Christmas Card 2016

What a remarkable year this has been. The 90th birthday of her majesty Queen Elizabeth. Was it God’s mercy on our nation with the Brexit vote? A new Prime minister and her government. Donald Trump President elect of USA; the political world is changing fast! The ongoing heart-breaking situation in Syria & Iraq and its consequences, not to mention the plight of so many suffering people in the world and in our own nation.

Unfortunately, the root of all this is not born out of God’s love, although his name is often used! We can however make a difference, by our carrying an ‘Olive Branch’ to our friends and neighbours and to love our enemies as God has taught us to do.

I’ve been amazed in the past, that nations who have been fighting and killing each other can have a ceasefire agreement over the Christmas period when we are celebrating the birth of Jesus “who is love” and then return to fighting again!


Perhaps this year we can pray for a breakthrough, for peace to remain with God’s unconditional love.

Wishing you Joy & Peace this Christmas

With love

Brenda & the Peacemakers team

Announcement.

Christine Allison, a neighbour of Brenda’s and a friend of Peacemakers, died suddenly after a short illness on 13th August 2016.  She was a lovely fun loving person and supported Peacemakers in many different ways.  She was also instrumental in raising money for a ‘Cow for Kenya’ and travelled out to Kenya with Brenda to place the cow with a Women’s Self Help Group and made life long friends with them.  She was also very talented and had a beautiful operatic soprano voice and was the leading singer in The Ware Operatic Society and even had an audition at Glyndebourne.

At her funeral at The Parish Church in Watton-at-Stone, The Ware Operatic Society sang ‘Hail Poetry,’ her son Richard sang ‘Angels’ and there was a recording played of Christine singing ‘Vilja’ as her exit music.  Very beautiful and very moving, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the church.

Christine Allison

Rest in Peace Christine.

e-link bulletin No.9 July 2016

Sorry for the delay in our latest news letter, some members of the team have had health issues. This hasn't however stopped work forging ahead towards completion of the Resource Centre; we have had a few extra donations this year, which have enabled us to move nearer to the ‘Grand Opening’ -  a big thank you to those people!  We are now looking for Sponsors that will help maintain the continuance of the Centre and it’s many projects in the community. 

When the construction work is completed there will always be overheads, such as building maintenance, renewal of registrations to the Kenyan Government, insurances etc., We are already registered with the Kenyan Government as a CBO, also CADA (Campaign Against Drug Abuse) is a CBO in its own right.  Perhaps through these registrations we may get some funding from the Kenyan Government!

Brenda has written to her local M.P. asking for financial help who in turn has passed her email onto Nick Hurd M.P. who is involved in a very similar way in Mombasa with the Kenyan Government.  Because of his involvement with the government he cannot help us personally, but he has given us a list of potential Kenyan business sponsors whom Brenda has written to in Kenya.   We are awaiting their response!

Nick Hurd letter

 

Christine and the Trustees in Kenya are having a “Fundraiser” on August 6th to raise money to help finish the construction. It probably won’t raise a great amount as money is scarce, It's great however that they want to be part of the work to improve life in their community. We are sending invitations to all the Business Companies who we've invited to become sponsors. It will be a great opportunity for them to view the resource centre and find out about it's value in the community. We pray that they will respond.

Peacemakers UK are having a Craft & Afternoon Tea Fundraiser on the 8th August.

Handmade cards flyer

Click Here to see Flyer. 

Please let us know if you would like to attend or maybe send a donation!

People visiting the Resource Centre this summer are Jackie North (below), she has been before and fell in love with Kenya so wants to return. Also two students Alice and Hannah will be going out, they will help with some of the projects hopefully develop an understanding of the needs and poverty which others live in. All three are being couriers for us, taking out lots of children’s clothes, a computer for training room, plus a variety of craft materials and more books for Library.

Jackie

I do like to encourage young people in their gap year or any young person who would like to serve in a very different and needy community, to volunteer themselves to a Life Changing Experience.  You will Bless others and be even more Blessed yourselves!

Student 02

Peacemakers would like to extend an invitation to all our friends and sponsors to become

“Friends of Peacemakers for Life”

By making a regular standing order donation, however small or great, say £5, £10 or £15 a month, it will enable this wonderful resource in Kenya to be maintained and hopefully grow into the Wellspring that it has started to become. Improving the lives of the poor and needy, young and old alike.

Click Here to open Standing order form or Right-click and "Save target as" to save and print.

This will enable and guarantee Peacemakers to have a future in Kenya.  Remember the land for the Resource Centre was selected and purchased because of the poverty and great need in the area.

Since we have been there we have seen a drop in the death of new born babies also abandoned babies, provision of mosquitos nets in shambas and help through training in many more areas. You can see on our website, the extent and depths we have reached in the area due to your love and generosity.

The Resource Centre is like an oasis and is used as a ‘Drop in’ for help daily.  These people will eventually take on the practical side of the mission, but we need your help, to be sponsors for overhead costs.
Please consider sponsoring the work in Kenya, or even coming to Kenya and being a part of the help which makes such a difference.
Every Blessing until  next time, Brenda

Christmas e-bulletin 2015

Welcome to the Peacemakers Christmas e-bulletin. With so much bad news in the world, we hope we can lift your spirits with news of the great things you’re helping us to achieve in Kenya. With all the promise and support given at the end of last year, 2015 has turned out to be a challenging but very rewarding year!

The projects that the French embassy in Kenya contributed to or sponsored, were finished on time with a mammoth effort from Chrissie and the Kenyan Peacemakers team.

The French ambassador to Kenya (above) came to the inauguration ceremony of the I.T. training room, non-lending library, study room, craft room, reception and disabled washroom, on the 5th November.

new facilities

Disabled access to facilities (above),
  Non-lending library(below)

library

toilet

We’re hoping that the Grand opening of the whole facility will take place in 2016. If you’re able to come along please stay in contact to be advised of the details. It will include the opening of the Restaurant, health Clinic and Cyber café which are just waiting to be furnished with equipment!

 

restaurant

These added fantastic facilities will help to further education, equip and empower the local community to becoming even more self supportive, leading to less poverty, healthier and happier lives for young and old.

Training

I.T training room (above),
 Craft room (below)

craft room

Chrissie

Christine relaxing for five minutes! To See more photos of the new facilities, click on the "Photo Galleries" menu item or clicking here (this will open a new tab!).

We are so thankful to you all, our friends and supporters, who’ve helped us to achieve these wonderful results in these financially difficult times. Helping the Kenyans work their way out of poverty with these great facilities for their health and education, not to mention fostering a great community spirit! Let’s thank God for his blessings and allowing us to continue being part of the answer to people’s needs.

A Happy Christmas and prosperous new year to you all.
From Brenda & the team.

e-link bulletin No.8 Sept 2015

 The Afternoon Tea and Craft Fund Raiser on 29th July 2015 in Brenda’s garden was a great success and raised £650.  There was over 30 people who came along and were very eager to get down to making decoupage boxes, stones and tins having a break for refreshments.  The comments that were heard was “what a lovely way to spend an afternoon, meeting people and making new “friends”.

Craft Fundraiser

 So a BIG THANK YOU to Clare Stokes, Jess Peyton-Jones, Ruth Wheeler and Valerie Adams who helped to organise it, make sandwiches, baked cakes and served.

Great response to funding appeal with supporters giving several years’ worth of donations in advance. This means we’ve been able to provide funds to Chrissie in Kenya to move more quickly in completing the outstanding work on the Resource Centre.  With all the facilities completed this will enable the Centre to increase its income and become self-sufficient sooner than otherwise expected.  If you feel able to advance your future planned donations please contact Brenda.  This additional funding now will be much appreciated and see the projects completed and fully operational in time for the French Embassy to launch the projects that they have sponsored on November 5th 2015.

Reading Project: The French classes’ project held in the Craft room and in schools is now underway with sponsorship from the French Embassy obtained for one year.  This combined with the general reading work reported last month is producing benefits in the community but does need help with more books please!  The Craft Room will also become a non-lending Library, a place where the locals can come to read and study.  This room needs shelving and a lot more books.  Various groups are using the Craft room including the Stress Free Group who are very impoverished.  Most are widows, some have dilapidated houses and some are being pushed off their land by family members. A Knitting project is planned for them and for the youth, whilst single mothers are hoping to start jewellery making, flower decorations and even tailoring once resources allow. Can you help in any way?

 The recent heavy rains have caused a few flooding problems, even though we collect the rainwater for daily use and irrigating plants etc.  The overnight deluges have damaged fencing and is very noisy on the tin roofs.  The Peacemakers’ youths are hoping to construct a small pond for fish in the shamba, at the bottom of the site, where the water collects.  We are also growing much of our own food with some left for selling.  We have greens, maize, tomatoes and passion fruit. We have also planted an area for a tree nursery.  We will use this produce in the Community Restaurant, including the Chickens and Pigs that we are rearing.

Building Progress:  The Community Restaurant roof is now complete it looks great. Kissimani House is now secure, important as there have been reports of break-ins recently.  We now ‘need’ a bread oven (note the pun!) for the Bakery and a proving cabinet. We are also going to require all the other bits and pieces necessary to serve the restaurant and catering for weddings, which currently take place on the site utilising the Prayer House and gardens. When we can supply the catering, it will be a great bonus in helping the resource centre become self-sufficient! 

Restaurant

(The photo shown above was taken before completion.  It looks even more beautiful finished.)

Still to be completed are the Clinic, Craft room and porridge mill / fruit juicer room.  Cyber café; we still need an experienced IT man + computers / laptops.  Some Small repairs need to be made to Kissimani House. The Watchman’s hut is now complete and in use.

The Resource Centre is looking so beautiful I would love you to see it for yourself.  Maybe every volunteer who gave of their time and talents over the years, will consider visiting the Resource Centre sometime next year, when we hope to have the official opening of this incredible project that we have all contributed to.  Thank you, Brenda

Welcome to the Peacemakers website.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions, suggestions or donations you may have for Peacemakers, it’s always good to hear from you! Your help can make a lot of difference to many people, so feel free to volunteer or make a donation of goods or money. Thank you

A Review of 2012

For Peacemakers International 2012 has been a year with highs and lows, intermingled with blessings. The biggest blessing of all has been the Faithfulness of God in keeping true to His promise and vision and giving us strength to overcome all the different circumstances that presented themselves to us throughout the year.

I have put bulletins and photographs on our web page, keeping you informed of the progress of our Resource Centre and some of the events that have taken place throughout the year. There have been visitors from the UK staying on site, giving of their skills and enjoying the beautiful gardens and facilities that have been developed and established on barren ground. We were almost at the stage of completion of  the Kisimani House and insuring the whole complex so that we could advertise and hire out the multi purpose buildings and resources; when the double shock came in August that Isaac had suddenly died and a few days later (the day of his funeral) Kisimani house was burnt down.

We were all devastated by this, I personally felt that all the stuffing had been knocked out of me, and struggled to stand in faith for a while. But hearing reports from Christine in Kenya about how the local Kenyans had rallied round and responded immediately to try to put the fire out and salvage as much as possible from the debris, it began to bring a realisation that the Kenyans, at last, were beginning to take up their responsibility in this vision. I’m happy to report that the Kenyans are now involved and planning fund raising events to try and restore Kisimani house, realising its God’s provision for them to use, to care and support the needy in their community and to become self-sufficient.

I have mentioned God’s vision many times before, so I think it necessary at this stage to explain the purpose of building a Resource Centre. As this is quite detailed, please the article previous to this one and read it at your leisure.

When you read the document, much of that spoken about is already in place and buildings that are completed are being hired -out and used. The Centre is unique and is like an oasis in the middle of a disturbed and needy community; and is the first of its kind. There needs to be a Resource Centre like this in every district, and we hope from this pilot example, Kenyans will spread this vision across their tribal districts. God’s vision is for a project like this to be in every African country.

So be encouraged all our Peacemakers’ friends and sponsors, for what you have helped to build, and thank you for your faithfulness in helping to fulfil the promise of God to the Kenyans, despite one or two set backs this year. Already we can see good coming out of the debris.

The Peacemakers’ Team and I, wish to express our heart-felt thanks and appreciation for your constant support and generosity.

Brenda Marshall

Director of Peacemakers International