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Christ Church, Lisburn, team prepares to visit Ugandan school

Friday January 23rd 2015

Pupils at St Apollo School, Luwero, Uganda, celebrate their new school which was funded by Christ Church, Lisburn. This photo was taken during a previous visit by a team from Christ Church.

A team from Christ Church, Lisburn, will leave for Uganda on February 18 to run teaching and other activities in a school built with funds raised by parishioners.

In 2009 the parish began a journey to explore the possibility of developing a partnership with a community in Africa building on strong support for mission partnership over many years in the church.

The parish spoke to a number of mission agencies and linked up with Fields of Life whose heart is for education in central Africa and who have built over 100 schools in that area.

The present St Apollo School, Kasizi, Luwero in Uganda was established in 2007, but only had the use of one small building and had to hold many classes under trees.

The parishioners of Christ Church responded generously, and raised £75,000. Through the partnership with Fields of life, two new blocks of classrooms were built at the St Apollo School in early 2012.

A team from Chirst Church, along with friends from Lisburn Rotary travelled to the school in February 2012 to complete work on those buildings, work with the children and support the local community and Church.

St Apollo School, Luwero, Uganda, during construction which was funded by Christ Church Parish, Lisburn.

The support for the school continued through provision of books and desks for pupils, a rain water project, purchasing land for growing crops and through child sponsorship by parishioners of Christ Church.

In 2014 Lisburn Rotary provided funding for the construction of a cook house.

The Parish’s project for 2015 was to raise funds for the staff residence which would create a more settled environment for teachers and greater stability for the school.

The rector of Christ Church, the Rev Paul Dundas, said: “We thank the Lord for his faithfulness and the generosity of parishioners and friends that the target of £24,000 has been exceeded.”

At present around 300 children receive an education at St Apollo School. The team travelling to visit the school in February comprises the rector, along with parishioners Beth Harris, Beverley Ringland, Roberta Thompson, Anita Evans, Jane Marks, Emma Jane Marks, Audrey Knowles, Jayne Logan, Johnston Boyle, Raymond Geddis, Patrick Logan, Colin Mitchell and Gary Knowles.

A varied programme has been planned and includes:

• Practical work on the staff accommodation and other buildings and the site
• RE classes based on the story of Peter
• Health care programme and the I AM GIRL project
• Sport and games
• Preaching and lay reader seminars for the rector

The team will be commissioned on Sunday February 15 at 11.30am with a soup lunch to follow. The team returns on Monday March 2.

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