7 December 2008

Starting at Cedric School

Trustees Matthew Raymond and Terry Webster have taken advantage of Qantas’ recent offer of two for the price of one, and will fly out to Zambia on 16 March for six weeks. During this visit they would like to finalise the purchase of the school and farm, and lay some groundwork for the start of the Cedric School Project. They will attend to legal requirements, meet with the school headmaster and staff, and get started on some of the most urgent priorities such as water reticulation, electric power and foundation slabs for chalets to live in.

This is a step of faith.

The Foundation is aware that these are not easy times economically, and we are very grateful to all who have contributed so far. We ask you to pray with us that in the remaining four months the balance of the required capital will be provided, and that when the time comes to transfer the funds the exchange rate will have improved.

Fundraising

The funds are coming in steadily. We have reached over 76% of the target for operational expenses for the first year, but only 28% of the target for capital requirements. We would need another NZ$72,000 at today’s rate of exchange just to get started in Zambia, but an additional NZ$274,000 is required to buy and establish 30 hectares of the farm. The long-term plan is to purchase the full 60 hectares of farmland that has been offered to us. Please contact us (info@limapela.org or phone +64 9 629 4884) if you would like to contribute to this. Your contribution could be a loan, a gift, or a contract to purchase shares in the project at $500 per share. Deposits can be made directly into the Limapela Foundation account. Please contact us if you would like those details. Donations from the UK may be sent care of Echoes of Service, 124 Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AH.

Why are we doing this?

We are burdened about the needs of young people in poorer communities in Africa, and taking on Cedric School will be of significant long-term benefit to this particular community. We have sufficient funds now to purchasing the school, but not enough yet to purchase the farm. Taking on the school without the farm would lead to long-term dependency on funds from abroad, and this we would prefer not to do. Please join hands with us so that we can achieve sustainability for Cedric School by the fourth year as originally planned.