Bringing hope

A FALKIRK church has raised more than £35,000 for an expedition with the Vine Trust to develop sustainable housing in Africa.

Twelve people from Trinity Church in Falkirk were due to head out to Tanzania at the end of May to start work on building the first two houses in a sustainable village on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The Vine Trust is a Scottish charity which started at St Andrew’s Church, Bo’ness during the ministry of former Moderator of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Albert Bogle. It works with partner organisations based in Tanzania and Peru, building family homes, orphanages and schools and providing floating medical care to remote communities in Amazonian river basins and on Lake Victoria.

The new village, its largest construction project to date, is to be called the Kazunzu Village of Hope.

It will consist of a cluster of over 40 houses, each accommodating up to six children who will each live with a ‘mama’. Each house will have a vegetable garden, or ‘shamba’, to supplement their food supply. In later phases, a primary school and potentially a secondary level English medium school will be constructed, alongside a health hub and a vocational training centre offering training to the local community and further afield. Trinity Church set the target of raising £30,000 to fund the cost of the volunteer team’s expedition, including international flights, accommodation, food, in-country transport, and the purchase of construction materials and resources. Within six months a total of £36,365 had been raised from fundraising events, personal donations, sponsored walks and cycles, donations from local businesses and organisations and from the congregation.

This means that as well as covering all the costs of the trip, Trinity will be able to donate £7820 towards future Vine Trust construction projects and the development of the Vine Trust’s programmes.

Iain MacSween, who visited the area last year and is going again in May, said: “This project will bring hope to the people who live in the Kazunzu area, many of whom are living with HIV and AIDS. A very high percentage of the children are orphaned as a result and desperately need accommodation. I hope the team can make a start on what is a very worthwhile project and encourage others to get involved. We are delighted with the support we have received for this project and the level of funds raised.”

The Vine Trust, which celebrates its 35th anniversary next year, estimates that its projects in Tanzania and Peru have helped over 1.3 million people living in severe poverty. You can find out more at www.vinetrust.org