St. Botolph and St. Barnabas School Angola
During Advent 2008 and throughout 2009 we have raised funds to build a school in Uige Angola
This primary school will be built in a very needy part of Angola and St Botolph's is building it in conjunction with our link church, St Barnabas, Greenwich, Connecticut.
We needed to raise around £40,000 for the building costs of the School and this was achieved mid 2009. The plan is to recruit a team to join with our US friends and visit Angola to help in whatever way we can with the local community.
Info on Uige
Uige is a city in north-western Angola. Settled by Portuguese colonists, Uige grew from a small market centre in 1945 to become Angola’s major centre for coffee production in the 1950s and was designated a city in 1956. Its prosperity was short-lived, however, as the city was affected by recurrent fighting between Portuguese forces and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola; FNLA), one of three Angolan pre-independence guerrilla movements. The fighting, which occurred primarily from 1961 to 1974, resulted in heightened instability in the city and surrounding area, as did the subsequent Angolan civil war (1975–2002) that immediately followed the country’s independence in 1975. Portuguese settlers abandoned Uíge in 1974–75, and it became the headquarters of the FNLA. In 1976 the city was captured by forces of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola; MPLA), a pre-independence guerrilla movement and one of the primary factions fighting in the civil war. Attempts at reviving the lucrative business of coffee production in the locality had only limited success until the civil war ended. From late 2004 to mid-2005, the city was part of a region afflicted with one of the world’s largest epidemics of hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus. Pop. (latest est.) 61,966.
St. Barnabe Church
Founded in 1939 by the helders Antonio Luyindu, Mbunga Zowa, Julia Mfuendu, and Mpanzu a Fua respectively. In June 25th, 1945 the church received their first pastor called Santos Manuel Nlandu and in the same day 45 people were baptized. From there, the church has grown and many people have come to believe in Jesus as their Saviour.
In March, 1961, when the war for independence started, many of the members were killed, others sought refuge in the bush and then went to Democratic Republic of Congo until 1975, when the liberation movements signed a memorandum of understanding for an independent Angola with the Portuguese Authority.
From March 1975 people started coming back home from Congo, unfortunately in June a civil war started and many died and others joined with the MPLA.
On 15th July 1981, the members started building the chapel you can see in the picture. In 1991, The Rt. Revd. Dinis S. Sengulane dedicated the church with the name of St. Barnabe. An that time the church was led by the evangelist, Pedro Massala and in 1995 the Revd. Pedro Antonio Sacala from Luanda, went to lead the church. In 2004 he became the Archdeacon of the Lukunga Loge district. In August 2007, Deacon Robert Mario was sent to help with the work. Bishop Michael visited with his wife in 2006.
The Parish has 1352 members and 736 are communicants.
Poverty, iliteracy, poor education, lack of water and inadequate health provision are the main problems people face in this area.
St. Botolph School Project
The Bishop of London set a challenge to the City of London Churches to raise enough money between them to build a school in Angola and one in Mozambique. We at St. Botolph without Bishopsgate decided to go one better and in partnership with our link church St. Barnabas, Greenwich, Connecticut started to look for an area in Angola to build an extra primary school. After receiving advice from various organisations, a village called Songo in Uige was identified as a particularly needy area.
At the moment there is no school, the children are taught outside under a tree or in the church.
Housing has been greatly improved since a brick kiln was built at the side of the Church. The kiln as well producing bricks also provides regular work for some of the village people.
The total cost of building and fitting out the school is estimated to be somewhere in the region of £40,000. St Botolph has raised £20,000 and we understand that the American Church a similar amount. We are therefore looking forward to the building work starting as soon as possible.
Once the building work has been started the plan is then to recruit a team to join with people from the American Church and visit Angola to help in whatever way we can.
Update
2012 School Finished
Below is a message from Bishop Andre to everyone who has helped to finance the building of the school
Lent´s greetings to you all
I believe that Father Nunes has sent the update about this but only to confirm the news about St. Barnabas school dedicated last Sunday 19th February, 2012 .It was during the Holy Eucharist service in the presence of the people ,clergy and administration members. you can see the pictures bellow.
Many thanks for your support and greetings to St. Botolph’s Church and St. Barnabas for their support.
Yours
+André
Update
September 2010 Building work starts
One Month of Work
