Pokot | Cranleigh and Bramley Parish

Hello All

Last Sunday Fr Paul sent me this report and these lovely pictures showing how he used the emergency food funds we sent him. Best wishes from Eugene
“Eugene –
Today we had a food distribution at Chesanayan Village of Barpello. The lady in blue is Chief Irene whom we consulted and who advised that since most families of Chesanayan are affected by lack of food, they be considered first. They will have a second round coming next Sunday. Thanks for the funds. Eugene I do wish you and all the members of your Group could have seen the happiness of the villagers and hear so many thanks especially those the women expressed. God bless Pound A Week Group”

Hello All

Fr Sean at the Rotu Mission has another young girl from his primary school who has achieved the qualifying marks for Secondary Education and he is seeking help with her fees and extras (at present rates of exchange approx. £420 and £270 respectively). Here is his report.

“Another girl from Rotu, Joy Chenangat, has been accepted for Form 1 in Barpello Mission Secondary School. Her fees for the 2021/22 year come to KSH 62,000.
Could you get a sponsor for her? She is from a very poor family. Her father died 2 years ago. Her mother Chepitapitoon is one of our first Christians. She and Chenangat are loyal mission people. Chepitapitoon is an industrious person. Despite all her difficulties she’s managed to keep a herd of about 10 camels. Camels are much harder work then cattle or goats. But they repay better then any other livestock in this harsh climate. The crops failed 100% this year. They fail 2 out of 3 plantings. Not great economics.

The ‘extras and requirements’ for Form I come to about 40,000 KSH. They are higher in the first year as they include the cost of the uniform and other items which hopefully should last for most of the 4 years at the school. If the sponsor (or another) could give something to help with those items, it would be much appreciated, though I appreciate that would be an added extra. With many thanks to £ a week for years of generous support for the needy. God bless Sean”

If anyone not already sponsoring would like to sponsor Joy or contribute to her fees or extras, please let me know. Best wishes Eugene

“Pokot” is the name we have given to our Parish project for the relief of poverty and disease, coupled with the spreading of Christ’s gospel of love and development to the people in the Third World.

The project currently supports two Missions run by the Holy Ghost Fathers in East Pokot, a remote and impoverished region of Kenya. The predominant tribe there is the Pokot people, hence the name of the region and our project. The area is subject to frequent droughts and food shortages, at times approaching famine proportions.

You can find out about the Barpello Mission and Rotu Mission on these pages, along with the Camel Project. You can also read the POKOT diary of the development on these areas through the generosity of the Pound a Week Group amongst others.

The Pound a Week Group was set up specifically to raise funds for selected projects in East Pokot. As its name suggests, members try to give a £1 each week or whatever they can afford. Donations are made in little orange envelopes put in the collection baskets at weekend Masses. Some parishioners prefer to pay monthly or yearly. Donations can be Gift Aided and apart from recording those donations for HMRC purposes, no separate record is kept of members or their donations. Parishioners simply give what they can afford whenever they can afford it.

Since our new Parish was formed in 2006 from the Cranleigh and Bramley parishes, the Pound a Week Group has sent the Missions in East Pokot more than £93,000. We have supported the camel project, the medical and food programmes; and nine members of the Group are currently paying the fees for thirteen children at the Barpello school. The Mission there played a major role in tackling a cholera outbreak a couple of years ago and Fr David told us that the Pound a Week Group was the first to respond to his appeal for emergency funding to help tackle the disease.

Reports from Pokot about the work of the Missions are included in the Parish Newsletter from time to time and in the POKOT Diary, but if you would like to know more about “Pokot” and the Pound a Week Group, please contact the Parish organiser of the Group , Eugene McGivern, at emcgivern@btopenworld.com