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The Living Waters Mission Team is a part of Cenacolo Community Youth Fellowship, made up of 40 young people coming from all walks of life. We all have one commitment which unites us, that is to spread love and the word of God in a practical and tangible way to the very poor in the developing countries.
Our Belief
We believe that God has called us to serve with Christian compassion in this fallen world by alleviating suffering and helping people develop. We also believe that prayer is foundational in our life and call, so through prayer, we praise God, seek his direction, request resources and call upon the Holy Spirit to empower our work. We recognise that God has given us the responsibility to work with diligence, integrity and accountability in cultivating and using the resources He has given us.
Our team’s name is derived from the promise that Jesus made some 2000 years ago to the Samaritan woman, when he promised her spiritual living water when she went to draw water from the well of Samaria. That promise still prevails today to whoever responds to His call and so we share of this “living water” provided to us with others who are in need.
About half of the world’s population, nearly 3 billion people, live in poverty on the equivalent of less than 40c a day. These people do not simply lack financial resources but they struggle each day to keep hunger and disease at bay. Basic opportunities to improve their lives are frequently beyond reach. Many people are poorly fed, poorly educated and usually poorly governed. The factors that keep people living in poverty are complex and interwoven.
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Our History and Beginning
In 1998 a Catholic priest in Guatemala issued an appeal to Maltese volunteers for help in his parish situated in southern Guatemala. So a group of friends ventured on their way to Central America for 6 weeks, in order to respond to the appeal.
Eventually our work started to focus in Ethiopia and the first project in the year 2000 was delegated to the team by Dun Gorg Grima, the Gozitan priest, whose incredible dedication to the poor drove him to open numerous houses for the under-privileged children and orphans in Brazil and Ethiopia.
Our Name
The name of the team is derived from the promise that Jesus made 2000 years ago to the Samaritan woman when he promised her spiritual living water when she went to draw water from the well of Samaria. That promise still prevails today to whoever responds to His call and so we share of this “living water” provided to us with others who are in need.
Facts
About half of the world’s population, nearly 3 billion people, live in poverty on the equivalent of less than 40 Maltese cents a day. These people do not simply lack financial resources but they struggle each day to keep hunger and disease at bay. Basic opportunities to improve their lives are frequently beyond reach. Many people are poorly fed, poorly educated and usually poorly governed. The factors that keep people living in poverty are complex and interwoven.
Our Response
The team is trying to alleviate the hardships that these people endure - hardships which we could see with our own eyes and experience during our missionary journeys. Working with the local communities taught us which projects are most beneficial to the whole community of villagers, while seeking the advice of the resident priests who live with the locals all year round. Moreover we encourage the poor people to work themselves out of their poverty.
Most of the Maltese volunteers spend a period of six weeks, usually in their summer recess and work alongside the people of the community supervising the construction of the projects (hospitals, kindergartens, grinding mills, water pumps) that we provide together with the help of the Maltese benefactors and which are sub-contracted to local craftsmen thus providing work and income for them. The volunteers visit the homes of the poor and spend time with the sick and needy. They take care of the children and teach crafts and basic English as well as maths and other subjects.
The team in Malta
The team, who is very enthusiastic and energetic, meet once a month and sometimes even more in order to discuss the fund-raising activities and to have bible studies together. The fund-raising activities mainly consist of receptions, BBQs, raffles and lotteries. Each of these activities are attended by around 300-400 people and we are very thankful to our sponsors who help us cover a good part of the costs of these events.
Our Appeal
At least one Ethiopian infant will die as you read this sentence probably of a disease that could be easily treated and more easily prevented. If only the most basic resources were available. If only … You find yourself saying that a hundred times a day in Africa. If only this village could have a school! If only that mother could get her desperately sick little child to hospital! If only …. If only …. !!!!
We rely entirely on the generosity of your contributions. Your offering of as little as one hour’s wage or income will help to alleviate the sufferings of the poor that we meet.
You can directly deposit your donation in any branch of the following banks:
BOV A/C No. 40011693411
Your generosity in past years has been a blessing! |
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Child Sponsorship Programs
The child education sponsorship programme is quite extensive covering around 300 children. The group has two types of child sponsoring programs: The Individual Child and the School Running. The first program is The Individual Child sponsoring which is a closed ended program and new childred are included on a case by case basis. Currently we have approximately 100 children in three different areas, namely Pawe, Bahir Dar and Konchi. Depending on the needs of the children, the Catholic congregations use these funds to pay for school fees and other related matters, partial feeding and medicines.
The second program is The School Running where we currently sponsor the running of two Kindergartens catering for some 190 children. One Kindergarten is in Modio located in the south of Ethiopia and the other Kindergarten is in Pawe located in the North-West of Ethiopia. The latter Kindergarten was funded by the team in 2005. The contributions made by the benefactors are pooled in together to fund the whole school from salaries of all the staff, exercise books and a small lunch during school time.
Pawe is in the North-West of Ethiopia approximately 200km from the Sudan border. This area is quite dear to The Living Waters Mission Team that deals with displaced people from the south. These people were moved there over the last thirty years by the government with a promise of housing and opportunities, which obviously never materialized. The land there is quite dry with a high risk of Malaria when it does rain. Investment in this area is lacking although recently it started to get more attention.
The Capuchin Fathers running the school gave us positive feedback especially from authorities that children who moved into the government school are doing very well. As mentioned due to lack of investment the schools cannot absorb the demand for learning, resulting with classroom of 80 to 120 children. This makes both learning and teaching a difficult task. Thus it was felt that the Kindergarten needs to be upgraded to a School with classes up to Grade 4 which would provide a more solid foundation for learning and also help to alleviate the overcrowding of children in the classroom.
The Living Waters Mission Team is setting up a new fund and the new children sponsorships will go into a fund which will be used to upgrade the Pawe Kindergarten. This obviously cannot be immediate and priority will be given to current children if benefactors decide to discontinue their sponsoring.
Depending on the benefactors’ financial support our plan is to hopefully, build the Grade 1 and 2 in 2009 and the next two Grades in the following year. Once completed the annual conntributions will go into the running of the school.
For more information please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Manwel Chetcuti – Leader of the Living Waters Mission Team on Tel. 21241010 to discuss the projects in further detail.
If you would like to sponsor a child in our programs, please fill out the information below. You can mail it to the office with your cheque payable to Living Waters Mission Team. If you prefer to pay cash, please go in person to the office.
- €40 (LM 17.17) for one child
- €80 (LM 34.34) for two children
Total amount: € ____________
(A receipt & Thank You letter will be mailed)
Name and Surname: _______________________________________
Address and Postal Code: __________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Telephone:_______________________________________________
Mobile: _________________________________________________
Email: __________________________________________________
You may also make a donation by SMS.
LM 2 (€ 4.66) 5061 8091
LM 5 (€ 11.65) 5061 9201
“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” John 7:38 |
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Projects
For the past six years the group has acted as a funding agency to numerous projects done in collaboration with the Catholic Church in Ethiopia. It is important to note that while we are a catholic group and work with the Catholic Church in Ethiopia our projects are non-discriminatory. For three years the group worked in the South-West of the country, in the Kaffa region particularly in the area of the towns of Jimma and Bonga, and the surrounding villages. Projects included kindergartens, the construction of grinding mills, and fourteen houses (huts) for the more needy among them, and a small lepers village (twelve houses).
Since 2003, we shifted our attention to the North and North-west of the country which is a malaria zone with many people who had been displaced against their will. In this region we are working with the Comboni sisters with water projects in Mandura costing around Lm 1,300 each. These water pumps built in the wilderness are used by hundreds of people reducing water related diseases such as cholera and giardia.
In September 2005 we completed a project done in collaboration with the Capuchin fathers in Pawe where we bought seven hectares of land and built two kindergartens servicing some 120 children, costing some Lm 11,000. The parents of the children will cultivate the land with proceeds being used not only for their upkeep but also fund the future education of their children and other education programmes in the region. Further, across Ethiopia we have a child education sponsorship programme covering around 300 children, costing annually circa Lm 4,000.
Our new project is with the Vincentian Sisters in Bahir Dar where we are aiming to provide homes for around 55 families. These people presently live in extremely miserable conditions in a highly infectious malaria zone. Due to the drainage passing alongside their current living quarters there is a lack of hygiene which leads to other diseases. The cost of each house, consisting mainly of two small rooms made of bricks, is approximately Lm 2000. Their present ‘house’, which includes one small room built with bamboo sticks and cow dung, does not provide much shelter and with each rainy season, the ‘house’ is swept away. This is the most ambitious project the Living Waters Mission Team has undertaken so far, since it is estimated to cost around Lm 120,000 of which Lm 25,000 have already been forwarded. The foundations have been laid and the first 15 blocks have been erected.
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Dinner Par Excellence
Over the years the Living Waters Mission Team has organised dozens of activities to raise funds for the projects it has carried out in Ethiopia. The latest such event was a fabulous Gala dinner on the 14th June. The suggestive environs of San Anton Palace Gardens on a balmy June evening provided the perfect setting for the occasion. His Excellency the President of the Republic not only kindly made the Gardens available, he, together with Mrs. Fenech Adami, actually attended the event.
Around 250 people, many of whom had never attended LW activities before were present. The atmosphere was livened by The Big Band Brothers, who delivered a constant stream of classy yet popular numbers wholly in tune with the tone of the evening. The food was left in the very capable hands of Island Caterers Ltd, while the wine was provided by Delicata Wines. The guests were evidently extremely impressed with the standard of the fare on offer, and with the impeccable service provided. The scrumptious Chocolate fantasy which rounded up the four-course dinner was still being talked about days after the event.
After dinner, the guests watched 10-minute video-clip about the projects which Living Waters is currently undertaking in various regions in Ethiopia. The major scheme at the moment is the construction of 55 houses to replace the ramshackle huts which at present serve as housing for this community which is 300-strong. In reality, “strong” is not the happiest of verbal choices: these people, weakened as they are by severe malnutrition, are particularly susceptible to malaria. They live in an area where rain-water collects in dirty, muddy pools which provide the perfect environment for the malaria mosquito to breed, multiply and wreak havoc on the feeble bodies of starving babies, children and adults. Despite the high birth-rate, this community never increases in size, because malaria claims the lives of dozens each year.
The guests, touched by what they saw, very generously donated some Lm 800 towards this housing project. Added to the profit we made on the dinner itself, a total of just under Lm 3,000 will be added to the Housing Project Fund which at some point must reach Lm 120,000. 15 of the 55 houses have already been built and are providing shelter for members of this community. The project is also a source of work, as the people are actively participating in this initiative which besides providing them with a sturdy roof over their head will also drain the area of the noxious water which collects there.
We and the poor who will be benefiting from the project will be praying for all those who contributed in some way. May God Bless all their efforts and initiatives.
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Ethiopia Experience 2007
Ethiopia / Utopia, a dictionary at home explains it as the ideally perfect place or state of things.
To me this explanation at the beginning of 2007, was a farce. How could a country which lacks everything, even the basic needs, ever be the ideally perfect place?
But now this is how I can answer this question: I simply found myself in a place in this world where stress has not penetrated yet. This is one of the things which amused me most, how simple and relaxed these people are.
I do have to share with you the breathtaking views I saw in Ethiopia. Unless I came here, I would have never imagined how such a remote place could be altogether so beautifully set up!
I can assure you, that it is the ideal place in the world, at this time of the year, for a real good break from our hectic life. For me this experience was like a long retreat. Most of the people we spoke with though, they all assured me that during their summer, all is very dry and life becomes a real struggle for them.
The first few days till I got over the cultural shock and the emotional imbalance, I was getting the feeling of being part of a film (for the views, the simplicity of the villages, and the love pouring in from the natives, the film wins an Oscar!)
For anyone who considers living this wonderful experience, whatever the situation in your life is, I simply urge you to go for it ... I would definitely wish to go back to Ethiopia. Even if the poverty line hits you a bit bad, and health-wise I had my fair share of issues!!!! But for this experience of life and love it is more than worth every effort, penny or struggle.
Now I can agree with the explanation in the dictionary. Ethiopia is a land blessed by God. It is the country which gave me back to life … ‘and Life in Abundance’.
GBU all
Loads of love
Josette |
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