Hi there
Well, a new year with new opportunities. The deepened COVID restrictions again mean we have to consider how we operate carefully as we survive and then thrive!
I wonder how you would define poverty? – perhaps try it before reading on….. It is interesting if you ask people in the UK or USA, most of us describe it in a form of lack of material things. If you ask people in Sierra Leone, they will describe it more in relationship terms, about shame, inferiority, depression, humiliation powerlessness and your fate. This speaks to our approach to effective poverty alleviation.
Over the last 18 months we have not had the funds to really press ahead with buildings. What we have done though, is to get a better understanding of Sierra Leoneans worldview, behaviours habits and preferences. Consequently, we have put a larger focus on leadership development and training. This is long term. Its development that can sustain.
This year we continue to seek the partnership, people and financial breakthroughs that we believe can transform individuals, communities and a nation. Thank you for your help and especially to the anonymous donor who recently gave £10,000. Just extraordinary and so helpful.
Last year we wrote a proposal for a prize in the low-cost housing field. We got to the final of the competition (out of 120 worldwide entries) and they consequently asked us to write an article for their publication. To have our first piece published was a great encouragement. It’s in this quarters Journal of Housing Finance International. If you would like to read it then do just send me an e mail at nigel.hyde@Homeleone.org
Over the last 8 weeks I have taken some time out from operational leadership to reflect on how we move forward. I will be sharing initial thoughts with the board this week.
Thank you for your love, financial support, prayer and love that makes this all possible.
With Love,
Nigel Hyde
Chief Executive
One of the things we love to do each Christmas is take children from a local children’s home to the beach. Having got the permissions to continue to do so during this COVID period, the children had a wonderful day out and thank you to the people who responded to Joe Boxall’s facebook post and contributed to the costs. I think the pictures speak for themselves.
David Thoronka is one of our village residents. He was initially known as Rasta and has caused us a number of problems over his first year with us. However, he recently gave his life to Christ after listening to a sermon on his first visit to church. He later went to another resident and shared that his life was challenged by listening to the sermon and that he was going to cut off his dreadlocks as a physical sign to all around that he was now a follower of Christ, which he did. He later encouraged his wife who was a Muslim to join him to church to follow Jesus. Seeing David and his family grow in the things of God has also helped him in his work.
The church has recently invited a new Pastor Emmanuel to come and lead and we are encouraged by the potential that is starting to be fulfilled.
We have a dear friend who has bought a significant number of face masks. He has offered to donate them to Home Leone and that if we can find a buyer, all the money will come to Home Leone. We have 14,500 ffp2 (pictured left) masks and 11,800 Type 11 (pictured right). If you know anyone looking to buy masks, please get in touch as it offers a win-win for the buyer and Home Leone.
Our latest container arrived in Destiny Village this week. What a joy. This time we managed to get through the port without problems and in an effective time, thanks to some wonderful work by key staff. We are building a UK logistics group to send more containers of gifts in kind and procure cost effective resources and look forward to all that brings.
Destiny Grace Academy continues to thrive and grow. We are deeply grateful to all those making this possible, especially our leadership group which have brought ideas, training, resources, prayer and so much more. We need to find more ongoing regular support to subsidise the education. In the UK we rely on government to fund our children’s schooling. In Sierra Leone, real resources are lacking and whilst the families make a small contribution, we have to find funding to develop the quality education. Already we are grateful to the charity Care and Relief for the Young (CRY), Kegworth Church, Mersten Foundation and a few individuals who are and have been helping this happen.
If you are a teacher, governor or parent and want to link your school to ours, do get in touch.
Thank you too to BuildAid, CRY, Meal a Day, One Kind Act and a wonderful friend who have funded the school buildings thus far. We have 10 completed classrooms so just another 14 to go!
I want to pay tribute to the planning company Turley. They have helped with village design, connected to engineering consultancies, sent teams to work alongside our people and supported us with graphic design and brochures. They are such a great example of how a business and charity can work in partnership to achieve something of significant worth.
