The Anglican Diocese of Freetown: a genuine friendship
Although retired here in the U.S., Father Robert Kosie-Williams and his family still maintain close ties with family and friends in Sierra Leone, West Africa.
The Church there, as the nation, was devastated by civil war, and occasional gifts from All Saints funds have been used by Bishop Julius Lynch, of Freetown, to provide aid for children mutilated in the conflict, for some of the physical church re-building that has been going on there, and for support to the clergy on whom the responsibility for the spiritual rebuilding of a people falls.
In 2006, the rector and his (soon-to-be, at that time) wife made a trip to Sierra Leone, and the foundation was laid for a more formal relationship between All Saints and the people of the Church in Freetown.
In 2007, All Saints was honored to have Bishop Lynch attending the wedding festivities of the rector and his bride, adding his blessing. At that time a “Sierra Leone Trust” fund was established at All Saints, to collect funds for continued support of sustainable ministries in our now “partner” church community.
Bishop Lynch also “christened” the relationship as the “Paddy-Paddy,” a Krio expression that loosely translates to “Good Friends.”
In the spring of 2008, four members of All Saints spent a week in Sierra Leone to explore further what sorts of projects and programs this Trust might help fund. The group was able to bring school supplies to several schools, to contribute to a revolving fund to help ensure timely payment of salaries to teachers at Christ Church School, to make a gift to the Diocesan Mothers’ Union for their micro-credit lending program, and to begin conversations with diocesan leaders about ideas for new projects.
Since then, gifts have been made to help support children in the rural village of Maiseka, at which the group spent a morning, and to members of the Girls’ Friendly Society to help with scholarships. Desperately needed books have been shipped to the Freetown Teachers College, and efforts are being made to link the church in Sierra Leone with other possible sources for material and financial support.
Offerings may be reserved with All Saints for future contributions, when arrangements can be made for a direct gift to the bishop.
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