NEWSLETTER: Developments in Review

This Newsletter provides a review of some of the positive developments that have taken place during this challenging year. The Newsletter briefly describes the auspices for the United States Advisory Committee and announces a new member; Bishop Linda Adams. The Newsletter provides a reminder of our need for more donations and more donors (to make a donation go to the tab above or click on this Donation Link: http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/).

The Newsletter continues with brief descriptions of some of our work with Hope Africa University.

  1. Teaching the Community Needs Assessment Course
  2. Sponsoring, Planning and Conducting a Community Development Workshop
  3. Attending and Participating in the Graduation Ceremonies
  4. Supporting the Development of Practical, Accessible Agriculture Training and Demonstration for Community Farmers

At the end of the Newsletter is a progress report on one of our agriculture development projects; Goats and Crops for Women at Matara in NYABIRABA District, Project Manager: Christine KAMIRAMEYA.

UNITED STATES ADVISORY COMMITTEE 

The United States based Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund functions under the charitable status of the Free Methodist Church USA and with the support of the Free Methodist Foundation. The necessary fundraising, funds distribution and advice are provided by the United States Advisory Committee. We are very thankful to have all of the original members continuing to serve; Mr. Lloyd Ganton, Rev. Burton Hamilton, Bishop David Kendall, Rev. Mark Van Valin and Dr. John McCready.

We are exceedingly grateful to have a new member of the United States Advisory Committee; Bishop Linda Adams.

Bishop Linda Adams

Rev. Linda Adams was elected as Bishop of the Free Methodist Church USA in July 2019; the first female Bishop, and she oversees northern United States, eastern Montana to West Virginia and all Latin American countries without general conferences. Bishop Adams was formerly the Director of International Child Care Ministries (ICCM) for eleven years and, previously, served churches in Michigan, Illinois and New York. During her ten years at New Hope Church in Rochester, the church incorporated more than 30 refugees from Central Africa into the congregation.

DONATIONS 

Our last Newsletter, entitled A Season for Giving Gifts, indicated that the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund has invested 24 one-time, start-up grants into 24 development projects and project associations with the aim that they would become self-supporting, self-managing, self-governing and self-sustaining. Currently, the 331 project association members have 513 goats and pigs and the beneficiaries have sold many, many animals to generate income and the projects have cultivated, harvested, shared and sold many, many crops.

Our previous Newsletter also included an appeal for much-needed donations and donors. Fortunately, we have received a few donations and acquired a few new donors. If you have donated, thank you very, very much! If you have not donated yet, and you are willing and able to do so, please make a donation now; before the tax year ends.

Donation Link: http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/

Another way of donating to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund is by buying and gifting books.

John Wesley Haley and Building the Indigenous Church: Reflections on Self Determination in Twentieth Century Burundi. Edited by John McCready. Toronto: Clements Publishing, 2015.

My grandparents were the first Free Methodist missionaries to Burundi, starting in 1935. John Wesley Haley was committed to building an indigenous church. An indigenous church is one that is self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing. Right from the beginning, Haley began to build an indigenous church; an indigenous organization. Today, the Free Methodist Church of Burundi is self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing and it has far more members than all of the Free Methodist Churches in all of North America.

The indigenous development model successfully introduced by Haley in Burundi very much influences the development work of the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. Our self-determining, capacity development projects are designed to enable poor indigenous people, mostly women, to become self-supporting, self-managing, self-governing and self-sustaining.

Please buy the book for its valuable, relevant content and, at the same time, donate to development in Burundi. With the support of the contributing authors (Rev. Burton Hamilton, Bishop Déogratias NSHIMIYIMANA and Rev. Dan Sheffield), all of the proceeds from sales are given directly to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. When you buy a book, you provide direct support; an investment, into a development project and the development of indigenous people of Burundi.

If you have not yet bought a copy of the book, please consider buying one or more copies. Please consider buying copies of the book and giving them as gifts to your family members, friends and contacts.

Link – To buy a book in the United States

If you are interested, you may review a review; you may review one or both of the reviews shown below.

Book Review by Rev. Dan Sheffield, DanSheffield, culture and the mission Blog, May 19, 2016.

Book Review by Dr. David Bundy, Methodist Historical Society Newsletter, Spring-Summer 2017 — Volume 16, No.2.

WORKING WITH HOPE AFRICA UNIVERSITY  

The Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund has a Memorandum of Understanding with Hope Africa University. Accordingly, this year included a number of related activities.

Taught my course on Community Needs Assessment; a required course for the Community Development Master’s Program. Among my students was a woman who was subsequently appointed by the new President to the Cabinet as Minister of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender.

Reporting the Discussion Results

Contributed to sponsoring, planning and conducting a Community Development Workshop at Hope Africa University; Community Development Opportunities: Getting Active. The workshop was sponsored by Hope Africa University, the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund and two other community development associations. The workshop included presentations and discussion groups, attracted more than 80 participants and was considered to be very successful.

  • Susan Muchiri, Head of the Social Work and Community Development Bachelor’s Program, presented very well on Community Development, Why Is It Important?
Mme Susan Muchiri
  • Bishop Déogratias NSHIMIYIMANA of the Free Methodist Church of Burundi provided an exceedingly powerful presentation on Community Mobilization and Holistic Transformation and the Christian responsibility for constant outreach ministry with and for the poor and their development.
Bishop Déogratias NSHIMIYIMANA
  • There were a number of structured and facilitated group discussion sessions; each group was expected to discuss specified questions, including Will you be staying active and/or getting active in development?
One of the structured and facilitated Group Discussion Sessions

Attended and participated in the 2020 Graduation Ceremonies; presented the graduates of the Community Development Master’s Program during the ceremonies and presented the Diplomas to the graduates after the ceremonies.

After Graduation Ceremonies

Developed, signed and submitted a new Memorandum of Understanding, indicating that the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund would serve as a partner organization in the planning, development and implementation of practical extension training and demonstration for community farmers throughout Burundi.

  • Hope Africa University is preparing to offer a new agriculture education program. Rector Victor BARANTOTA has prepared and submitted a proposal to the National Council of Higher Education, seeking approval for the new program. To demonstrate connections with partners to ensure the success of the critical extension education, training and demonstration components, Rector BARANTOTA asked both the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund and the Free Methodist Church of Burundi to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding that would be included in the proposal. The Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund is delighted to have the opportunity to serve as a partner with Hope Africa University and the Free Methodist Church of Burundi and other partners in developing and coordinating the critical extension components.
  • The main roles for the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund will be to contribute to the development of networks and partnerships and the planning and coordination of the critical extension training and demonstration development work. The Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund Memorandum of Understanding includes centrals roles in (1) developing and contributing to a Strategic Planning and Coordination Committee; (2) identifying and developing partnerships; and, (3) developing and coordinating extension training and demonstration sites and activities throughout Burundi, including the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund development projects.

The development of agriculture and an increase in agriculture productivity are exceedingly important priorities for the development of Burundi. Stay tuned!

PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

  • Goats and Crops for Women at Matara in NYABIRABA District, Project Manager: Christine KAMIRAMEYA
Christine, Project Manager

Introduction 

The Matara Association is actually made of 17 women. The project beneficiaries continue keeping goats and pigs, cultivating crops such as peas, Irish potatoes, cabbage and wheat. Currently, the women have a garden of peas and Irish potatoes. The goats are numbered at 11. They have a pig that recently produced 5 piglets. They also continue the activity of savings and credits from which they are able to borrow and repay loans to run small income-generating businesses.

Achievements 

From April to July, women had two gardens; one of wheat, and another of cabbage. At the end of July, they harvested the two gardens and got money from which they bought seeds of Irish potatoes and peas that they planted during October-November season. Now they are weeding peas.

Weeding a Field of Pea Plants

A second achievement is a blessing from the additional project. From money they got from it, they bought an adult pig. In November, she gave birth and now there is a mother and five babies.

Women with Pig and Piglets

The third achievement is the savings and credits activity (microfinancing). After gathering information and seeing the results it produced, the women decided to contribute money and start a savings and credits activity. Each Friday, when they meet for agricultural activity, they save money. Each of them must save 500 Fbu per week and they may borrow 10,000 per month. With this money, they can run small businesses such as reselling vegetables and flour. From the gains, they are able to buy food for their families. Another part of the gains is paid to the Association and it contributes an increment of capital for more loans.

Signing Loan Agreements
Receiving Loan Money

At the end of September, the members of the Association were happy to participate in a workshop that was organized to teach them how to prepare a nutritional food for their families, using materials that they can produce. Since it was the first trial, they promised that they would apply the learned techniques to their cooking at their homes.

Learning to Prepare Food
Prepared Food
Eating the Food

Project Results

  1. When they harvest, they take a part of the production as food to eat at their homes and another part is sold to get money for the continuing agricultural activity.
  2. When a goat gives birth to a baby, another woman is able to get a goat.
  3. Now that the pig has produced piglets, there is hope that in the coming days, there will be a way to plan another activity from the benefits of pig.
  4. Since the women have learned more about preparing food, there is hope that they will feed their families better as well as continue to be trained, and with the time, malnutritional diseases will be reduced.
  5. As they continue to save and borrow money, they are able to respond to some family needs without struggling.

Project Challenges

  1. Since the pig had babies, it requires a big quantity of food to help caring for the babies so they still need a lot of money to increase the quantity of food for the mother and babies in the coming days.
  2. Even though the savings and credits activity is helpful for these women, the amount they can save and borrow is still small to enable them getting enough means to respond to their families’ needs.
  3. Even if they do have goats and pigs, natural fertilizers are still few according to the size of the fields that they need to cultivate; they need more fertilizers, and more money to get it.
  4. During the nutritional training, they did not bring enough materials because it requires a lot money to buy food such as meat, oil, rice, soap, salt, etc.

Although the women have many significant achievements and results, the women still have quite a ways to go to enable them reach the desired results.