again, a proud world leader in this vitally important arena.
2. Your government has offered targeted tax breaks as a way of achieving policy objectives (i.e. tax credits to sports programs for children and your proposal to offer tax credits for cultural programs for children). These programs definitely benefit middle class families but they are often of little value to very low-income families who are struggling to even put food on the table. I would like your government to consider increasing and (in partnership with the provinces) structuring the Child Tax Benefit in such a way as to ensure that low income families get to keep more of their money so that they may pay for basics like housing, food and fuel (costs that are going up rapidly).
3. Your government has provided funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. Finding safe and suitable housing is one of the most significant problems facing low income Canadians. I urge your government to give this issue a high priority and senior government attention.
4. Your government has offered a historic apology to the First Nations of Canada for the Residential School issue and agreed to a Truth and Reconciliation commission. However, a sad truth is that while First Nations communities are under your government’s direct jurisdiction they experience some of the worst water, most substandard housing, and excessive poverty in the country. This is a disgraceful situation. The Kelowna Accord was conceived as one way of beginning to address these concerns in partnership with the communities in question. I would like to know what your plan is to make real positive change in partnership with First Nations communities (which are primarily a Federal responsibility) and implement it so that this unjust situation may be addressed on behalf of all Canadians.
Thank you, for your time and consideration,
Kirsty Hunter
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
October 21, 2008
Dear Prime Minister Harper,
This past spring, when it looked like there might be an election, Make Poverty History worked with their partners (including the Assembly of First Nations) to ask the leaders of all parties what their plans were to combat poverty. At the time, your office responded that they were not going to answer the specific questions. Now that the election is over, I am writing to you today to reiterate the fact that poverty is still an issue.
I hope that as you set the agenda for the next government you and your government will answer yes to the principles endorsed by Make Poverty History – More and Better Aid, Trade Justice, Cancel the Debt, End Child Poverty in Canada – through your actions. Specifically I am asking you to consider the following.
1. Your government last year made a significant move towards better-targeted aid and it was a good first step. However, we in Canada must increase our foreign aid to 0.7% of our national income (GDP). We promised we would but we have been negligent (and increasingly so) dropping our aid significantly over the past few years. Help us to become, once again, a proud world leader in this vitally important arena.
2. Your government has offered targeted tax breaks as a way of achieving policy objectives (i.e. tax credits to sports programs for children and your proposal to offer tax credits for cultural programs for children). These programs definitely benefit middle class families but they are often of little value to very low-income families who are struggling to even put food on the table. I would like your government to consider increasing and (in partnership with the provinces) structuring the Child Tax Benefit in such a way as to ensure that low income families get to keep more of their money so that they may pay for basics like housing, food and fuel (costs that are going up rapidly).
3. Your government has provided funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. Finding safe and suitable housing is one of the most significant problems facing low income Canadians. I urge your government to give this issue a high priority and senior government attention.
4. Your government has offered a historic apology to the First Nations of Canada for the Residential School issue and agreed to a Truth and Reconciliation commission. However, a sad truth is that while First Nations communities are under your government’s direct jurisdiction they experience some of the worst water, most substandard housing, and excessive poverty in the country. This is a disgraceful situation. The Kelowna Accord was conceived as one way of beginning to address these concerns in partnership with the communities in question. I would like to know what your plan is to make real positive change in partnership with First Nations communities (which are primarily a Federal responsibility) and implement it so that this unjust situation may be addressed on behalf of all Canadians.
Thank you, for your time and consideration,
Kirsty Hunter
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Resources on Poverty Issues
Just a few tidbits to get you going.
First the videos...
Then the information...
Millenium Development Goals
more friendly (Link to UN website)
Eradicate Extreme Hunger (Link to UN website)
Make Poverty History (Link to Make Poverty History website)
Finally a few things to help you weave real life into worship...
Kairos Resources on a variety of issues
United Church Worship for World Development and Relief
United Church youtube
First the videos...
Then the information...
Millenium Development Goals
more friendly (Link to UN website)
Eradicate Extreme Hunger (Link to UN website)
Make Poverty History (Link to Make Poverty History website)
Finally a few things to help you weave real life into worship...
Kairos Resources on a variety of issues
United Church Worship for World Development and Relief
United Church youtube
A New Hub
There is so much information around that when I even contemplated getting it to all of you... my photocopier threatened me. Thus we have gone virtual. This will be the new hub for resources and info that relates to the Church in the World projects of Simcoe Presbytery. If you find cool resources send the links. If you have a concern send it in. Comment away. It is all good.
Your Friendly Church in the World Co-Chair
Your Friendly Church in the World Co-Chair
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