M IC RO F I NA NC IN G P AR T NER S I N AFR IC A Speci a l Af r i ca E di ti o n

June 2010

CONN ECTIONS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
UGANDA
Masaka Social Center
Bishop Kaggwa and
MADDO
MADDO Dairy
Update on Old Friends
First Milk to
Collection Center
Rosemary, A Widow
African Premier of THE
A WO R D F RO M S I S T E R TO NI
Where do your dreams take
you? Mine keep taking me
back to Africa! In this spe-
cial edition of our newslet-
ter, we would like to WEL-
COME YOU ALONG on our
2 2010 African trip. Wanting
you to partner with us as
2 much as possible, we will
share our photos and spe-
cial reflections on Uganda
3 and Kenya. In Uganda, we
were with our partners Cari-
3 tas MADDO and were able
to “hand over” cows to fami-
4 lies in the Cow Project. In
Kenya, the highlight was
being at the Regional Micro-
4 credit Summit where our
partner, Jamii Bora, was Sister Antoinette Temporiti, CPPS, as “co-pilot” in a Cessna Grand Cara-
5 honored for its work of giv- van airplane

LIVING LOAN ing out over 325,000 loans

so that members could bring Singing and dancing wel-
comed us. “You’ve come were full of gratitude.
5 themselves out of poverty;
Farmers in Training back! You’ve come back, We hope that you will enjoy
for its model housing project
and you’ve brought new this special edition of our
Farmers Who Are Ready 6 in Kaputei; and most re-
friends,” people cried. (We African experience.
cently for becoming a bank.
cried too—tears of joy.) I May our dreams continue to
Cow Ceremony 7 In both Uganda and Kenya, know I can speak for the take us to places of joy.
familiar faces greeted us. group in saying our hearts
KENYA
Kibera 8
U GA N DA & KE N YA
Jamii Bora 8

John Ouma 8 Uganda is a landlocked, tropical

country about the size of Oregon
Kaputei 9 which has enjoyed relative stability
since the mid-1980s following two
Clarisse 9 decades of violence and the loss of
400,000 lives. The median age is
Easter at the 9 15 and the life expectancy is 53
years. Kenya, a largely arid land,
Orphanage borders the Indian Ocean and is
about twice the size of Nevada.
Safari 10 The median age and life expectancy
are each 6 years greater than that in Uganda. Although 1,500 peo-
Regional Microcredit Summit 11 ple died in post-election violence in 2007, the political climate has
settled. (These data are from the CIA World Fact Book.)
Reflections from the Travelers 12
Page 2
Timeline
March 22—Sr. Liz Peplow,
CSJ travels to Gulu, Uganda.
March 26—Sr. Toni
Temporiti, CPPS, Heather
Cammarata, Elizabeth
Pomerenke, and Maureen
Favo travel to Africa
March 28—All above meet
with Dick Arnoldy and Matt
Arnoldy in Entebbe. Fr.
Peter and Fr. Paul drive the
group to Masaka, Uganda.
March 29-31—The group
visits with established farmers,
farmers-in-training,
MADDO, the Dairy, and the
Bishop and his staff.
April 1-2—Final visits,
travel to Nairobi. Matt
Arnoldy departs for
southeastern Uganda.
April 3—Group vists with
Jamii Bora members in Kibera
and Kaputei.
April 4—Easter Mass at
Nyumbani Orphanage
April 5-6—Safari for Toni,
Liz, Heather and Maureen;
Meru for Dick and Elizabeth
April 7-10—Regional
Microcredit Summit in
Nairobi
April 10--11—Travel home.
U G A N DA : M A S A K A S O C I A L C E N T E R
During our Uganda visit, home
was the Masaka Social Cen-
ter. Operated by the Diocese
of Masaka, our accommoda-
tions were comfortable, sim-
ple, and welcoming. From the
second story veranda, we had
a breathtaking view of the
hills. Through the window
grates, we could enjoy the
singing of the children in the
Masaka Social Center courtyard
Stork on the roof
BISHOP KAGGWA AND MADDO
Bishop John Baptist Kaggwa and Sr.
Toni in deep discussion
The team toured the head-
quarters for the Masaka Dio-
cese Development Organiza-
tion (MADDO), meet-
ing with many who
work with and for Fr.
Peter Ssenkayi. In
addition to the Cow
Project, MADDO is
engaged in education
throughout the dio-
cese, as well as other
Dick, Toni, and Elizabeth listen to Paul.
Special Africa Edition
neighboring school.
Storks graced the roof-
tops, reminiscent of the
avian symbols of hospi-
tality found on the roof
at the Barnhauf at
Grant’s Farm in St.
Louis—only these were
very big and very real.
The staff at the Masaka
Social Center were gra-
cious. We were treated Bishop Kaggwa, Sr. Toni Temporiti, and Sr.
Liz Peplow at the wrap-up meeting with
to home-cooked break- Caritas MADDO
fast and dinner buffets.
It was a lovely venue to begin
and end the day.
The manager at the Ma-
Schoolchildren seen through a window at saka Social Center, check-
the Masaka Social Center ing the busy schedule
development projects,
including the construc-
tion of a commercial
building in the town of
Masaka. Bishop Kag-
gwa met with the team, Bishop Kaggwa meets with Sr. Toni and
and Sr. Toni delivered friends in his office at the diocese.
the news of the tremen-
dous response during the
Fund-A-Need at the Gala.
Matt Arnoldy, Sr. Liz Peplow, Elizabeth
Pomerenke, Heather Cammarata, Sr.
Toni Temporit, Fr. Peter Ssenkayi, and
Dick Arnoldy in Fr. Peter’s office
CONNECTIONS
M A D D O D A I RY
We visited the MADDO Dairy
production facility. Here,
the milk is received from the
collection centers, proc-
essed, and packaged. Plain
and chocolate milk, and
The entrance to the MADDO Dairy
building
Fr. Peter Ssankayi, Production Manager
Connie Lubega, and Heather Cammarata
RECONNECTING WITH OLD FRIENDS
Esther seems to like The Living Loan
DVD.
Esther welcomes MPA to her home.
Page 3
Every word
vanilla and strawberry
yoghurt (as spelled in
and every
Uganda) are produced being come
and sold in plastic
pouches. Connie Lubega, knocking at
the Production Manager,
gave us a tour of the
Homogenization and pasteurization your door,
equipment
facility. Modern equip- bringing you
ment, processes, and
quality control are all util- their mystery.
ized to ensure the highest
quality of product. Con-
If you are
nie and the team at the open to them,
dairy work six days per
week, from 6:00 am to they will flood
6:00 pm, and they love it.
Connie in particular noted
The team sampled the tasty
yoghurt.
you with their
that MADDO Dairy’s riches.
commitment to quality
control is a big factor in —Irénée
her satisfaction in her
work.
Guilane Dioh
In addition, the Dairy From African Wisdom
also sells the packets
of milk and yoghurt
here. Dick Arnoldy
treated the group to
the yoghurt, and we all
agreed that it was
Product Supervisor Connie Lubega
delicious. shows the filling machine.
We had a chance to visit were delighted to give us a
with Esther, and with Rosie tour. They and their children
and John Katumba who are anticipating the birth of
were featured in the DVD, their cow’s calf. John sent us
“The Living Loan.” Since on our way with a couple of
Sr. Toni, Mary Lou Bennett pineapples from their farm.
and film producer Heidi
Schlatter visited in July
2009, Esther has made
If you are
several improvements hungry, you
to her home, replacing
windows and doors. are my people.
Next on her list is a new
roof, and adding solar pan- —Bishop John
els. Her plan is to use the
solar panels to power her Baptist
lighting, and retain the
biofuel to power her cook-
Kaggwa
ing plate.
Rosie and John received
their cow in December, and Rosie and John Katumba and family
received their cow December 2009.
Page 4
Tao of Africa
Time moves at a different
pace. After all, “TIA”, which
is to say, “This is Africa.”
Visitors are never late, only
delayed.
Everyone should have a
guest book for visitors to
sign. It becomes a great
history of a home.
The people of Masaka and
Nairobi are world-class when
it comes to enthusiastic
greetings.
Anything can be transported
on a motorcycle.
Refrain from fish-n-chips a
month prior to your trip to
ensure you have a yen for
this dish.
Know the rules of hot water
operation BEFORE hopping
in the shower.
Even if you do not normally
consume carbonated
beverages, you will.
The value of a currency
conversion cheat sheet
cannot be underestimated.
Think first about your exit
strategy before walking into a
open market by yourself
where the vendors compete
for business.
Merchants expect to haggle
on prices.
Be sure to find some type of
American food (pizza,
milkshakes, hamburgers,
nachos)—comfort food is
just that.
We in the United States are
truly spoiled by all the great
coffee and tea readily
available in our country.
FIRST MILK TO THE
COLLECTION CENTER
Immaculata Nakabazzi has
been a widow for ten years.
Her household includes six
children, two orphans, and
one young man with epilepsy
who handles chores in ex-
change for room and board.
Immaculata with “Mercy of God.”
The MPA team visited her
farm on the first day that Im-
maculata would take milk
from her cow, named, “Mercy
of God,” to the collection cen-
ter. Her calf, a bull, is five
days old. Caritas MADDO
encourages farmers to sell
ROSEMARY’S
REQUEST
Rosemary Nakawuka, like Im-
maculata, is a widow. Her
mother lives with her. She has
several children, grandchildren,
and a couple of orphans living
Rosemary Nakawuka with a
photo of MPA donors Patty Cline
and Pat Murphy, both CSJ sisters
Special Africa Edition
baby bulls quickly, because
they eat a lot and do not
appreciate in value as they
grow older. Immaculata’s
farm is well established
and offers terrific examples
of Caritas MADDO’s agri-
cultural training. Her Baby bull, five days old, enjoys his por-
compound includes tion of milk.
several handwashing
stations and a dish-
drying center, all de-
signed to maximize
sanitation for the fam-
ily and good health for
her cow. Milking time
comes, and about 9
liters are collected.
Some goes to the baby
bull, some is retained
by the family, and the rest
is measured into a can and Immaculata at the Kirimya village milk
taken to the collection collection center.
center. Immaculata keeps
a careful eye on this second worth of credit to her account.
measuring, and she and the Upon receipt at the dairy,
technician both sign the MADDO will deposit her in-
ledger indicating 6.5 liters’ come into a bank account.
with her.
Rosemary’s
cow is heavily
pregnant,
due to give
birth any day.
Rosemary gives the MPA team a
tour of her farm, explaining that
she has been in the Cow Project Rosemary’s mother, children
for 1.5 years. At one point, Rose- and grandchildren
mary kneels in front of Sister
Toni, saying, “I must get on my
knees to properly thank you. I
am very grateful for what you
are doing for me, a widow.
There are so many widows and
orphans who need assistance. I
request that you think of these
people who are so needy. I
never thought I would receive
such a beautiful animal. Once
our animal has her calf, we will Rosemary with Sr. Toni and Sr.
Liz, visit the cow “Santa Maria.”
have milk for the market.
Thank you.”
CONNECTIONS
AFRICA PREMIERE OF THE LIVING
L OA N DV D
The MPA team returned to
visit with the family of Rosie
and John Katumba and with
their neighbor Justin Nal-
Justin Nalwanga(right) and neighbors
view the DVD.
FARMERS IN TRAINING
The MPA team toured a
farming group in the village
of Kanywa. This group of 24
farmers had recently joined
the Cow Project, and while
great progress has been
made, it was a great learn-
ing experience to see the
Farmers help each other preparing their have faced challenges in
land.
The contouring of the land is critical to very much.”
manage soil erosion and water retention.
Page 5
wanga. Rosie and John
were the couple featured in
The Living Loan DVD. Justin
was the widow explaining
how hard it is to prepare
the shed. They each re- Clemantia Nnakyuya of
ceived pregnant cows in Kirimya
December 2009 and could
not be happier. We were
able to share with them a
viewing of the DVD, and Rosie and John Katumba react to seeing
many neighbors gathered themselves in The Living Loan DVD.
around Sr. Toni’s little net-
book computer, set on a
recognition, teasing about be-
bench in the front yard. There
ing international stars, and a
was much laughter, smiles of
gentle joyfulness.
Paul and Prose Kiwewa of
Kirimya
difference between their
stage of preparation and
the established feel of
Immaculata’s farm. The FARMERS WELL
farmers elected a chair-
man and agreed upon ON THEIR WAY
rules for their cooperation
Dick Arnoldy with the “chairman” of the
in the Cow Project. As a village group.
group, they work on one
farm at a time, rotating
regularly so that all the
farms are at about the
same level of readiness.
This encourages and
challenges each individ-
ual farmer to be as com-
mitted as his or her
neighbor. The residents
of Kanywa have very
little income, and they Janne Nnanyondo
MADDO expects that latrines and show-
acquiring cement and ers have doors, regardless of material.
roofing materials. The
chairman noted, “The
workshops and training
sessions provided by
Caritas MADDO have
been eye-openers. We
are grateful to the Lord
who brought us visitors
from the USA to our
homes. We wish you a Jessica Mayiga and
safe journey. Thank you neighbors with Charles and
Sr. Toni
Charles, a key member of the MADDO
training team, and Father Peter at lunch
Page 6 Special Africa Edition

F A R M E R S W H O A R E R E A DY

Before the latest “handing- are growing well and

Your donation makes a difference! To donate, checks may be mailed to Microfinancing Partners in Africa

over” ceremony can begin, are ready to provide

Father Peter and his team sustenance for the
and Sister Toni and her new bovine guest at
team visit each farmer to do each farm. Salt
one last tour and inspection. blocks are in place in
The day is full of potential. the sheds, and the
The farms are well-planned children at each farm
and prepared. The grasses are so excited they are
in constant motion.
The farmers show us
carefully drawn maps Margaret Ssettimba demonstrates the A-
Frame’s utility in land contouring.
of their land. They
Or visit our web site: www.microfinancingafrica.com

demonstrate the hand

-washing stations and
show us how neat and
organized the latrine
and shower facilities
are. We see the
raised vegetable beds,
the well-tended ba-
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nana plants, and the

contours that are evi-
4949 Columbia
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dence of backbreak-
ing work, but an es-
Contours protect the crops. sential investment in Children in the village
retaining the good
topsoil.
The cow sheds
are outstanding,
sturdy, precise
structures with
an efficiency of
design. The only
thing missing is
the star of the
show….a cow.
Matilda Namutebi shows Sr. Toni the map
The cow shed is ready for its tenant.
of her farm.

Mariam and Ali Lubega greet us with song. Father Peter (in blue) sees the raised vegetable beds that
spell out “Caritas •M” in the Lubega farm.
CONNECTIONS Page 7

COW CEREMONY We do not pray

to have more
The time had arrived, and the and this called for a money but to
time was special. The villag- celebration. The pro-
ers of Minyinya had eight
members who were qualified
gram began with an
opening prayer, fol-
have more
to be next to receive a cow, lowed by entertainment.
Young school girls
kinsmen.
sang a welcome,
and older school
children sang and —Chinua
danced. The local
city politician made Achebe
a brief speech.
School girls sing, “Our dear visitors, we are
Dick Arnoldy was happy to see you today…”
asked to address From African Wisdom
the group. He said,
“We appreciate
your hospitality and
Guadencia Nakafeero leads the ladies in how welcome you
song. made us feel. It
was a miracle that
Sister Toni met
Bishop Kaggwa.
Many of our friends
are anxious to help
the people of
Uganda. We are Dick Arnoldy congratulates Lugaju
grateful to the Salezious and Madrid Nambusi.
Bishop for showing
us the way. We
hope to be partners
in the cow project
Mariam and Ali Lubega for many years to
come.” Father Pe-
ter said, “From to-
day, this village is
connected to
MADDO and MPA.
All farmers at this
village who meet
the standards WILL Matt Arnoldy (not pictured) used his supply
People who live
of duct tape to create bottle toys and an
receive a cow from
MPA.”
endless source of giggles from the young set. in extreme
poverty do not
School boys festooned with goat hair “tails”
dance to fierce and fast drumming.
consider
themselves to be
poor.

—Sr. Cecilia
Madu, OP
The villagers of Minyinya install a sign proclaiming the connection Practicum Student from
Matilda Namutebi smiles. with MPA.
Nigeria
Page 8 Special Africa Edition

You gain K E N YA : K I B E R A
strength, Kibera is a slum in the heart
of the gleaming city of Nai-
courage, and robi. It is about the size of
Forest Park in St. Louis, yet
confidence by about 1.5 million people call it
home. It is crowded, filthy,
and violence. As Ingrid were thick with sticky mud.
Munro, founder of Jamii Bora, And yet, in all this despera-
has said, “The slums are not
acceptable places to raise
tion, there are a multitude of
stories of hope that have had
kids.” The MPA team visited
Kibera the morning after a
their beginning in Kibera.

dangerous, prone to disease rainstorm, and the corridors

every experience
in which you
really stop to
look fear in the
face. You must
do the thing you
Kibera Vendor making his way One “street” in Kibera
think you cannot
do.
JAMII BORA
—Eleanor Jamii Bora is the source for fied metal box, with a
many of these stories of hope. metal door and reinforced
Roosevelt Jamii Bora operates a branch windows. Several people
wait to see a banker to
in Kibera. The office is a glori-
discuss their business.
The branch pro-
vides the beginning
and ongoing con-
nection between Catherine, a Jamii Bora member, sells pieces
borrowers and Jamii of cloth.
Bora, offering busi-
ness classes and sup- and loan payments.
port for putting together Catherine is a member of
a borrower’s group of Jamii Bora, and the MPA
Kibera branch of Jamii Bora five, and keeping care- team visited her shop during
ful records of savings our visit in Kibera.

May your action

JOHN OUMA
have an effect
like that of the John Ouma shared his story with the
MPA team and then guided us
seed of the through Kibera. John had been a
gang leader who perpetrated the post
baobab. -election violence in 2007. He credits
Jamii Bora with approaching him with
an alternative—join Jamii Bora and
turn away from crime. John now has
—Peul oral two successful businesses, and he
and his friend Bernard manage the
tradition Kibera Celtics Soccer Club. The club
John Ouma on the phone at the gives young boys and girls an outlet to
headquarters of the Kibera Celtics learn and build skills such as team- One of John Ouma’s busi-
From African Wisdom work, discipline, structure, and sports- nesses is the manufacture and
manship. sale of storage boxes.
CONNECTIONS
KAPUTEI
Kaputei neighbors demonstrate the
manufacture of building blocks.
In all the ways that Kibera is
hell, Kaputei is heaven. Ka-
putei, a planned community
outside of Nairobi, offers
Jamii Bora members the
chance to acquire their own
homes. These homes have
an indoor toilet, shower, and
sink. The community has
CLARISSE
Sr. Liz Peplow and Sr. Toni Temporiti
greet Clarisee.
EASTER AT NYUMBANI
The MPA team attended
Easter Mass at the Nyumbani
Children’s Orphanage in Nai-
robi, Kenya. This orphanage
serves children whose par-
ents have been lost to AIDS.
Not all of the children have
HIV or AIDS, but many do.
They range from infants
through high school. During
Mass, the priest announced
that they will be sending their
first two members to univer- Liturgical dancers at Mass at Nyumbani
sity, a milestone well worth
celebrating.
Page 9
neighborhoods, schools, We serve life not
water utility, and a retail
area. Jamii Bora em- because it is
ploys members to
manufacture the blocks
and tiles that are used
broken, but
for building the homes. In her home, Jane shows Dick Arnoldy
The colors are bright. some beads from her bead business. because it is
Many homes have sun-
flowers and gardens in holy.
their yards. There is
grass and sky and
space and joy. Jane Ngouri —Mother
invited the MPA team into
her home, explaining how
important Jamii Bora’s
Theresa
health insurance has been
to her own health (she is
HIV positive).
Jane Ngouri welcomes Sr. Toni to her
own home.
Clarisse is one of the original 50
beggar women whom Ingrid Munro
credits with starting Jamii Bora.
Clarisse’s husband kicked her and
her four children out of their home
on the threat of death. She fled to
Nairobi and eventually found herself
homeless in Kibera. Gradually,
through loans and training with Jamii
Bora, Clarisse has built up two suc- Clarisse and Ingrid Munro
at the Summit.
Relating to
cessful groceries, one in Kaputei,
where she now lives. others is the
basis for all
development.
—Jacques
Nanéma
From African Wisdom
Sr. Liz Peplow and Eric, age 3.
Page 10 Special Africa Edition

Thinking of traveling on this kind of trip to

By Heather Cammarata
Africa? Here are some things to think about: S A FA R I
Disclaimer: this writer cannot wait to return. Africa is
amazing and wondrous and welcoming.

Even though the outside air was 75-80F and

breezy, the interior of both the Entebbe and
Nairobi airports was stifling. By “stifling” I
mean that hell’s critters would be sweating pro-
fusely. Be prepared to tolerate and make the
best of it. Airports and international travel re-
quire a certain amount of waiting around. Be
prepared to tolerate and make the best of it. If 13 seat Cessna Grand Caravan
you complain, you’ll only be whining to your
travel buddies who are just as hot and cranky as African elephants
you are, and now you’ve given them a reason to
point you out to the nearest ornery customs official.

DO resist the urge to overpack. Even if you check a bag, make sure you can carry
or drag all your own items under your own personal horsepower. I
learned this the hard way when on the first night I lugged my 49.99
pound suitcase, stuffed-to-the-gills carryon, and backpack up four
flights of stairs to my room at the retreat center. By the time I got to
4th, it was time to make the trip back down to catch the cab. Full
Cheetah
blown hiking boots are really not needed. Decent walkers are suffi-
cient. And, if you are navigating through mud, shoes that can be
washed off are even more convenient. Most places we stayed did
offer laundry services. It may not be necessary to bring a full change
of clothes per each day. Splurge item I wish I had packed: my own
regular toothbrush. Travel toothbrushes just are not the same. And Leopard
how much room did I really save?

Our flights were 2 hours, 9 hours, and 8 hours, respectively. Have a plan to exer-
cise both in your seat and out of it. Drink plenty of water. Try to begin sleeping
during your destination’s sleeping hours and forcing yourself
to stay awake during your destination’s awake hours to mini-
mize jet lag. Drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is a key
preventive measure to stave off headaches. Cape buffalo

The main roads are moderately smooth for riders. Much of

the rural area of the Masaka diocese in Uganda has dirt roads,
which are very bumpy. Most of the trails through the Maasai
Mara are rough dirt paths as well. Be prepared for a very jolt-
filled ride in both Kenya and Uganda. During the safari, de-
pending on your game ride vehicle, be prepared to enter and
exit the vehicle by climbing the sides of the truck and hoisting
Male and female lion
yourself over the rails.

Sunscreen stronger than 30 and DEET at 40% or higher is

strongly recommended. Wash it off at the end of the day, so as not to worry about
your skin dissolving from the abundance of chemicals. If a room has a mosquito
net, use it. The big bugs do come out at night. Retreat center rooms are small but
clean. The bathroom is private, clean, and simple. Some showers may have mini-
mal water pressure—be patient—cleanliness is worth it. Retreat center beds are
twins, on a wood platform, with a 2” foam mattress and a thin pillow.

Smartest thing someone else brought—peanut butter—great supplement to any

meal that just doesn’t sound like it will sit well. Dumbest thing I brought—an alumi-
num water bottle. Absolutely useless in countries where one is advised not to par- On their side trip, Elizabeth and Dick receive a
take of water from the tap. Gloriously, though, bottled beverages are available and special welcome from the farmers in Meru.
do include those containing barley, malt, and hops.
CONNECTIONS Page 11

SUMMIT The nature and quality

of our connection to
the world owe much to
The Regional Micro-
credit Summit was our perception of
held at the Kenyatta
Conference Center in ourselves.
Nairobi, Kenya, April 7
-10, 2010. The MPA —Aminata Traoré
team attended.
Although we had the Jane, Ingrid, and Wilson address the
chance to hear many attendees at the Microcredit Summit. From African Wisdom
luminaries, including
the Queen of Spain Dancers from Jamii Bora kick off the
and the Princess of Summit.
the Netherlands, for
us the stars were our friends Give women access to
from Jamii Bora.
Just prior to the Summit, credit, and the rest
Jamii Bora launched Jamii falls in place.
Bora Bank, a major milestone
for the organization. Now at
325,000+ members strong, —Muhammad Yunus
Jamii Bora is the largest mi-
crofinance institution in
Kenya. Several panel ses- Muhammad Yunus at the Nobel Laureate for
Summit
sions included speakers from microfinancing
Jamii Bora to share their best Susan Saiyorri, National Outreach Coor-
practices in the areas of hous- dinator for Jamii Bora, and friend
ing, health insurance,
communicating with
those living in extreme
poverty, and environ- Slums are not
mental issues. acceptable for human
The MPA team was
honored to have a
beings .
private meeting with
Ingrid Munro, at which —Ingrid Munro
Sister Toni personally
transferred the MPA
funding commitment Founder of Jamii Bora
to Ingrid. Sr. Toni Temporiti, Joyce, Heather Cam- Sr. Toni Temporiti and Beatrice
marata, and Sr. Liz Peplow (mentioned in The Blue Sweater)

That Jamii Bora

insisted on a health
insurance plan that
included even those
living with HIV has
meant all the
difference.
President Kibeki of the
Republic of Kenya.
Ingrid Munro with her Sister Toni shares a moment with Ingrid Munro. —Jane Ngouri
adopted son and daughter-
in-law.
Jamii Bora Member
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ST. LOUIS, MO
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M I C R O F IN AN C IN G
P A R T N ER S IN A F RI CA

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Phone: 314-776-1319
Fax: 314-776-1319
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REFLECTIONS FROM THE

T R AV E L E R S
I am constantly
MPA extends a very special reminded of the
thanks to Maureen Favo, who words of Alexan-
der McCall Smith,
tirelessly took photo after photo,
“There is plenty of
shot after shot, to document our work for love to
trip. The result of her attention to do.”—Toni
detail and professionalism with
cropping and editing is an I hope in my life
incredible emotional connection. time that I will
Thank you, Maureen! visit Uganda again
and there will not
be so many Matthew, Maureen, Charles, Peter, Paul, Liz, Heather, I was amazed by how
Toni, Elizabeth, and Charles at The Highway
wooden casket
makers that display
caskets made for chil-
dren.—Maureen
Special thanks also to Heather I was emotionally rocked
Cammarata, MPA’s Executive by the generosity we en-
Director, rookie intrepid traveler countered; and I was in-
trigued that both our cur-
and the editor of this newsletter.
rent projects have so
much in common in terms
dan and Kenyan peo-
ple...God was the
“Jambo,” the word of
welcome extended by
people in the villages,
on the street, or wher-
ever...God was the
communion found in
our laughter, table talk,
and meeting new Afri-
can friends.—Sr. Liz
hard everyone was will-
ing to work for a
of building relationships chance to receive a
and community.—Heather loan/cow to better their
lives and their children’s
The joy and gratitude of lives. The women were
the families receiving cows willing to do almost any-
was overwhelming.—Dick thing if it meant a chance
to make their children’s
God was the beauty and lives better.—Elizabeth
friendliness of the Ugan-