Report from St Boniface's Sister Parish, St Mark's Lokitaung, Turkana, Kenya
The parish of St Boniface has for twenty years made quarterly donations to support our sister parish in Turkana. There is a new pastor at the parish, Fr Edwin Tumuhaise FMH, and he recently sent an accounting of how our support is utilized.
Fr Edwin has been at St Mark's for six months, so his accounting reflects a six month period.
Salaries of:
- Two catechists @ 5000 Kenyan Shillings (KS) each month for six months = 60,000KS (US$10 = 1200KS, so the catechists receive just over US$40 a month).
- A watchman @ 5000KS a month.
- Cook @ 7000KS a month.
- Two nursery school teachers @ 15000KS a month each
Our financial support enabled the parish to buy communion hosts and candles, feed four people (Fr Edwin, a religious brother from his community who is supporting him in the parish, the watchman and the cook), pay the electricity bill, and other rectory expenses. Additionally, our contribution helped pay for the gas and insurance for the parish vehicle (which enables Fr Edwin to visit a parish about the size of Rhode Island). These past six months the funds also helped youth of the parish attend both a childhood festival and a church sponsored talent show. Transport in Turkana is very difficult and expensive as there are virtually no paved roads. Without sponsorship children would not be able to participate in wider area events hosted by the diocese.
The diocese of Lodwar reviewed and sent a formal account signed by the chancellor. If anyone would like to review that please let me know.
Fr Edwin finished his report with these words: "Otherwise we are so grateful for you, our dear friends, for always sending us a living. May the Good Lord bless you abundantly."
I add my own thanks - as you can see, our $600 a month contribution makes a significant difference to our sister parish, not only enabling it to function but to support and encourage our sisters and brothers who otherwise would be forgotten. Over the years, through the generosity of a number of parishioners who have traveled to Turkana, we have sent additional funds raised from the sale of articles made in Turkana and other collections. Thank you for supporting these activities. (All this funding is distinct from the work of the separate 501(c)3 organization, The Friends of Turkana (FoT), which we spun off from the parish activity to attract the significant support needed for larger scale work. FoT has funded everything from dams to solar water pumps, from farming to agricultural education. FoT has occasionally funded emergency relief support, most recently for 40 vulnerable street children in the regional capital of Lodwar who no longer have the hotel garbage to sort through due to COVID lockdowns limiting the travel of NGO and government workers. Among many other projects, FoT has funded building and renovating projects, including recently building an entire new High School, St. James in Lodwar.)
THANK YOU for all the ways you support this good and necessary work. Fr Mark Lane, C.O.
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