PHILIPPINES TRIP REPORT January 2010
During the first day of Community Healthcare training one participant had the courage to admit she being physically abused by her husband. We offered to have one of our team, John, teach on what it is to be a real man. To our surprise her husband showed up the next day. John had the opportunity to pray and share with him. The husband confessed to the abuse and told us that he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He explained that he'd never had a father to show him what it's supposed to be like. Later that day we saw the couple holding hands. Transformation has begun in their marriage and we hope that this man will begin to model what it is to be a loving husband and father. This is how community transformation begins - one life, one marriage, one family at a time.
The Links team was 14 strong and varied in age from 33 to 73. Most were Brits but we had Commonwealth representation from Canada and Australia. We worked together to support and serve the Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF).
Basic healthcare was taught to influencers in Baguio, on Tondo Dump and in Navotas Cemetery, Manila, empowering them to effect transformation in their respective communities. Local nurses and social welfare workers were encouraged and up-skilled. PCF delegates and first time loan applicants were trained in micro-enterprise. Educators worked alongside teachers, encouraging and up-skilling them, and stress management training was made available for the PCF team. Homes devasted by recent flooding were rebuilt and repaired with Links donors providing funding for 13 to be completed. (Read more about this under Projects.)
We know that true and lasting change occurs when those we teach are inspired to change their own futures, so we were encouraged to hear Vergie, the Pastor's wife in Navotas, tell us that 'Since Links came last year and told us about rubbish and stagnant water, we have cleared the rubbish and got rid of the standing water. There has been no Dengue Fever in Navotas this year!'
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TANZANIA TRIP REPORT
December 2009
Team Members:
Linden Boothby
Janet Leeson
The purpose of the trip was to build relationship with Wellspring, Tanzania and to investigate whether the community of Kinzundi would benefit from Community Healthcare training and/or help with their plans to start a school.
Introductions
This was our first trip to Wellspring Tanzania following years of great relationship with the founding organisation Wellspring in Uganda. We began by spending time with Vincent and Beatrice, the leaders of Wellspring, Tanzania. Eve and Herbert Wanjala had come over from Wellspring, Uganda to introduce us to them. This was an interesting session, the interactive teaching style being something completely new to Vincent, Beatrice and the church elders. Although somewhat daunted by what the teaching might bring up they agreed that we do a taster session and evaluate how it was received.
Kinzundi council meeting
The members of the Town Council listened to the explanation of what Links could offer to their community. Once they had established that we would be making a commitment of at least five visits to the Community, they welcomed us and gave us permission to teach in their area. This was a huge step forward for us and for Wellspring.
Needs assessment session
We started this session carefully feeling our way, being very sensitive to local issues and local culture. “What makes you feel unhappy when you wake in the morning”, we asked and out it all poured! Relationship breakdown, wife beating, unfaithfulness, children dying, female circumcision, child marriages, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoea, alcoholism, malnutrition and so much more. When the group prioritised the issues, it clearly showed that they wanted us to start teaching on Family Matters, e.g. wife beating, unfaithfulness, HIV/AIDS.
Teaching on Family Matters
Once again we were privileged to have such new friends sharing deep and personnel issues with us. Much of the teaching was a complete revelation, for example when we spoke of teaching your own children about love, marriage and sex, there was silence! No one had ever thought of this or heard of it being done. When we do these feasibility trips the teaching time is so short and we have to be disciplined to stay within the priority topic that the local people have given to us, not an easy task when they have listed so many dire needs.
Action plans
We split the students down into four groups and they were all given time to produce a plan of how they would take the teaching into the community. One group planned to hold seminars to raise awareness of the consequences of unfaithfulness; they want to teach on love both in marriage and with the children. They said “We now see that if the parents don’t show love how can the children learn?”
Another group plan to mentor young people in the community, trying to help them understand about loving and faithfulness, the aim being to reduce the incidence of HIV and STIs. Sam said “I really want to show young people the effects of what they are doing and the benefits of stopping. I want to see far less children being made orphans in our community”.
Projects
Wellspring has bought 3 acres of land in Kinzundi, a lovely spot with beautiful views. They are in the process of constructing a block building. The first phase will have two large rooms, one office and one storeroom. They plan to use the building for school, church, teaching, community gatherings etc. The school will be fee paying, so the plan is that the building will be income generating. It would be worth Wellspring considering a proposal to us for help with some blocks; they currently work out at approximately 50p per block.
Although they are hoping that services will be connected in the near future, they currently do not have any water, drainage or electricity in Kinzundi. Therefore the Links water filters would bless them.
Education
Beatrice has already started a Nursery School in their home, it has five pupils. Beatrice has done some training in Nursery Education but feels that she would benefit from help to take the school further. The plan is that as soon as the building at Kinzudi is finished the school will move into the new facility. Janet had conversations with Eve and Beatrice and has offered Links education help. Eve will get back to Janet following discussions with Holly.
Now that we are in relationship with Wellspring Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, it has been agreed that we will work through Herbert and Eve (or at least copy them into everything). This is a good plan and will ensure that the overall strategic policy and planning for Wellspring is adhered to.
Linden Boothby
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PHILIPPINES TRIP REPORT January 2010
During the first day of Community Healthcare training one participant had the courage to admit she being physically abused by her husband. We offered to have one of our team, John, teach on what it is to be a real man. To our surprise her husband showed up the next day. John had the opportunity to pray and share with him. The husband confessed to the abuse and told us that he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He explained that he'd never had a father to show him what it's supposed to be like. Later that day we saw the couple holding hands. Transformation has begun in their marriage and we hope that this man will begin to model what it is to be a loving husband and father. This is how community transformation begins - one life, one marriage, one family at a time.
The Links team was 14 strong and varied in age from 33 to 73. Most were Brits but we had Commonwealth representation from Canada and Australia. We worked together to support and serve the Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF).
Basic healthcare was taught to influencers in Baguio, on Tondo Dump and in Navotas Cemetery, Manila, empowering them to effect transformation in their respective communities. Local nurses and social welfare workers were encouraged and up-skilled. PCF delegates and first time loan applicants were trained in micro-enterprise. Educators worked alongside teachers, encouraging and up-skilling them, and stress management training was made available for the PCF team. Homes devasted by recent flooding were rebuilt and repaired with Links donors providing funding for 13 to be completed. (Read more about this under Projects.)
We know that true and lasting change occurs when those we teach are inspired to change their own futures, so we were encouraged to hear Vergie, the Pastor's wife in Navotas, tell us that 'Since Links came last year and told us about rubbish and stagnant water, we have cleared the rubbish and got rid of the standing water. There has been no Dengue Fever in Navotas this year!'
Register today to join a Links Trip. It could be you teaching and transforming lives!