Thoughts ...

January 4th (Happy New Year, blog readers !) ... so its 24 days until D-Day ... departure day.


I've been reading some more about Pandipieri on the internet.    If you go to Google maps, and try and find it, you won't ... but if you can locate Kisumu, then Pandipieri which houses 300,000 poor people is the scattering of little spots around the eastern boundary of the city, near the rubbish dumps and sewage works.   The irony of the position of the site of the town isn't lost on me !  Rubbish ... and sewage ...

In 1977 a young Catholic missionary founded the Pandipieri Catholic Centre.   Their core philosophy is based on three principles. First, solutions to existing problems must come from within the community; they should not be imported from outside. Secondly, if you want to be part of a solution, you must be part of the community. And thirdly, resources used must also come from within the community.     Although a community of Christians established the Centre, the beneficiaries of the projects include people of all faiths.


So going as a group of well-meaning Brits, are we going to be able to follow the philosophy of the centre ?    Well, the solution to the problem of street living boys is to start to teach them trades; Paul the carpenter who has begun the project of the workshop comes from the town, so yes, the solution is being generated within the town.  
If we want to be part of the solution ... well, we WILL be living in the town, so we will be part of the community.  
And thirdly ... resources from within ... this is harder; we are supplying the money for this project, as well as some of the work, but the main resources are the African workmen, and they come from within the community.

So yes, we will be fulfilling the centre's philosophy !   I'm wondering if a mere month is enough ... shouldn't we be there for six months ??