Fantastic talk about our work in Peru by Weronika

Weronika Ozieranska Regional Officer for Latin America

Many thanks to Weronika Ozieranska for her fantastic talk about CAFOD’s work in Peru at our Harvest fast day briefing at St Bede’s Church Basingstoke last week.  It was great to hear about Warmi Huasi which is project to provide children with a safe place to play, support them with homework and enable them to participate in their community. The project is based in impoverished outskirts of Lima called Lomas de Carabayllo. Weronika explained that many parents work in Lima which is a 2 hour bus ride away so the project provides somewhere for the children to go to after school.  The children are also encouraged to become involved in their local community and  create safe places to play.

Play area

Many thanks to St Bede’s for hosting the meeting and to Tony and Mary our parish volunteers at St Bede’s for helping to set up, clear away and serve teas and coffees. Thank you to all those who came to the meeting .

If you would like to hear more about our work in Peru  Weronika will be speaking at our  Harvest fast day briefing on Wednesday 19th September at English Martyrs Church Reading RG30 2EB from 7:15pm to 9pm and also on Saturday 22nd September at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church Southbourne BH6 3ER from 2:30pm to 4:30pm . To book your place please email portsmouth@cafod.org.uk 

 

Jude’s Share the Journey Walk along the Camino way

Jude Maleski

Jude Maleski , our CAFOD parish volunteer at St Joseph & St Edmund Church in Southampton has walked over 55 miles along the Camino way for the Share the Journey campaign . Jude told me ” It was grueling at times with the temp reaching 85 degrees and up and down steep hills but wonderful, magnificent scenery, stillness, people, angels an incredibly powerful sense of the presence of God! I am so blessed to have been able to partake and survive it. I would recommend it to anyone.”

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Many thanks to Jude for walking such an amazing distance along the Camino. If you haven’t joined a Share the Journey walk yet there is still time, as St Colman’s’ Church in Portsmouth our having walk on Sunday 30th September from St Colman’s Church  to St Paul’s Church after the 9:30 am mass.  They are also planning to walk around the grounds of St Paul’s Primary school and have a picnic.  So let’s hope that the sun shines!

Inspirational talk by Nikki at our Harvest briefing in Havant

Nikki Evans

Wow what a fantastic and inspiring talk from Nikki Evans CAFOD’s  programme officer for Bolivia last night at our first Harvest fast day briefing at St Joseph’s Havant.   We heard about the Hands on Altiplano project which is supporting families in the Altiplano,Bolivia . Do you remember Nicanora  and her worms from the Harvest fast day 2016? Nikki told us about how the project had been progressing over the last 2 years and the difference  your donations have made.  Two years ago when we first met Nicanora her onion crop was failing because the rains had not arrived but now she has a water tank, greenhouse, vegetable garden and wormery. She told us about the variety of vegetables that she grows – potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce..and that she can sometimes sell the surplus to her neighbours. ” We have worked hard and now we are living a good life. I feel very proud.”

Nicanora and her garden

So thank you to all those who have been supporting the Hands on Altiplano Project and there is a new one based in Columbia called Hands on Columbia starting soon.

CAFOD volunteers and supporters in Havant

Many thanks to Maureen Thompson who organised the meeting and to St Joseph’s Church for hosting, and also thanks to all those who came. I hope you found it as inspiring as I did.

We have 3 more Harvest fast day briefings  and at each of these meetings Weronika Ozieranska will be speaking about our work in Peru so please book your place by emailing portsmouth@cafod.org.uk or call 01252 329385

8th September St Bede’s Church hall Popley Way Basingstoke RG24 9DX from 10:30 am to 1pm

19th September English Martyrs Church hall Reading RG30 2EB 7:15pm to 9pm

22nd September Our Lady Queen of Peace Church Douglas Road Southbourne BH6 3ER from 2:30pm to 4:30pm