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FIELD NOTES
GB EDITION THE BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER FROM FIELDS OF LIFE www.FieldsofLife.org
SUMMER 2014 ISSUE 2
GO!
Y D A , FF ! E T S Y READ AND WE RE O INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
CHANGING LIVES TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES BUILDING HOPE
FROM GB TO UGANDA MAIDSTONE TO MONACO A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP CHILD SPONSORSHIP WELLGOOD MEET OUR FOUNDER LENT: GIVING THANKS SAVE MORE THAN MONEY
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FROM GB TO UGANDA WITH LOVE
I am absolutely delighted to be writing to you from our new Great Britain office, here at the Kent Science Park ... yes, we’ve come a long way in the last year. And on January 13th I joined the wonderful team of staff and volunteers who make up this incredible organisation, with a simple vision to build upon our charitable projects in post conflict East Africa. As I write to you, with an update of our work, I feel humbled by the sheer generosity of so many of you who have supported us with our first fundraising steps in GB. So on behalf of Fields of Life Great Britain team, it is with heartfelt thanks that we are firmly planting our roots as anew British Charity and together transforming the living conditions of thousands of people in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. For me charity comes from the heart. It’s a cause that reaches out to you and makes you want to take action. No matter how small that action is ... it’s about believing that you can effect change for the better somewhere in the world. Rev. Trevor Stevenson and his wife Ruth started this inspirational journey in the mid 1990’s in the ‘Killing fields’ of Uganda, and 21 years on, the Charity has grown from strength to strength; having built and sustained over 100 schools, providing a quality education to more than 44,000 children. We’ve drilled over 320 wells, providing 350,000 villagers with clean drinking water and supported 3,200 families with income generating projects. More than 3,500 children are being sponsored today by you, and they will help lift their families out of poverty.
Clean, safe drinking water, something that we take for granted, is the most precious gift. Our vision is to drill 1,000 wells by 2019… this will serve 1 million people. And with your continued support I believe that we can make this vision a reality. So I invite you to become part of this story of regeneration and renewal in East Africa by taking the time to read this newsletter, and hopefully you’ll feel inspired to join us at some of the events or perhaps decide that you would like to host one of your own. Either way I thank you for your time and hope to see you sometime soon. And to everyone that is already playing a part in this exciting life transformational work, I give thanks. Without your support this is all but a dream. Yours sincerely,
Debbie Cameron Head of Development and Fundraising GB 3
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MAIDSTONE TO
MONACO
THE DRIVE TO BUILD A SCHOOL, ONE MAN S EPIC JOURNEY
When I was invited to take part in the inaugural Maidstone to Monaco run in September 2013, I jumped at the chance, just knowing that it was going to be a fantastic adventure. If I am honest, the true purpose of the trip didn’t really factor in that decision; the idea of driving with my buddy and a group of like-minded people down to Monaco on some of the world’s best driving roads was enough to hook me. What I didn’t know at the time was what a truly magnificent life changing journey it was going to be. So the challenge was to put a team together, buy a car for around £350 and get it to Monaco and with luck, back too, whilst raising £1,000 per team to build a pre-school in Uganda. Easy, or so I thought! The fun began weeks before, searching the usual internet sites for suitable cars. After looking at everything from old ice cream vans to “classic” Mercedes with stellar miles, Lady Luck smiled on us and eBay came up trumps with a 1997 Volvo T5 that had previously been used for a similar charity run and was already festooned in, of all things, teddy bear fur! As it transpired, raising the £1,000 sponsorship turned out to be easier than we imagined. Once word got out of what we were doing, I was overwhelmed by the support and generosity of friends, family and work colleagues and even before we set off, the cash was in the bank. The real adventure began on a sunny Wednesday morning. Meeting at the Parenta premises in Maidstone, we signed away our lives and shook hands with the other mad players, some of whom had gone to the effort to dress up in garb to match their cars. In addition to the Furry Volvo there was a motley collection of a dozen cars that included Batman and Robin in the Bat Mobile, The A Team in a suitably festooned van and characters from Grease in a very un-Grease like Vauxhall Vectra! The first day and our first stop Dover and a ferry to the continent. No casualties so far! Followed by a 360 mile blast through France, Belgium and Luxembourg, a quick skirt into Germany and on to our first stop at a campsite back in France. Little did we know this was going to be the only day on fast roads, just to get us far enough south for the real fun to start the following day. One broken exhaust, one speeding ticket and one customs search...not bad for a first day. That first night we pitched tents in the dark and as the cars dribbled in, beers and wine were consumed in moderation of course, and great friendships were born.
Day 2 started early with the sun shining and spirits were high. With less miles to travel, just 290, but the roads became more “interesting”. From France we entered Germany (again), through the Black Forest then into Switzerland and the Alps. With a long climb we conquered the legendary Furka pass. If Hannibal and his elephants could do it, there was no way we would fail! That road in itself was the driving highlight for me and was worth all the effort alone. The best however was yet to come. 4
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Day 3 we travelled back into France along winding mountain roads and found time to stop for lunch at Chamonix and an unplanned cable car ride to the summit of Mont Blanc. Tired and high on emotion, it genuinely felt like we were on top of the world in every sense. Vin blanc on Mont Blanc and we were on our way again through the famous Mont Blanc tunnel and into Italy, before driving back into France for a slap up camp site gastronomic delight; by this time we were all tired of dining on tinned gruel and pushed the boat out, some of the more well prepared amongst us even found champagne to quaff! Day 4 was a final push through the Alps heading down to Digne and into Monaco. I don’t mind admitting that as we entered the principality in cars that couldn’t have been more different to the Bugattis, Ferraris and Bentleys, I might have choked back an emotional tear. We had all made it and even managed to take in part of the famous grand prix circuit in our trusty old bangers. That night we celebrated in style, feeling like the kings and queens which for that moment we were. Final day was an 800 mile toe down slog back along French motorways aiming to get a ferry back to Blighty sometime that night. With 600 miles to go the Furry Volvo decided to spring an oil leak. That’s when the friendships and camaraderie built up over the previous days really showed and pulling together we all made it back to Calais in time to catch the last ferry home. Arriving at Calais and knowing that we had prevailed despite all the odds, we were all winners.And best of all, let’s not forget the real reason behind the trip, we raised enough money to build a nursery school that will help change lives and provide the building blocks for a better future for children at Good Shepherd in Luwero, Uganda. g
We have just returned from this years rally and thanks to everyone who took part and sponsored us we’ve raised in excess of £19k and are looking forward to building our 2nd nursery school. If you feel inspired to join us the date for the 2015 Parenta Trust Rally is June 17th – 21st. Please contact me for further details. I promise you won’t regret it! Andy Cooper Chairman – Parenta Trust Andy@parentatrust.org 5
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A GOOD , NIGHT S SLEEP WITH THANKS TO COMPONENT FORCE
Component Force raised money for Fields of Life through several charity events last year. The biggest of these being the Welsh 3 Peaks challenge where 15 of us walked up the 3 highest Welsh peaks in one day. We had trained for the event for 4 months using the North Downs and the promise of sausage sandwiches afterwards at Trosley Country Park as motivation. Little did we know what lay ahead of us... Friday lunchtime, after a staff lunch & everyone waving us off from our factory, we travelled to the youth hostel at the foot of Snowdon. We arrived in good time to meet our guides for a briefing ready for the big event the next day. The look on peoples faces was priceless as the guides described what we were about to do. They also rejected some of the clothing we had as not good enough for the challenge and fear set in. There was only one thing for it so we headed to the bar! Powered by hops, we completed the challenge the next day and celebrated late that evening with a meal and lots of laughter.....! The challenge was not only one of the best things we have done as individuals, it was also a great team building exercise for everyone at work. As an employer it's easy to spend a lot on team building days and events, but completing a charity event like this was not only very cheap but also raised a lot of money towards a Well for a village in Uganda. A couple of us were fortunate enough to travel to Uganda, with Fields of life, on a fact finding mission to see the work being done there. It was a life changing trip and being able to meet the amazing people and experience how happy & grateful they are is priceless. If you ever get a chance to go on one of these trips grab the opportunity. After meeting children at 3 schools during our trip, we came back to the UK and shared our story with our friends, family and our church. Everyone loved our story and some, like my dad, were so inspired asked all his friends & family not to give him birthday presents for his 70th but instead to make a donation for mosquito nets at 2 of the schools we had visited. The 2 schools which didn't have mosquito nets (Malaria is one of the biggest killers in Uganda) now have nets for all staff and children. Fields of Life works really hard to build relationships between sponsors and the communities in Uganda and this works brilliantly. It works because we get the chance to see what is being done with funds we raise, we also get the chance to visit sponsored children and the communities we help and see how even small amounts raised can make a huge difference. 6
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CHILD SPONSORSHIP Throughout East Africa many vulnerable children are deprived of an education. From an early age, they have to work fetching water, carrying firewood, digging in the field or caring for their siblings. Often their water is dirty, food is scarce and the constant threat of disease makes their live unimaginably hard. However, perhaps the greatest tragedy is the lack of the opportunity to reach their full potential by receiving an education. Given the chance to go to school, where they are nurtured and developed in a safe and loving environment, these children will develop skills that enable them to break out of the cycle of poverty and hardship. For just £17 a month you can make a huge difference by sponsoring a child. Your money will provide‌ a quality education, a meal every day, a uniform every year, a gift at Christmas plus exercise books and stationery. g
You also have the opportunity to get to know your sponsored child/children by arranging a trip of a life-time to visit them at school. Please contact us for further information, or signup today online at www.fieldsoflife.org
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WELLGOOD FROM FAMILY BUSINESS PLACE Family Business Place, the UK’s leading publishing and events company for the family business sector has launched the WellGood campaign; an initiative to encourage every family-run business in the country to sponsor a drinking well in Uganda and give something back; from one family to another. Already, five wells are being sunk as part of the WellGood campaign, in partnership with the Fields of Life. Anita Brightley-Hodges, MD of Family Business Place and the brainchild behind WellGood knows that fundraising can be difficult for many small family businesses, “We’re only a small team ourselves, but when you know that just £3,600 can save the lives of thousands it becomes a no-brainer. You host events, put on bake sales, run marathons; whatever it takes to raise that money. What’s more, the whole company can get involved so it’s brilliant for bringing together a business.” We would like to give special thanks to Medway Bridge Maria and to Bennett Opies for sponsoring a well through the WellGood campaign. Both of these wells are scheduled for drilling later this year and we look forward to bringing you news on these and the communities that they will serve. g
For 2014, the team at Family Business Place have tasked themselves with raising a whopping £20,000 to build more wells in Uganda. They are taking part in a spectacular 10 day trek across the Sahara and are organising the ‘Ditton Festival’ – a scorching line-up of summer events in Ditton, Kent including a Music Gig, Big Fat Quiz of the Year, and ‘Come Dine With Me’. For more info, to get involved and to book tickets visit www.dittonfestival.co.uk
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MEET OUR FOUNDER Fields of Life was founded by Rev. Trevor Stevenson and his wife Ruth over twenty years ago. The son of a farmer and a curate at a church in Magheralin, Northern Ireland at the time, Trevor had initially gone to Uganda to take a look at an agricultural project that his church had been funding. Whilst there, her felt the call of God to do more. As a result, he and his wife Ruth spent several years living in Luwero, Uganda, in the mid 1990s. Their original vision was to set up and run a farm project to train local people to grow their own food and care for orphans and vulnerable people. Luwero at this time had come out of a period of protracted, bloody conflict and was a region where many hundreds of thousands of people had been slaughtered as a result of the brutalities of the Idi Amin regime several years previous - atrocities which had been followed by a terrible civil war. Little wonder then, that this area was known as the “Killing Fields”. It was Trevor and Ruth’s hope that if the next generation could be provided with a decent education they would become catalysts for change so that these former “Killing Fields” would become “Fields of Life”. Now, two decades later, Fields of Life has built over 100 schools and sunk more than 250 fresh water bore holes. How true the saying that from little acorns grow mighty oaks, for as you are reading this, nearly 50,000 children every day are attending classes and half a million people have clean drinking water. In 2014 the Parenta Trust will fund the first purpose built Fields of Life kindergarten. Not bad, for a farmer’s son from the outskirts of Dublin.
LENT: GIVING THANKS During Lent 2014 we asked Fields of Life supporters to join us in helping a community in East Africa. We were delighted with the levels of support and the social media frenzy started #fieldsoflifelent… by giving up our little luxuries together we’ve raised enough funds to give a lifesaving gift of clean drinking water to a remote community in Northern Uganda. g
So it is with sincere thanks to everyone who took part for their commitment, and for those of you who missed the opportunity to join us on this crusade, it’s not too late to get involved and donate whatever you can afford to give www.justgiving.com/fieldsoflife-lentcampaign 10
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SAVE MORE THAN MONEY How grateful we are to Amelix Telecom that our new GB office is connected, with free telephone and internet services! Our new Fields of Life GB is located in the Kent Science Park. Louis Hurst, founder of Amelix Telecom said, “Fields of Life is a brilliant charity, and we have worked with them in the past on many projects, most recently putting broadband into the Treasured Kids School in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. When we heard they were setting up in Great Britain, and here in Kent, we were delighted to be able to step in and help. “We donate half the profits from our special Save More than Money telephone tariff, where not only can customers save money on their telephone costs, but they know that half of the profit we make will go to help children and their families in East Africa through the wonderful work being done by Fields of Life. ” Louis and the team at Amelix have an ethical approach to business. They won’t lock you into long contracts, offering instead a 30 day rolling phone agreement and with no hidden small print. For a new charity, communications are crucial and on behalf of Fields of Life GB we are so thankful for their continued support. g
If you would like more information on how ‘Save More Than Money’ could work for your business, then please don’t hesitate to contact us or you can find out more at www.amelix.co.uk
WHAT WILL YOUR LASTING LEGACY BE? Fields of Life is committed to seeing meaningful and real change occur in the lives of whole communities in East Africa. It is our desire to empower those living in extreme poverty and to help them help themselves. By leaving a gift in your Will you can help to change lives and transform communities. Fields of Life appreciate that it is important to provide for your loved ones, family and friends first. However many often find that even after they have done this, they can leave something to a cause that is close to their heart. By leaving a gift in your Will to Fields of Life, small or large, it is a wonderful opportunity to join us in our mission to bring hope to vulnerable and marginalised children across East Africa.
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OUR MISSION
CONTACT US
Fields of Life is committed to sharing the Christian faith by collaborating with local communities and churches in East Africa to bring about positive change through the provision of quality education, clean water, health promotion and other community based projects.
GREAT BRITAIN FIELDS OF LIFE GB 1090b Galley Drive, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne Kent, England ME9 8AG Telephone: +44 (0)1795 474262 Email: info@fieldsoflife.org
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY... I am delighted to bring you an exciting array of fundraising events and activities... all of which you are warmly invited to. Please do share these with your friends and families, they promise to be great fun, value and most importantly raise funds for a number of our projects across post conflict East Africa. 19th July 2014 15th August 2014 19th September 2014 20th September 2014 2nd October 2014 8th November 2014 17th June 2015
Ecosans Summer Charity Gala Ball Motown Charity Night Morgan Jones Charity Dinner Dance D: Rocks Music Festival Sahara Trek Parenta Trust Charity Ball Parenta Trust Rally
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Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you like any further details or to make a booking. Maybe you’re considering hosting an event too or would like to share an idea, comment or suggestion? Either way, please do get in touch.
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Charity Number UK: XR 18278 ROI: CHY 13573
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FOL Newsletter GB v3
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