What is the relationship of Christchurch to this area?
Christchurch, Montgomery, Alabama, is a parish of the Anglican Communion under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Sebei Diocese, [Anglican] Church of Uganda, the Rt. Rev. Augustine A. Salimo, bishop. The Church of Uganda is one of the largest Churches in the 73 million member Anglican Communion (historically derived from the Church of England). The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi has led the Church of Uganda as Archbishop and is a world leader in faithfulness to the Gospel, especially within Anglicanism. Christchurch is able to remain in the Anglican Communion through the protection of the Diocese.
Who’s working on this?
The Lord has raised up a Water for Life Committee (“Sebei WFL”) from the parish to work stateside on the project for Ngenge. Currently serving on the Committee are Christchurch Vestry members Mitchell Dubina, Doug Hixon, and Rick Oates; Christchurch parishioner Kate MacLeod, who has an academic background and experience in working with non-profits on water projects for the developing world; Christchurch parishioner Hannah Williams, who recently retired from heading up a major non-profit organization in Alabama concerning children’s education; and Fr. Rusty DeMoss, Associate Rector at Christchurch, who was with the Engineering Ministries International (”EMI”) team while in Ngenge. This Committee stays in constant contact with Fr. John-Michael, Christchurch’s Rector; the Vestry; the Diocese; and EMI, through our long-term EMI missionary, Paul Berg, who’s moving to Uganda this August (2009) to implement the project, and EMI’s Janet Strike, a Cornell-educated professional engineer who helps head their office and ministry in East Africa, in Kampala, Uganda. Janet led the engineering team who came to Ngenge and has been our faithful point-of-contact; she is well known to our Bishop and Diocesan leadership staff.
What is the main goal?
The bishop and Christians of Sebei Diocese, including the congregation of Christchurch (one of the Diocese’s churches), want to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people suffering in Ngenge. With new, clean, and safe water the Church will demonstrate that Jesus indeed is the Living Water of Life, with Whom and in Whom and from Whom one never grows thirsty (John 4:14). The people there, seeing and knowing that Jesus has heard their cry lifted up to Him for years now to bring them water, critical for life, will receive the Gospel in its fullness, not only water for life but the Living Water Himself, Jesus.
What is the hope?
Change is possible, given the availability of natural resources which could be harnessed, from rehabilitated and new borehole wells, to irrigation test plots for crop cultivation. Of immediate concern is the provision of water relief to the area in dire need, through construction of 6 new boreholes, rehabilitation of 7 existing boreholes, maintenance of 2 properly working boreholes, ongoing maintenance training, and hygiene and sanitation, including heightened education and 35 biosand filters for water purification.
What will happen to my money once I give?
Contributions are being placed in a special Designated Account at Christchurch and will be held here in the U.S. until authorization is received to wire funds as needed to pay directly for the installation, repair and maintenance involved in the project. Funds will be wired to the EMI office in Kampala and/or to our Diocesan account in Kapchorwa. No “lump sum” will be sent in advance; funds will be sent only upon communication from the long-term missionary about specific expenses needing payment and authorization given to pay those expenses.
How much of my money will go towards the project directly?
Aside from our bank’s $50 wire fee per transaction, all funds raised will go directly to specific project expenses.
What about accountability?
We will be communicating with Paul back and forth while he’s there about specific project expenses requiring payment. Paul will provide monthly project update reports, which will be posted on this website, with monthly financial reports to the church showing how the funds have been spent. Paul also will be posting a blog on this site, so that friends can keep up with him day-to-day as the work progresses (and can keep him covered in prayer!).
What about sustainability?
Paul will be working with our Bishop and his main diocesan officers, especially the Rev. Moses Bushendich, the Diocesan Development Officer; and the Rev. David Chesakit, the Diocesan Secretary, to insure that the Diocese will remain in charge of overseeing ongoing maintenance and education after Paul returns to the U.S. Paul, Rev. Moses, and Rev. David will establish an ongoing maintenance and education program within the Ngenge community. One of Paul’s chief duties will be to train leaders in the community in inspection and maintenance. The ongoing maintenance costs are estimated by EMI to be quite minimal, only $1,500 annually, which will be absorbed by the community and Diocese, along with foreign contribution as necessary; this combination will be the responsibility of the Diocese, to insure community involvement and ownership.
Who arrived at this solution?
This proposal is based on the latest scientific and technical findings and recommendations of an 11-member diverse, multi-disciplinary engineering missionary team from Engineering Ministries International (“EMI”), an evangelical, U.S.-based Christian ministry who visited the area and analyzed the project in February 2008. EMI is based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado, www.emiusa.org, with offices worldwide including sub-Saharan offices in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa, www.emiea.org. Their full report (Project #9067), published in May 2008, is available upon request, as is an Executive Summary. Valued at over $75,000 in professional services and expertise, their work EMI gave to the Diocese at no cost. The Lord led Bishop Salimo to EMI, and EMI responded to his plea for help in assessing the need and proposing the best, most cost-effective solution.
What is the cost?
The cost for the project, for immediate water relief, is $75,600. According to EMI’s cost estimates, repair of 7 boreholes needs $10,300; installation of 6 new boreholes needs $63,500; maintenance of 2 working boreholes needs $100; and installation of 35 biosand filters needs $1,700.
Who’s going to implement?
The Lord has raised up a missionary Water Systems Engineer, Paul Berg, to move with his family to Uganda in August 2009 to implement the project as recommended by EMI. Paul currently is a civil engineer with CH2MHill, a global leader in the field (www.ch2m.com), in Corvallis, Oregon. He has spent his career working on water supply and treatment projects for municipalities. Paul was on the EMI missionary design team which analyzed Ngenge in February 2008. He will be there through June 2010, based out of EMI’s office in Kampala. He is taking a leave of absence from his job in answer to the Lord’s call on his life and will be raising his own support for his missionary service; no funds from the $75,600 cost need will go to him. He will be serving under the auspices of EMI, as a “Long-Term Volunteer.” Pray for Paul, his wife, Karen, and their son, Scott, who’ll be entering 11th grade; their other, older children will remain in the U.S.
Are other sources of funds available?
We are searching for all sorts of funding sources, including contributions from individuals, foundations, foreign and domestic non-profit ministries, community awareness events. Even the federal government has expressed unqualified support for the project. Through the good offices of Christchurch parishioner Tom Saunders, Sen. Richard Shelby has caused recommendation for federal funding for the past 3 years in Congress’ appropriations legislation; however, the relevant federal agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, has not been able to respond, as their limited funding for water related projects has already been allocated elsewhere, now and into the future. We trust this project to the Lord God, Who has heard the cries of His people in Ngenge, to raise the funds in the ways in which He desires, through moving on and in and through the hearts of His Body, the Body of Christ, here and beyond.