Our Links With Africa -  Mongu Zambia 

                                                           

During the International Year of the Child, in 1983, the Presentation Sisters founded a Cheshire Home for disabled children in a remote town called Mongu in the Western part of Zambia.

Soon after, Dorothy Rance, a parishioner of St Teresa's, was developing the Justice and Peace initiative in Beaconsfield. By happy chance she heard of the Home at Mongu through a Sister Louis who explained that the main aim of the Home was the rehabilitation of the handicapped child through surgery, physiotherapy and education.

The need was desperate: polio and cerebral malaria were wreaking havoc among the young of Zambia, and there were such few resources there.

And so the parish "adopted" the Home and for many years has been raising money to help expand and maintain it. Fund raising events are many and varied: from the annual Fete which raises many thousands of pounds each year, to the Sunday Mass Coffee Rota which pays for the postage to send about 20 kgs of gifts for Mongu every few months. Should you wish to make a donation please make cheques payable to St.Teresa's Church and send to :- St Teresa's Presbytery
                                                             40 Warwick Road
                                                             Beaconsfield,
                                                             Buckinghamshire
                                                             HP9 2PL
                                                             UK

Mark back "Mongu"     if you want to giftaid please e mail the office

   

Over the years, people as well as money and gifts have gone to Mongu.

Fr George McCann visited the Home in 1990, followed by the Hughes family two years later; then John Jolly and, most recently, Katrina Kelly. Each year, one of the Presentation Sisters visit our Parish, and two years ago Mr. Ikaffa, Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Home, came to our Fete and helped with the fundraising!

   

In 1997 the Parish covenanted to maintain its support for Mongu, and help is also being extended to a Care Centre for young orphans and babies at Kaoma, about 200 kms from Mongu. That same year we installed a new stained-glass window in the church to commemorate St Teresa being declared a "Doctor of the Church."

 


The Cheshire Children's Home, Mongu

New stained glass window of St Teresa of the Child Jesus
   

In it St Teresa holds the Bible with the words "Sicut Parvuli" - "Become like children." Around her are depicted children from the different continents of the world and the 2 African faces are those of Kanyanga and Massaleeso, children from the home at Mongu. Our links with Zambia provide a focus for all the parishioners, from our children who send Christmas gifts, to their parents and all who are in many ways involved in the various fund raising activities.

Some would say that the flow of benefits is very much two way: Zambia contributes to the Parish in ways that the people of Mongu do not realise.

                                                                    Update  2007 

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much indeed for all your hard work and generosity in raising money for the Cheshire Home in Mongu this year. As you can see we raised nearly £23,000 this year which looked absolutely improbable when we all gathered for the Fete in the pouring rain this year!

We are able to present the sisters with a cheque for £20,oo0 this year which still leaves us a little money in reserve for contingencies and making up for shortfall  over the last few years.

Congratulations and well done to everyone.

Fr Francis

St. Teresa's Fundraising for Mongu

 Where did our money come from this year?

Year to 30th September                  2006           2007
Ladies Lunch                                    204              37
Westminster Abbey visit                                    126
Confirmation Mass collection                            181
Christmas cards                                                 265
Folk Group                                        249           468
Crib - Donations,& service
(For postage of Christmas gifts)    382           605
First Communion Collection           171           832
Parish Supper                                  910           865
Christmas Car Parking                1,549        1,250
Lenten Alms Boxes                                        1,651
Lottery                                            2,364        2,426
Donations                                      3,005        3,181
Candles                                         3,086        3,383
Fete and Raffle                             6,614        8,242
Malta pilgrimage                                23 
Rebecca's Bingo                            395 
Postage to Mongu                         (320)       (567)
(Christmas Gifts) 
Totals                                        £18,632     £22,945

   

Fr Francis Parish Priest of St Teresa's presenting the 2007  cheque to 
Sr. Catherine of the Presentation Sisters for Mongu


Mafaya and Chipango excited to be mobile!
 
For more pictures of Mongu, please click here

Send mail to francis@littleflower.co.uk with questions or comments about this web site.
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