Hi all, I thought I would post some of my email with Leonard in Burundi, to give you a feel for how that's going:
Dear Leonard,
Happy New Year to you and your family. I pray your young baby is healthy and growing well. I love the great example you Burundians sets us of valuing children highly - by having many!
I'm hoping that we can move ahead soon in some of the discussions and plans we have been undertaking.
As to my proposed visit, I want to do some more work and thinking before outlining the trip details. Hopefully I can write something for you on this by March or April.
As for the brick project, I am wondering if we can move ahead now? Has Pastor Alexis approved our working together taking a half share each of the profits? I am hoping that if we can make a partnership like this work, much money could flow your way for similar projects in the future.
I would like a simple budget before we begin. Could you especially be clear about any payments proposed to go to Pastor Alexis or yourself- for example costs of transporting money. I would approve the budget, then send the money. I would expect some accounts to be kept through the life of the project, so we can be clear at the end how to divide the profit. Payment for someone to keep accounts should be included in the budget. It is best if this account keeper has no other interest in the brick project.
If we can do this in a way that is transparent and gives confidence on all sides, we may have a model that can be re-used and help many Burundians. This kind of capitalism is how the Western world came out of poverty. I pray that Burundi might do the same, to help remove corruption that comes when so many are poor, and so that people will have more time to preach Jesus, unworried by poverty.
Also, I have another question: can you explain more how your honey co-op works please? Is it just members from your church who may join the co-op? Could other members join if they wanted, from a different church? Do you combine in a co-op in order to have enough honey to sell?
Also, do you have a record of how the second donation was spent? How many donations have arrived now, sent by us?
Yours warmly in Christ. Warm Greetings to your family and church, especially Pastor Alexis.
Pastor Mike
Nyankuri Leonard
to me
Dear Mike, Happy New Year to you ,your family and your colleagues.
I am well with my family.I come to pass a whole Month of December in my family and
I am in countryside this January.So,it is better to give you these important adresses
to keep our communication go on. balth147@yahoo.fr ;email of pastor Balthazar ,the
owner of the account through which money passes. umc-burundi@yahoo.fr ;in Bishop
office.concerning costs of transporting,we pay Two Thousand Bu for two rounds:that is,
ten thousand from Bujumbura the capital to home and ten thousand from home to Bujumbura.
pastor Alexis' home and mine are nearby.
Yes,the journey would be scheduled on June or July when it is not rainy because the ground is glidy in March and April.You can write on March and plan the journey on June for example.You are Welcome.Talking about the current news,we are facing the electoral period from May to October 2010.communal leaders are to be elected on May,the President of Burundi is to be elected on June ,members of parliament on August and senates on 27th September.
THANK YOU. WARM GREETINGS TO ST.Barnabas,Firle and Adelaide.
Yours Leonard Nyankuri.
About working together taking a half share each of profits ;my pastor Alexis did not reject
the idea.He remarked that one important thing is to keep relationship with you in this way
or another and support people.Members of the church have been given money in order to invest in honey.However,it occurs a period of lack when people can invest in other profitable goods for the moment and remain actually with 60percent of profits on them.
Of course anyone can adhere the system but until now there are only church members. Actually the situation of the two donations just arrived is:
-First donation of 185Th Bu,85TH spent,100TH Bu invested and 60TH Bu of profit.
- Second donation 370TH Bu,70TH Bu spent,300TH Bu invested and 95TH Bu of profit. An Amount available here is 400TH Bu plus 155TH Bu of profit all equal to
555TH Bu.Hence we are now able to make our own account open on the bank.we will do it.
Note:I will send you the details of spendings after getting enough data from Alexis.Two donations have arrived now: 185TH Bu then 370TH Bu.
YOURS FAITHFULLY LEONARD..
