Dear Friends of Makeni,
An update on latest developments is well overdue. Here, then, is the latest from Makeni Ecumenical Centre:
1. ORPHANAGE:
One person serving on a Mission Committee of an overseas Church
which supports Makeni asked why the cost of repairs, redecoration
and upgrading of the former nutrition village buildings, now to
be used as an AIDS Orphanage, has turned out so much higher than
the previous estimate. The answer to this is :
(a) that following an inspection visit to the village by the Ministry of Social Welfare as part of our registration procedures we were ordered to add one building to the existing ones - a communal dining/recreation/homework-room. We obtained quotations from builders for the most simple design of a 10 metres x 5 metres building, with two doors, 4 large "open windows" [i.e. covered by mosquito netting], an IT4 iron roof and basic electric supply. The lowest quotation was K17.1 million [this is approximately Br£3970 or US$6240].
(b) The Ministry also ordered us to construct a concrete wall right around the village, "to protect the children". We were strongly opposed to this as we do not want the village look like a prison; we are determined to integrate the children into the life of the Centre and the schools as much as possible. A compromise solution would seem a fence of some sort. This has not been costed as yet, primarily because we are not keen either on erecting a fence.
These two additional works would increase the budget for Phase II to well, well above K20 million. For the time being we will [quite truthfully] plead poverty and postpone the fence building till later, if ever.
In view of the poor inflow of funds since we (almost) paid off the purchase price of the village, we are forced to go ahead in faith with the building of the community room. We pray that funds will materialise from somewhere within the next three months, the duration of the building project.
2. Cholera has broken out in Lusaka as a result of the heavy rains. We wish to re-assure those who enquired that there have been no reported cases at our clinics.
3. The Royal Netherlands Embassy has provided K34,639,639,54 for the Family Planning Project, which should cover expenditure for the first six months of AD 2000. Thereafter the future of the F/P Project is bleak. After years of trying to get longterm funding and failing to do so, it appears that this, one of Makeni's largest and most important projects, will have to close down. It will mean letting down tens of thousands of clients in some 23 rural and urban areas. The Ministry of Finance and the UNFPA remain unmoved by our pleas.
We thank the Royal Netherlands Embassy most sincerely for this grant which gives us some breathing space.
All for now.
Warm regards to you all, and thank you for all your support, both prayer and material.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Pierre J Dil