£82,783 Raised for Famine Victims
Ballyholme Parish has a link with the Diocese of Kajiado in the Anglican Church of Kenya. Many of the Ballyholme parishioners have visited Kajiado over the past three years and when it was learned that the region, like many other areas in the African continent, is suffering one of the worst droughts for many years and has been declared a disaster area by the Kenyan Government, it was decided to organise a special collection on four consecutive Sundays. Although life is extremely difficult for the people in Kajiado their situation is not severe enough to merit aid from the international agencies.
Such was the desire of the Ballyholme parishioners to reach out to the people in their link diocese that a total of £82,783 was raised, some of this being gift-aided, and has been sent to Bishop Jeremiah. This gesture has meant a tremendous amount to the people of Kajiado diocese at a time when everyday life is every difficult for them – there has been very little rain over the past two years.
The special collection is in addition to a further £75,000 which has already been given by Ballyholme parish through the tithing of their new Parish Centre. CMSI who have established links with Kajiado have been able to ensure the funds raised are used in the most appropriate ways.
Kajiado is in a rural part of Kenya where the Massai people have lived for centuries. Being originally nomadic they have had to adjust to an entirely new way of living forced on them by drought and famine. The diocese is an area similar in size to Northern Ireland and stretches from the south-east of the city of Nairobi down towards Mount Kilimanjaro. In spite of all their difficulties the people of this diocese have a tremendous faith and have much to teach us.