This trip is very special: it’s the tenth anniversary of CRESS starting, and we’ll be celebrating with many of the individuals and families CRESS has been privileged to partner with over the last 10 years.
There will be wonderful stories: of women who, because of the agricultural training, can now not only feed their families well but also make enough money to pay school fees; of people who would have died from diseases such as malaria, but were able to go to the clinic for life-saving treatment; of children who because of sponsorship are now graduating from university with qualifications that will lead to a career; of families no longer suffering from typhoid because of the water filters CRESS has provided; of babies having a good start in life through the antenatal care of our midwife; of girls who no longer drop out of school because of reusable menstrual pad training; of clergy who have been able to receive training and peer support; of men and women with flourishing microbusinesses started after savings training from CRESS …
On the flight on the way over, the film ‘Red Joan’ was showing. Leo, the political agitator, addresses a public meeting, and he makes the point that the world isn’t changed by big gesture. It’s changed when lots of people make small contributions which, as Leo says, ‘join together to make a movement’.
We may be the people here this time, but none of what CRESS has achieved would have been possible without you: your prayers, your interest, your donations, your support, your sponsorship. Thank you for making CRESS a movement. And here’s to the next ten years!