Dear Friends of Makeni,
Here is some latest news about Zambia and Makeni Ecumenical Centre for your use.
1. First some data about Zambia:
2. Makeni Clinic [within the Centre] now serves a population of about 33000 people. 20% of the population is children under the age of five and attend our Under-Fives Clinic. 1762 pregnant women attended the clinic in the past year. The Clinic staff attend to about 5000 people per month. The Clinic now employs16 staff all paid by the Lusaka City Council or the Ministry of Health. It is one of the busiest places within the Centre.
3. One of the Centre's new projects, the Computer Training School, reports that it offers courses at four levels of expertise, from beginners to advanced. The Courses are now accredited by the International Pitman's Examination Institute. Students are drawn from all over Lusaka. Between August 23rd 1999, when the department opened, and May 8th, 2000, fifty classes were conducted with a total student enrolment of 128. All students passed their final examinations. During this period income was K1,501,500 and all expenditure including salaries K1,413,000; the department therefore pays for itself.
4. As per July 31st, AD 2000 Revd Pierre J. Dil ceased to be chairman of the Centre, a post he had held, as Founder of the Centre, since 1971, and since 1989 in an honorary capacity. On the urging of the MEC's Executive Committee he will continue some involvement in the Centre as volunteer Financial Manager/Fundraiser/overseas PR officer and a Director on the Board. The new Chairman is Revd Andrew Mukuyamba to whom, from now on, all correspondence should be addressed.
5. The Orphanage Project has now completed phases I-III of its four phase plan of development; fundraising for the recurrent budget at US$12000 per annum has now started.
6. Through the hard work of Miss Elles van Kooten a young Dutch couple have offered to pay the US$3000 needed for the purchase of a secondhand replacement Family Planning vehicle. You will remember that that project's vehicle burned out recently threatening the close down of all our rural FP work. We express our sincerest thanks to Elles and the anonymous couple!
5. Fr Dil will be absent from Zambia for medical treatment from August 4th till September 4th; we apologise that there will be no mini newsletters or reports during that period.
(Editor's note: Computer migrations also are leading to some e-mail distribution problems, hopefully soon to be resolved.)
Thank you for all the support you are giving to our projects; it is greatly appreciated.
With best regards,
Yours in Christ,
Very Revd Canon Pierre J Dil,
Vicar General Continuing Anglican Communion in Zambia [for The
International Traditional Anglican Communion].
Private correspondence: P.O. Box RW51313, Lusaka, Zambia
Telephone: Home 260-1-274991 Fax:
ditto - after previous notification
Office Fax: 260-1-272437
e-mail: mecdil@zamnet.zm
Makeni Ecumenical Centre's home page is at:
http://members.truepath.com/mec/mec.htm