In August our very hard working secretary, Gordon Dawson, retired. Having attained his three score and ten years he felt it was time to hand over the secretarial reins to someone else. Gordon was first assistant secretary for several years and then took over from Guildford Tompkins in 2000 seeing us through our move to the new warehouse in Lockwood, Huddersfield and the rapid expansion of CART’s work.

During Gordon’s years of loyal service CART has:

• sent more containers to Africa – 16 in 2001 and 27 in 2005;
  
• sent a greater variety of goods, for example - educational materials, medical items and aquaboxes for water purification; and
  
• undertaken more sustainable development projects e.g. fish fly project (Kenya).

In the years of Gordon’s secretaryship many people in various parts of the UK, Africa and India have actively worked to ensure the work of CART continues efficiently; whether in the formal setting of the management committee or the trustees, serving in the shop, collecting & packing goods, talking to churches, schools and other groups or being a regular financial supporter.

All these people and activities have had the guiding supportive hand of Gordon Dawson who has spent hours writing, telephoning, responding to enquiries, receiving and replying to e-mails, arranging collection and deliveries, organising container loading teams, editing the newsletter, organising the harvest appeal, talking to groups, servicing and reporting to the committees, conducting school assemblies, communicating with the press etc. etc.  Gordon always seemed to have information at his finger tips and dealt with people calmly promptly and with his dry Lancastrian sense of humour.

Gordon has quietly recruited many willing helpers to CART through his example of service and commitment. CART continues going from strength to strength and will continue to do so.

Thank you Gordon for your part in the organisation.

"Gordon has done a truly wonderful job and we are grateful. You have taken the work to new heights to the blessings of the people we serve. We hope you have a long and happy retirement." ~ Guildford Tompkins

Therefore as Gordon himself put it in the 2006 spring newsletter:

“The days of the secretary are threescore years and ten and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years yet is their strength then but labour.”                  Psalm 90  v10 – adapted.

P.S.  Gordon is continuing to help with CART’s activities – long may he do so.

Malawi has a population of about 12 million people, with a rural / urban split of 87 % to 13 %.

Some 400,000 children under the age of 15 have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, many of them cared for by relatives who are already under economic hardship.

The GDP per head is £110 a year and 65.3 % of the population lives below the poverty line.

There is 1 medical doctor for every 62 000 people and 1 nurse for every 4000.

The average household size is 4.3, of which 25 % are estimated to be headed by a woman.

Only 1.3 % of adults are above the age of 65 years.

The literacy level is 74 % of men and 49 % of women.

In 2005, the harvest was partly spoilt by drought and the necessary quota of maize was not reached, by a long way: 1.9 million tonnes instead of the 2.6 million tonnes needed. This means there will be problems in the coming months as the available maize will be finished before the next rainy season: hunger will rise, and with it, criminality.

These facts figures were in the half year report for Jan – June 2005 produced by St Luke’s Hospital where
CART sponsors a bed. St Luke’s has a capacity of 156 beds for its catchment area of 87 030 people and
relies heavily on donations as it doesn’t realize enough income from fees. £300 can make a bed available
for about 45 patients during a whole year. If you would like to contribute to this amount, please contact
Brigitte Matthews at CART.

CART is helping in Malawi ~ 3 February, 2006
From Ersato M’baya, Diocese of Upper Shire:

"I write to report that I received the assorted items for Mtonda Orphan School and that I went to deliver them to the school. I received writing materials, toys and some clothing and cooking utensils.

"On behalf of the school committee and all the children I wish to thank you for the donation which came at the time the children needed them most. The items are being used for the intended purpose.

"Currently, the children are in need of sewing machines for girls, carpentry tools and shoe making tools for boys. A computer or two would make the job of the teachers easy. Push bicycles and additional cooking utensils and clothing are also welcome as the number of the children is growing every month.
Finally, we thank you for your everlasting love for the orphans.

May God bless you always, Ersato M’baya, Diocese of Upper Shire"

Report on CART relief items for Malawi ~~ 13/1/06

As it has been reported previously, CART humanitarian support items have improved for better the Socio-economic and religious life of most Malawians in the rural and urban areas. A great difference has been noted in various ways ranging from the households, clothes, tools or implements, medical and clinical supplies, foods and educational materials. As distribution committee we would like to thank those who donate these humanitarian aid items.

The clothes and other humanitarian items received has enabled people use their own money for buying maize and other foods that were locally available especially important because of the famine that has hit Malawi since March last year.

CART's work does not only bring people to witness true love of God's people in different places and locations, different races, culture, traditions, values and behaviour on the planet earth but also the realization of God's Kingdom here on earth. Moslems have been challenged in Malawi by the love Christians demonstrate especially by calling children (orphans) regardless of their faith or creed to be part of CART beneficially.

Through items donated people see life to have meaning and increased their social economic and spiritual strength.

May the abundant blessings from God our father be upon you always,"

Annie Luhanga, Archbishop’s Secretary & Richard Bushili, Education Secretary

30th May 2006

"Love and greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Nkonte Widows and needy spiritual Association. This is to acknowledge receipt of the gifts we received from Christian African Relief Trust.

"We are really very grateful, words are inadequate to express our gratitude for your kind assistance to the needy, poor and under privileged people in our community.

"We received 8 boxes of shoes, 25 boxes of clothing for men, women and children, 20 boxes of household goods, 12 boxes of soap, 15 boxes of educational aids & stationary, 20 boxes of books, 10 computers, 4 typewriters, 10 sewing machines, 10 bicycles, 5 boxes of toys and some individual gifts boxes.

"All the clothes were given to the beneficiaries and the books were left at our library the bicycles were given to the field workers. The sewing machines were left for our usual use.

"The toys were given to Magdalena primary school and also some books were given to them and also some soap was given to our Orphans and Widows. The computers and typewriters were left for computer lessons at our Vocational Training Centre.

"We gave 4 computers, 4 sewing machines, 2 typewriters and some books/educational materials to Bishop Senabulya of Mityana Diocese.

"We would like to report the breakdown of our boreholes got dried because of water sea level. Our community is requesting your office to consider and renew our water project. We also thank you for £100 for the goat rearing project

"Thank you a lot for the co-operation and support you continuously render to our people in need. Hoping to hear from you soon. May God bless you all,

Yours Faithfully, Betty Nabuya, Secretary

From Bryony Pichanick

"Hello again from the Team of DESTITUTE CARE / NEW HOPE VILLAGES. Every Wednesday afternoon we are found among the dump people, for our weekly service with them. All our meetings are in the open and the people sit comfortably on the ground near the huge city dump site at Pomona in Harare. We have had to change location around the dump a number of times due to the encroachment of flies causing the meetings to be unbearable. People also gather from surrounding smallholdings as they are eager to hear the Word preached.

"Wherever we set up a meeting, people gather from every direction, such is the hunger for the things of God in Zimbabwe in these times. This is an amazing group, in that they are always full of joy. They live in the most appalling conditions, yet they are ready to sing and dance at any opportunity. They wear their best clothes, which have been given to them by us, from the containers of second hand clothing from OPERATION SUNSHINE and CART in England. They always dress for their meeting and come clean and washed from their work on the filthy dump.

"Once a week recycling companies come and buy the collected rubbish from the people. The people also make things from the rubbish which they sell in the high density townships e.g. strong baskets from PVC pipes and plastic buckets or drinking glasses and sugar bowls - they cut the tops off bottles by rubbing the bottle along a tight string to heat it up, and then dipping it in a bucket of water, causing the top to cut off cleanly and neatly - quite amazing!

"The houses are only about a metre in height and not much longer. They are only big enough to sleep in. The bed is made of car batteries, overlaid with soft rubbish and blankets, the residents crawl in there at the end of the day. They proudly told us they did not leak! The batteries prevent the water wetting the bed when the rainwater flows across the floor. Toilet/bathrooms in the residential area of the dump are just pieces of asbestos forming an open topped enclosure to give some form of privacy. The rubbish surrounds the "homes" as it is collected, so it can be protected from others who may like to grab it. There are billions of flies which sit on everything, and of course the disgusting smell which is continuous and overpowering.

" Such is life for some people in Harare. There are a number of other dump sites such as this to which we also minister. It is sad that for these people, this is normal living. It is pitiful that so many live like that and see no way out of it. However, what impacted me the most was the joy that these people have. They are happy, being content with very little. They have overcome the stench and the flies, and the dirt. Such a lesson to us all.

"And the incredible thing that amazed me as they walked us back to our transport they offered us food!!!! On top of all their difficulties, they want to be hospitable to strangers … Did I have the faith to eat in those
conditions ?? Maybe… Late that night I still had the stench of the place in my nose, and wondered how anyone could exist with it indefinitely. I walked upright in my kitchen, lay comfortably in my bed and thought of them - May God strengthen us to serve them for the long-term.

Bryony and team

24 June 2006

I hope that the Almighty God is richly blessing you and the church in UK.

I wish to report to you that we finally opened up the information communication technology (ICT) centre with the 8 computers you have provided us through CINDI-Kitwe. The response has been exuberant in Chililabombwe from the youths, children and women. The computers are helping the youths and children to document information as well as train in secretarial services.

We have been able to distribute reading books to community schools as well as food stuff to the community.

Therefore, it is in this respect that on behalf of our board we are very thankful for your blessings and support in our quest of training the targeted 3000 youths with ICT skills though presently we are only taking 50 per six months. Love, peace and harmony,

Kebby T Shampongo

66 more Chickens find a home in Uganda

Thanks to your kind donations 66 more chicks have been bought to enable the refugees in the displaced persons camp in Lira, Northern Uganda, to start their chicken farm to support themselves and their families.

This makes a total of 149 chickens purchased - only 51 short of the target of 200.
You can still buy a chicken for £5 – please send donations to the treasurer at the CART address on the website.

Your gifts do make a difference.

Pump Aid – feedback on donations made through our Harvest Appeal 2005:

A total donation of £2000 was made to Pump Aid for elephant pumps. Each pump costs £200 providing fresh, clean water for around 200 adults and children.

Pump Aid assures CART that feedback will come from recipients in due course but it is taking some time to come through. They are working with World Vision in Malawi where together they have installed 20 village pumps in the south near Blantyre with 30 further sites identified.

Pump Aids asks CART to pass on heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the appeal.

Kenyan Crafts ~~ update

CART is still selling craft items from Kenya, manufactured by craftsmen hoping to sell their art to support themselves. There is a wide variety of articles: jewellery, wood carvings of various sizes, soapstone carvings, also of varying sizes. All monies taken are sent to the Kenyan craftsmen.

So far £690 worth of crafts have been sold but there are still about £1750s worth available for sale. Some of these items are on display at the CART charity shop and samples are taken to craft fairs and to illustrate talks given by CART members.

Anyone interested in purchasing some of these articles, which make ideal gifts for Christmas and other occasions, and are very reasonably priced, should contact Mrs Brigitte Matthews on 01484 687353.

School Sponsorships Update
 
Thank you to the 6 CART supporters who have kindly responded to our appeal for sponsors for school sponsorships in Liberia and Kenya. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

If any one else is willing to help by making a contribution, however small, towards the children’s schooling costs, please contact Mrs Brigitte Matthews on 01484 687353.

Concert in aid of CART

On Saturday 6th May Almondbury Ladies Choir and the Dalton Guitar Ensemble beautifully entertained a small and appreciative audience.
Sincere thanks to the groups for giving up their time to help CART.

A profit of £231.25 was made - £90.75 for Kenya through the crafts and £140.75 for other CART projects.
Thanks to all those who supported us.