Fields notes gb spring summer issue 4

CHANGING LIVESTRANSFORMINGCOMMUNITIESBUILDING HOPE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

GIVE WATER,GIVE LIFECHARITY BARN DANCECLEAN WATER FOR1 MILLION PEOPLEUPSKILLING UGANDAWATER IS LIFE INSOUTH SUDANMEET MAGGIE ... AND MORE!

FIELD NOTESSPRING / SUMMER 2015 ISSUE 4

THE BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER FROM FIELDS OF LIFE www.FieldsofLife.org

WHICH ONE

GB EDITION

DRINK?WOULD YOU

FOL Field Notes GB 2015 v2 11/3/15 12:20 Page 1

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GIVE WATER, GIVE LIFEAs I sit to write this our 4th edition of Field Notes, I’m reminded of all of the wonderful support we’vereceived over the last year and while focusing on all of the truly remarkable activities that are alreadybeing planned for 2015. With so much to report where do I start?!

I have not long returned from an incredible trip to Uganda and Rwanda. I arrived as our 7th AnnualEducation Conference in Lira drew to a close. As a team, we were delighted that over 90% of Fields of Lifesupported schools were in attendance to share good practice, fellowship and learn from the excellent line upof speakers, all sharing the common goal to improve school performance. It is with great delight that I canreport back that many of our schools are amongst the top performing in their districts and some even atnational level.

It’s always a privilege to visit our water drilling teams – these men are our heroes. Their commitment,dedication and desire to bring clean water, to remote community is exceptional. I truly believe that their workis vital in the fight against waterborne disease. Witnessing the transformation of communities and the younglives that will be saved is truly humbling. As we break through the barrier of 500,000 people accessing cleanwater since we acquired our first drilling rig in 2009, we remain committed to reaching 1,000,000 people by2020. And with your help we believe this is within our reach. So we invite you to join with us on World WaterDay, 22nd March 2015, when we are launching a new campaign, ‘Water for Life’, and will be asking supportersto save the life of one child every single month by committing to £4 per month to support this essential work.Please consider completing the Direct Debit form enclosed and show your support to the vulnerable womenand children who walk long and arduous journeys simply to get a drink of water.

Rwanda is an amazing country of such contrasts – unimaginable breath taking scenery and some of theworlds’ most phenomenal people. It was an honour to meet our teachers, students and partners workingtogether to rebuild following the atrocities of genocide. Later this year Comic Relief will fill our TV’s full ofstories of regeneration across East Africa – if you would like to join us and experience first-hand thetremendous welcome that awaits you at our projects then please do get in touch. We are hosting a numberof fact finding trips this year and dates and details are available.

I would like to thank everyone who is already playing a part in ourlife transforming work. We hope that you will share this newsletterwith your friends and family. Please encourage them to join in atsome of the fun events that are coming up over the course of thisyear, and help change the world for someone.

Yours faithfully,

Debbie CameronHead of Development and Fundraising GB


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It’s time to dust off those cowboy boots and join us for a hooting-tooting evening!!

The Hearing Hope Project are holding a Charity Barn Dance to raise money to drill a fresh water well for aremote community in Uganda. The evening is being held at the All Saints Church Hall in Whitstable onSaturday 28th March 2015.

If you would like to book tickets for this fun filled evening, you can do so by eitherpaying online at www.justgiving.com/thehearinghopeproject stating your nameand the number of tickets you require. Your tickets will then be emailed to you.Alternatively please contact Charlotte John on 07545 893 801 for more details.

I really hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be a great night.Tickets are limited so please make sure you book early.

DENTIST FROM HIGHWORTHWILL GET HER TEETHINTO A CHALLENGINGCHARITY CLIMBIn April 2015, Magdalena Kreft, a 36 year old dentist from Wiltshire, will be taking part in a Himalayanexpedition to climb Island Peak, which stands at 20,340 ft above sea level and is located only a fewmiles from Mt. Everest. As part of her personal challenge, she is supporting Fields of Life Mt. EverestPrimary School in Uganda.

Having conquered Mt. Kilimanjaro last year, wearing 4 inch heels, Magda explains why she has decided todo something more challenging! “I am on a very intense training regime at the moment and getting readyto face the mountain. I hope that with the support of my friends, family and my patients I cannot onlyreach one of the peaks in Himalaya but also change some lives and bring hope for those who need it.”

She will be going to Nepal with one of our ambassadors and experienced climber Ian Taylor. The expeditionis to the summit of Island Peak, which stands at 6,189 meters. The team will leave Kathmandu on EasterSunday and, after climbing in the Himalayas for 14 days, they will make summit attempt on Island Peak.Anyone wishing to support Magda can do so via www.justgiving.com/magdalenakreft

We wish her every success in her climb and journey mercies for her safe return.

CHARITY BARN DANCE


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CLEAN WATER FOR1 MILLION PEOPLEClean accessible drinking water is a basic human right, essential to life yet over one eighth of the worlddoes not have access to it. Many people suffer sickness and death due to waterborne diseases andvaluable hours are lost fetching dirty water over long distances.

THAMES PATHCHALLENGE12TH–13TH SEPTEMBER 2015The team at Sinclair & Rush are hosting acharity 50km walk along the Thames Paththe trail is unique - varied & beautifulscenery that's steeped in history and asuperb backdrop for an Ultra Challenge.Perfect to enter as a Team of friends, familyor colleagues, or join as an Individual - andyou'll be fully supported by our team all theway. All you need to do is sign up, raise aminimum of £295 and pop on your walkingboots! Please contact me for furtherdetails of this unforgettable journey.

Fields of Life is committed to addressing the vitalneed of supplying safe, clean water especiallyamongst the vulnerable and marginalised groups,mainly women and children and in 2009 purchasedits own drilling equipment. The new rig drilled the firstwell in January 2010. We set an ambitious target todrill 1,000 wells within a 10 year period providing1,000,000 people with clean water. This year, 2015,we are approaching our half way mark.

• Fields of Life purchased a second rig in early 2012enabling our teams to drill up to 10 wells each month.

• In 2014 our teams provided more than 100communities in East Africa with access to clean water.

• Each day last year, more than 330 people receivedaccess to fresh water.

• Over 120,000 lives were saved through receivingthe gift of clean water in 2014.

• Since our first well was drilled in 2010, more than500,000 people have received clean water.

• Will you join with us this year as we step closer toreaching our target of providing 1 million people withclean water?

g Throughout 2015 we will be planning a numberof events and campaigns to raise vital funds tofurther extend this work. We would love for you tojoin with us. For more information on any of ourevents or campaigns please [email protected]


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NEVER TASTEDCLEAN WATER

Lera Atar community received the gift of a borehole through the Fields of Life water drillingprogramme. The village is located in Adennokwok Sub County in Lira district in Northern Uganda.Mr Woro Patrick of the Lera-Atar village tells us their story:

“The biggest problem in the north of Uganda is access to safe clean water, in fact, many areas have nottasted or even seen clean water. The consumption of contaminated water is a way of life for people inNorthern Uganda, due to the fact that the region suffered insurgency for the past two decades. Many arenow returning from the camps and are trying to resettle, but access to safe clean drinking water is still abig challenge. Fields of Life has been involved in changing lives and building hope through the provision ofclean water and this has been a blessing to all the families.”

Patrick explains, “My family has 7 children, 4 girls and 3 three boys. My family has been suffering fromwater borne diseases like typhoid, hook worms, diarrhoea and bilharzia for a long time. We would spendmuch time at hospital and a lot of the little money we could save from subsistence farming was spenton medication as a consequence of drinking water from an open well.”

Mr Cogan Okello, a leader within the village told us, “Due to a lack of a safe water source for the village,accidents of snake bites were reported due to bushes covering the path and the water source being in aswamp. I joyfully receive this new water source with both hands as a gift from God. I believe we will nolonger receive any cases of children being bitten by snakes and this will allow our pupils to go to schooland the standard of living in my area will improve”.

Patrick finished by saying, “My family had never tasted clean water before and now this new watersource is why my children have been saved from all sorts of water borne diseases, and they will be ableto attend school.”


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UPSKILLING UGANDA is an exciting new venture and partnership between South Eastern Regional College(SERC) and Fields of Life. The objective is to build and equip a new Vocational Training Institute in the under-developed region of Northern Uganda, where not everyone has even the opportunity for primary education.

SERC is a top UK College promoting aninspirational, innovative and inclusive learningenvironment, which empowers and enablesindividuals and businesses to fulfil their ambitionsand contribute to the prosperity of Northern Ireland.SERC currently has over 35,000 students and workswith over 5,000 local businesses annually.

Northern Uganda was a war-torn region devastatedby the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army.Today many areas still lack basic services. Fields ofLife has been working there for more than 20 yearsbuilding schools, drilling boreholes, providingsanitation and hygiene training – helping tobreathe new life into impoverished communities.

Working in partnership with Fields of Life, SERChopes to enrich, transform and inspire the lives ofthose living in Northern Uganda by providing anopportunity for students from Fields of Life schoolsto pursue a vocational education at a new purpose-built Vocational Training Institute.

Not all children from Fields of Life schools have theopportunity or academic ability to pursue a thirdlevel or further education and are often left with nooptions upon completing school. In Uganda themajority of girls don’t even complete primaryeducation because of the demands of home,tending the garden, collecting water and caring for

siblings. By providing a Vocational TrainingInstitute, students will be given the incentive andopportunity to continue their studies and gain skillsto pursue a career, something many students inIreland take for granted!

In order to support Fields of Life and upskill theyoung people of Uganda, SERC aims to maximisethe technical knowledge and experience of theirstaff to provide advice and guidance throughout thedevelopment of, what will be known as, the SERCVocational Training Institute – making it a centre ofeducational excellence. SERC will also help Fields ofLife to raise the necessary money to build and equipthe institute in a bid to Upskill Uganda and impactthousands of young people’s lives.

g To find out more please [email protected]

UPSKILLINGUGANDA... ... PARTNERSHIP

WITH SERC


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WATER IS LIFE IN SOUTH SUDANOne of the pledges made to our partners during the Fields of Life fact-finding visit to South Sudan inNovember 2013 was to drill six boreholes. We are delighted to report that despite nearly fourteenmonths of in-country conflict, a total of nine wells were drilled in January 2015.

After a long delay because of insecurity, changing thedrilling company and the nine-month long rainy seasonpreventing travel by road, eight boreholes have beendrilled in Ibba and one in Nzara, another town west ofYambio, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan.

Ibba can best be described as a drive-through town.People rarely stop on their journey to and from Juba, thecountry’s capital, or Mundri and Maridi to the Statecapital Yambio. The county’s population is 41,869made up of 21,545 males and 20,324 females, itconsists of 5 Payams and 15 Bomas. The Diocese ofIbba is 170 miles north to south and 41 miles east towest. It has 4 Archdeaconries, 21 Parishes, 36Churches, 32 Pastors and 315 Mothers Union members.

According to the State Water and Sanitation authority,Ibba County has only 59 working boreholes while theadjoining counties of Yambio and Maridi have 339 and249 respectively. This unquestionably highlights thegreat need for water in Ibba and, in fact, one of the fourarchdeaconries, located near the DR Congo border, hadnot a single working borehole.

David Gough (Fields of Life, International DevelopmentManager) relays a story from the South Sudan visit. “Aswe walked to see some of the Diocesan projects on theoutskirts of Ibba, we came upon a boy drawing waterfrom a dirty pool on the track. Some of us spoke to himto discover that the nearest borehole was one mileaway and that he was bringing the water back for hismother to cook dinner. Unfortunately, this is all toocommon in water scarce communities in impoverishedremote rural locations of South Sudan.”

Bishop Wilson Kamani of Ibba continues, “The eightboreholes are truly wonderful news, my people havebeen suffering for too many years with little or noaccess to water.”

Thanks to a number of extremely generous donors,Fields of Life has been able to drill a total of nine wells,using a local drilling company, three more than weoriginally planned, bringing fresh, safe, clean drinkingwater to over 10,000 people.

g To find out more about our work in SouthSudan please email: [email protected]


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MEET MAGGIE“I am Margaret, fifth born of seven, three sistersand three boys in my family. My mother could notsend me to school because she had to take careof the family. My father had no interest and placedno value on our education. He thought there wasno point of educating a girl if she was to getmarried anyway. This made our life very hard aswe had to struggle to make a living.

I went to live with my aunt who tried to send me toschool but it was not easy. Through all thestruggles, I made it to secondary level with goodgrades as I always wanted to be a social worker.

My aunt got to hear about a Fields of Life schoolthat was supporting children like me who could notafford to pay tuition. I got sponsored through Fieldsof Life and was given scholastic materials, fees anda peace of mind that I wouldn’t drop out of school.This whole experience turned my life around and Icould feel that it was going to be different.

It doesn’t matter how small or big the contributionfrom a donor is, it makes a big difference for a childto go to school. The change affects a whole community.I was able to go to University and graduate.

I believe I am a testimony to my family and the girlchild out there, because there is hope for them tohave a better future regardless of what our cultureand perception is for a girl child. Being involvedwith I AM GIRL means a lot to me because I believewe can make a great difference as educating a girlis educating a nation.”

The I AM GIRL project was launched in October 2014and aims to address the frightening statisticssurrounding girl retention at school in Sub SaharanAfrica. Only 1 in 5 girls make it to secondary school

and in Uganda, a staggering 71% of girls drop outof school before completing Primary 7 and 85% donot complete secondary school.

The I AM GIRL project is committed to ensuring girlsare empowered to complete their education and togrow into strong, healthy young women and that intime their children will have the same opportunities.The project aims to educate both girls and boys,women and men, within our school network in EastAfrica to address the challenges faced by younggirls today.

g For more information on how you can CherishA Girl and Change Her World, please contactHelen D’Arcy on [email protected].


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PARENTA TRUST DRIVETO BUILD A SCHOOLOver the last 2 years the Parenta Trust Rally has been the talk of the town, and, this year, is by nomeans an exception to that rule! The PTR Drive to Build a School is set for the 17th -21st June 2015.And what a drive it is… 8 countries, 2,000 miles in a car worth around £350! A minimum sponsorshipof £1000 per car and a route that takes in some of the best roads that Europe has to offer. So if youare looking for an adventure with a few friends or your loved ones, then, fix the date in your diary.Further details of how to register are available online at www.parenta.com/charity

Since the first Maidstone to Monaco Rally back inSeptember 2013, the charity have raised enough fundsto commission the build of 3 nursery schools acrossUganda. The trustees have exceeded all expectations,with the target of one a year for the next 10 years.

The first nursery school was sited in Luwero, at GoodShepherd. The second, currently under construction, isin Dokolo, at Opilitok. The latest to be commissionedwill be sited in Luwuuka, alongside Dean RollandPrimary School in Uganda.

Commenting on the commissioning of its third nursery,Andrew Cooper, Chairman of Parenta Trust said:“Being able to commission our third school has farexceeded our hopes and aspirations for assisting pre-school aged children in Eastern Africa, and we arebeginning to see a real impact on the ground.”

The third school will accommodate around 150children under 5. This will bring the total number ofpre-school aged children being provided with a qualityeducation through Parenta Trust to 450.

Allan Presland, Founder of Parenta Trust and MD ofParenta Group, paid tribute to those who hadcontributed to raising the funds: “My thanks go out tothose members of our amazing Parenta team whohave helped raise funds for the charity or who sponsorsome of the children at the nursery schools, as well asto local businesses and friends who have done somuch to raise funds. I am truly touched that so manypeople have supported this cause.”

So if you feel inspired to get involved in the drive tobuild the 4th Nursery School, then, please don’thesitate to contact us. The rally is enormous fun andfor such a worthy cause.


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FIELDS OF LIFE ADVOCATESFields of Life have many active and dedicatedvolunteers who have served Fields of Life faithfullyfor many years. It is our desire to tell more peopleabout the work of Fields of Life and to engage newaudiences to partner with us as we seek totransform the lives of vulnerable people throughoutEast Africa.

A Fields of Life Advocate will be a main contact forFields of Life within local churches, businesses,

schools, youth groups and will have theopportunity to raise vital support. Advocates willbe given appropriate training by Fields of Life staffand will be provided with all the tools, resourcesand information necessary to be able to effectivelycommunicate and share our story.

g To find out more about becoming anAdvocate for Fields of Life in GB please [email protected].

SAVE MORETHAN MONEYSave More Than Money is a new telecoms tariffthat Amelix Telecom has developed aimed atbenefitting communities in East Africa. Thepremise of the initiative is simple; we will saveyou money on your phone bill and give 50% ofour profits to projects in East Africa.

• No lengthy contract you just need to give 30 daysnotice

• Save up to 50% on your phone bill (compared toBT’s standard business rate)

• Save lives and improve futures with every callyou make

• No difference between local and national calls

• We will donate over 50% of our profits toimproving lives of children in Africa

• Every call billed by the second.

g Please call 0844 801 99 55 or [email protected] for further details.


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S

WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?Fields of Life is committed to seeing meaningfuland real change occur in the lives of wholecommunities in East Africa. It is our desire toempower those living in extreme poverty and to helpthem help themselves.

By leaving a gift in your will to Fields of Life, youwill be helping to raise up the change makers ofEast Africa.

Fields of Life appreciates that when making a will itis important to provide for your loved ones first –your family and friends. However many often findthat even after they have done this, they wish toleave something to a worthwhile cause that is closeto their heart.

By leaving a gift in your will to Fields of Life, smallor large, it is a wonderful opportunity to join in ourmission and bring hope to vulnerable andmarginalised children across East Africa.

COME AND SEE!Throughout the year Fields of Life co-ordinateand lead Five Day Fact Finding Trips (Thursday toMonday) enabling people to travel to Uganda tosee our work on the ground.

You may be interested in funding a specific project orwould simply like to learn more about the differentprojects we are involved in and see our team in action.

The five day trip (2 days travelling and 3 days on theground) is ideal for those constrained by time and canonly spare a few days away. This trip will give you aflavour of life in Africa and the life-changing work ofFields of Life.


Fields of Life is committed to sharingthe Christian faith by collaboratingwith local communities andchurches in East Africa to bringabout positive change through theprovision of quality education, cleanwater, health promotion and othercommunity based projects.

OUR MISSION CONTACT US

Charity Number UK: XR 18278 ROI: CHY 13573

www.

FIELD

SofL

IFE.or

gGREAT BRITAINFIELDS OF LIFE GB1090b Galley Drive,Kent Science Park, SittingbourneKent, England ME9 8AGTelephone: +44 (0)1795 474262Email: [email protected]

Find us on Facebookwww.facebook.com

Follow us on Twitter@FieldsofLife

CULTIV8 Rwanda team dates have been confirmed: 21st July – 1st August 2015.If you are interested in finding out more information or joining the team pleasecontact [email protected] or visit www.fieldsoflife.org.

RWANDA

2015


Documents

Fields notes gb spring summer issue 4