A HILARIOUS THEATRE NIGHT

The Malawi Support Group recently held a very successful fundraising theatre night to see the hilarious comedy written by Alan Ayckbourn entitled Absurd person singular.
The theatre was fully booked and we raised just under $1600 including proceeds from the raffle pictured above.

OVERSEAS STUDENTS ATTEND THEATRE NIGHT

In attendance at our Malawi Theatre night were students from La Trobe University who were all from the Ithaca campus of Cornell University in NY and are over here for a semester to study Australian history for a term under the guidance of parishier John, pictured with his wife above.
John lectures in the humanities faculty and decided it would be of benefit to them to experience some local culture and consequently they enjoyed the show and our hospitality afterwards.

CRAZY WHIST NIGHT

Last evening on the 15th March we conducted a Malawi Crazy Whist fundraiser card night which was enjoyed by everyone, including many who had not previously played and learnt to play for the first time. We had a practice session beforehand. We provided prizes for those with the highest points (although you play in pairs each person keeps a score sheet).In Crazy Whist winners after each hand is completed move to the nearest adjacent table whilst losers remain. However no one remains in the same position as you’re constantly playing against different partners. Losers will eventually be dealt an unbeatable hand and become winners; also pairing against other winners of varying abilities ensures it all evens itself out after several hands.We provided 7 prizes, for the best 5 scores and to add interest for the worst 2 for being such good sports.The night raised $700.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM MALAWI

Fr F Taylor has sent us a letter of thanks and informing us our last remittance was used to facilitate flooring and plastering. We were overjoyed to hear the christians were very happy in their new church. Work remaining is to paint the walls, install windows, seating and outside tiolets.
Dyson informs us the rainy season for Malawi has brought good falls and the crops are doing fine but in some cases the rains have washed away fertilizers and no yield is expected.
Above is a photo of his family taken during the Christmas Holiday when all of his four children were available. His wife is a primary school teacher currently heading a new school, just a kilometre from the Ntandire Church/Hall shown in the first 2 photos. This is a populous area and that is why one class can have over 100 pupils as you can see from the photo of the children.

INSIDE THE NEW CHURCH AT NTANDIRE

Here are photos taken mid January 2008 inside showing Christmas decorations.

FINAL YEAR FUNRAISER COURTESY OF "THE DEGENERATES"

We held our final Fundraiser last Saturday 8th December, when we sang Carols and were entertained and danced to the wonderful music of the "The Degenerates" who donated their services for the evening.
A total of $1,380 was raised in ticket sales and from the raffle. In November further funds of $170 were raised from an entertaining evening presented by the various musical groups in the parish.

NTANDIRE CHURCH OUTSTRUCTURE COMPLETE.

The above photos taken in November  2007, show progress of the new church with the outer structure complete inclusive of doors and windows.

NTANDIRE CHURCH ROOF TAKES SHAPE

The project is proceeding well with the roof near completion.

Sat 15th September 2007 Dyson took some photos of the Ntandire Church/Hall at the end of timber work for the roof which was the day iron sheets were being placed on the roof. Some photos show Sat Sacrament Classes ( Called Tili Tonse ) for the young ones who are to start receiving some some Sacrament.

More photos will posted once the roofing has finished.

IN READINESS FOR THE ROOF STRUCTURE

The roof is near completion.

Photos taken on Sat 15th September 2007 show the Ntandire Church/Hall at the end of timber work in preparation for the iron sheets on the roof. Sat Sacrament Classes ( Called Tili Tonse ) were held for the young ones who are to start receiving some some Sacrament.

A PLEA FOR MORE FUNDS

Malawi members Pat Croft-Theatre Ticket sales with Lindsay Byrnes.
We need to raise another $2000-$3000 for the roof and fittings of the church and hall at Ntandire and hence are looking for good support for the Eltham Little Theatre night on Friday 31st August and the Father’s Day raffle to complete this project.

To date we have only just covered costs, that is the initial payment to Eltham Little theatre so if you of haven't already either bought tickets or raffle tickets please take the opportunity next week

NTANDIRE CHURCH TAKES SHAPE

The first photo depicts Fr Frank Taylor with 2 seminarians. Below is Dyson Ntapara with Fr Frank and a seminarian taken just before the first mass celebration. Further photo is of the partially completed building.

NTANDIRE CHURCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION

NTANDIRE BUILDING COMMITTEE

A meeting of the committee with Fr Tayor to discuss progress.

MALAWI COUNTRY UPDATE

On behalf of the committee and your sister parish thanks to everyone for all of your continued generous support. Thanks also to our school community contributing close to $400 of a total of $1100 from the recent raffle.

I recently asked St Kizito parishioner Dyson Ntapara who works in the Reserve Bank at Malawi about current general conditions in the country. He told me the warm heart of Malawi continues to bleed with the major problem of continuing AIDS deaths and sickness resulting in a growing number of orphans.

More and more elderly people look after very young children.

Malawi is a very poor country without mineral resources, reliant on subsistence agriculture although it has embarked recently on a number of agricultural development programs. In the past when the maze crop failed we assisted with funds for food and to buy new seed. It was pleasing to hear from Dyson that this years harvest has been excellent, so that past stocks could be exported to Zimbabwe.

The principal exports are tobacco, tea, sugar and coffee and for the first time in 10 years the tobacco crop is fetching good prices. St Kizito is in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi and St Kizito assists many outlying communities, particularly at Mtsiriza and Katsiyafumbi. In Mtsiriza and Kasiyafumbi the population is growing and a substation of Ntandire has been established as part of Mtsiriza.

Our current project is to fund a new Church/ Hall at Ntandire.

Building work is progressing very well. More work has been completed since the photo below was taken and Fr Frank Taylor has informed us the are currently putting on the ring beam and hope soon to buy the timbers for the roof at a cost of US$1500.00 which includes labour for erecting the roof beams. The roofing sheets will cost US$ 5000.00.

The Parish hall at St Kizito is much more expensive and so far they have dug the foundations only. They are applying to the European Union for a 75% grant for ‘community hall’ and it may cost US$150,000.00.

Fr Frank Taylors latest advice is : “ With Ntandire when we get the roof on we can use it as Mass Centre and Community hall without plaster/paint/furniture – those are luxuries for the time being! Our aim is to open the church for Dec 07.”

He has been away for the month due to various members of his family sick in Ireland. Please remember them in your prayers.

St Kizito parishioners and members from their community including sisters from Zambia walked to Mt Sirza and then to Ntandire for a celebratory service held on Good Friday. Pictures of the walk and building works are displayed below.

The Feast day of St Kizito (3rd June) will be celebrated at respective masses for the weekends of the 26th and 27th May held jointly with Our Lady Help of Christians. Respective flags will be draped over the alter, a special prayer read out as composed by medical missionary Sr Mary Doonan and a DVD viewed as created by Angela Vines, which will be sent to your sister parish.

We end each Malawi Meeting now with that same prayer, reproduced here:

O God you called Mary to be the Mother of Jesus. Mary, our Mother also knew what it was to live as daughter wife and friend on this earth. Grant us the grace of opening our lives to all that you call us to be. Give us the mind and heart of Mary that we too may bear Christ to the world.

GOOD FRIDAY AT NTANDIRE

Photos taken during Good Friday, starting at Mtsiriza and finishing at Ntandire at the site where the church / hall is being built.