Mission Direct - Volunteers helping the world's poor

Our principal project in 2009 was to refurbish an old shop building in the town of Chircani. It will function as a newly 'planted' church in a community that previously had no Christian witness. The building was purchased by one of our volunteers in 2008 for the mission work of Gotesti Baptist Church. It has been badly damaged by rainwater leaking in through the broken roof, and services are currently held in the only watertight room.

Our Involvement:

Volunteers have worked hard to make the whole building sanitary and fit for purpose. Amongst the work undertaken they have been:
- Clearing the building of water damage and rubbish
- Scraping the walls of old paint
- Removing old heating pipes and shop fittings
- Site clearance
- Two metre high boundary wall completed securing the site.

Outcome:

Along with regular church services, the Church is also able to offer a number of outreach projects, placing them at the heart of their community:
- an evening youth club twice a week
- an outreach for vulnerable children whose parents work abroad leaving them with extended family
- Sunday school classes.

Sasha is a local widow in Gotesti. She had been forced into one room of her house after serious damage to the roof and walls - walls originally built with a mixture of wood and straw. Although not a church member herself, Gotesti Baptist Church offered her help, working with Mission Direct and a building contractor from the church.

Our involvement:

Mission Direct volunteers worked with the contractors to renovate the house:
- Stripping off the old roofing material and removed the damaged parts of the house walls
- Repairing the mud walls,
- Installing a new roof
- Painting the house throughout and providing a new floor covering.

Outcomes:

The house is now completed. It is wind and watertight, and the new roof should last for at least 25 years. Sasha now comes to the local church and sometimes brings her friends.

The head teacher of a local kindergarten school approached Gotesti Baptist Church with a request for help: Department of Education inspectors had told her that the kindergarten would close unless she could replace the current unsanitary toilets. Sadly conditions meant that standard WC facilities were not possible.

Our involvement:

Mission Direct was able to find suitable replacements that did not require full plumbing, but were still hygienic.
- We sourced a suitable Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) toilet design for the kindergarten.
- A volunteer team built the whole structure in 10 days.
- Team members also decorated several of the kindergarten classrooms.

Outcomes:
- The school was able to reopen.
- The head teacher allowed the Church's Pastor Mark to lead several of the 'moral lectures' required by the national curriculum
- The Head Teacher has attended the Alpha course at Mark's church.

The Baptist Church was in possession of a disused church building in the nearby village of Constantinoka.

Our Involvement:

- Mission Direct volunteers cleaned and refurbished the internal rooms
- Painted the external walls of the building
- Repaired the boundary fence and gates
- Cleared the site of rubbish.

Outcomes:

The building is now in use by the local community, and local Christians are able to extend their witness into the community.