Some of you might be interested in making a donation as mentioned in the
letter from African Friends.
Sheila
*http://fwcc.world/fwcc-news/quakers-helping-quakers
<http://fwcc.world/fwcc-news/quakers-helping-quakers>*
To the Friends of Friends All Over the World
Dear Friends,
REF: FRIENDS CHURCH IN AFRICA AND ITS RESPONSE TO COVID19 PANDEMIC.
Receive our love greetings at this time of a severe pandemic that has hit
us unapologetically during the start of the 2020 years. The whole world is
at invisible warfare, and many lives have been lost. The attack is reaching
the poor, the rich, the powerful and the weak, irrespective of our economic
status, the virus knows no boundary and has truly no respecter for
personality at all. As we reflect on the book of Ephesians 6:12, “For we
are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers
and authorities to the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark
world, and evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Friends, we cannot sit
down and feel helpless as the Coronavirus attacked us. Therefore, we need
to remain the true church of Christ for this battle, and we shall overcome
as we stay together as a family of Quakers.
Friends Church KENYA, Friends United Meeting, and Friends World Committee
for Consultation Africa Section leadership that is based in Kenya, held a
crisis meeting on April 4th,2020, to discuss the ravaging COVID19 pandemic
and the Africa Quaker church response to the scourge. The three-body
leadership was all in unity over how to respond to such unprecedented
calamity ever experienced in our times. It is in this regard that we have
appealed to the Quaker family in Africa for actionable support over this.
We are also requesting the same to our brother and sister Quakers outside
Africa to equally respond jointly to this attack by Covid19 in the
following ways:
- Spiritually
- As a community of faith, we request all other members of the Quaker
family to join with our African Friends in praying for each other, the
world, and this intensity would see this Coronavirus reduce from spreading.
Our hope rests in the Lord as we pray for the health workers who are on the
frontline of the war against the Covid 19. Please join us on this journey
at this unprecedented period.
- Medical Support:
- The Quaker church in Africa has two leading level 4 hospitals known
as Lugulu FriendsMission Hospital in Bungoma County, Kenya and Kibimba
Hospital in Burundi. The hospitals have a high flow of patients in their
respective regions, and we need to be mindful of our services to the
community through healthcare. We have established that the hospitals are
highly exposed, and especially our healthcare providers who are on the
frontline are not protected at all in handling Covid19 patients. The
following vital items which are urgently needed during such a time are
missing entirely. African Friends have been asked to urgently participate
in donating to the hospitals the following items:
- Lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for both nurses and
doctors at the hospital
- Enough masks for the entire staff of the hospital
- Enough sanitizers all over the hospital in every place
- Ventilators for the isolation rooms they have identified but empty
- Any other medical support for the hospitals related to Covid19
- The other hospitals include Sabatia Eye Hospital, Kaptama and
Chwele Health Centers, all in Kenya, Abeka Hospital in Eastern DRC (South
Kivu) and Misuhuko Medical Centre in Kwibuka, Burundi. Therefore, we must
be seen to be on the frontline leading both spiritually and
physically. We
are also aware and concerned about Zimbabwe where there are a lot of
difficulties during this time of pandemic and to address this, we had a
talk with the Africa Director of AFSC, Kennedy Akoko who has included on
the priority list of supporting the country, especially the hospitals.
- Humanitarian Response:
- As we look into the looming lockdown in the countries like Kenya,
Uganda and Rwanda among others, we expect to see many vulnerable
members of
our churches facing food challenges. This will lead to health issues and
make them candidates of Covid19.
- Following the above-expected challenges, we are calling our members to
respond to this urgently by donating either food in kind or cash to build
our food bank for such eventuality.
- Please channel your financial donations through our international
offices either FWCC World Office, London, FWCC or FUM Offices in
Richmond,
Indiana.
- Funds received through FWCC AS account shall be accounted for through
the section treasurer and the funds received through FUM Africa
Ministries
Office shall be accounted for through AMO. A final document shall include
all the accounts money received and how it was executed.
Thank you for being a trusted and committed Friend of the Quaker community
in Africa, and together we shall overcome this pandemic through Jesus
Christ.
Your faithful servants,
Bainito Wamalwa Khayongo Presiding Clerk, FWCC-AS, Tel. 0722968536
Henry Mukwanja Presiding Clerk, FCK, Tel. 0729449561
Richard Sitati Vice Presiding Clerk, FUM, Tel. 0722755541
--
