Our Faith In Action
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17
Kathryn Mercy Home, Devakottai
Devakottai is situated east of Madurai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, South India. Tamil Nadu is hot, dry, flat and barren, with only one monsoon each year. The majority of the population, from the untouchable Dalit caste, work the land, living in extreme poverty in remote rural villages. Landowners view their labourers as property. Housing is basic, without electricity, running water, or sewerage. Women walk miles each day just to collect water. Without education, children can only follow in their parents’ footsteps, leaving school at the age of 9 or 10 to work in the fields.
Amongst this depravation, the Kathryn Mercy Home stands as a beacon of hope. It provides board, lodging and an education for children from the untouchable caste until they are 16 or 17. It gives them the opportunity to study for a profession or go on to university and so the chance for them, and their families, to escape grinding poverty.
The Mercy Home was founded by the Reverend Jayapaul, a priest from Devakottai. Ben and Kathryn first met Jeyapaul in Salisbury, where Ben was at Theological College. Jeyapaul was himself an untouchable. However he had attended a mission school and then gone on to university and Theological College. He could see, travelling around his rural parishes, many children just like he once was, with high aspirations but no chance of achieving them because they lived in villages where there were no schools.
His vision was to provide a hostel for children so that they could attend school in Devakottai. He told us, if he could get five people in the UK to sponsor children, he would provide accommodation for the children in his home. We shared this vision with people in the Benefice and as a result the Kathryn Mercy Home was established.
Since then the Mercy Home has grown to provide board and lodging for 80 children. It now comprises a complex of buildings including a nursery, the Mercy Home and the Joan Mercy Home for elderly widows and young girls.
The most recent project, launched in October 2006, raised £12,000 to allow land adjacent to the Mercy Home to be purchased to provide a refectory, boys home and an infant school. Building work began in April 2007.
The next project will be to provide teachers who will set up schools in the rural areas. These schools will provide for Secondary education where the children live, rather than them having to be found accommodation in the town.
How Can I Become Involved?
The Mercy Home relies almost entirely upon a network of people prepared to sponsor a child through their education.
To sponsor a child means giving £130 per year for a maximum of 7 years which pays for all their living and medical expenses. This can be done by individuals or can be shared. If the money is gift aided by tax payers then in 2007 another 28% is added. In return, sponsor "parents" receive twice-yearly reports and are able to correspond with the children.
Unlike most other schemes there are no hidden costs or overheads, all the money raised goes directly to the Mercy Home. Consequently, your donation will make a direct and real difference to a child's life.
If you wish to make a donation rather than commit to sponsorship then this would be very gratefully received, as these donations go towards paying the staff in the Home.
Remembering the work of Jeyapaul, Annamuthu and their family in your prayers is also vital to the success of the project.
If you would like to know more about the Mercy Home or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact Kathryn.
The Kathryn Mercy Home shows what vision and prayer can achieve when matched with practical support.
Karamoja
Each Deanery in the Diocese of Winchester is linked with a different district in Uganda. Our Deanery, Alton, is linked with Karamoja, North-Eastern Uganda, a remote, arid region with a turbulent and violent history.
Karamoja - a 14-hour bus ride from Uganda's capital, Kampala, across rough, unforgiving terrain - is becoming increasingly vulnerable as the land becomes desertified and the meagre resources available have to be shared with an ever-growing population. Inevitably, it is the children and the old who are the first to suffer.
In Moroto, one of the main Karamojan towns, electricity is a precious resource as there are only a few solar panels to light the town and provide power. The majority of people fetch their own water daily.
In Karamoja a person's wealth is determined by the number of cattle they own. However, cattle rustling is rife and, as cattle are not insured, it devastates those families who lose their livelihood as a result.
As well as raising cattle and goats, the local economy of the Karamajong centres on the growing of maize, sorghum and beans. However, the rains in Karamoja are erratic and crops fail, creating unrest as people strive to look after their own families and communities first.
The church in Karamoja plays an important part in unifying and reconciling communities and it is growing. The church is both a tool for development and encourages faith.
In 1977 Alton Deanery formed a link with Karamoja and since then has provided practical support. For example, by financing a variety of income-generating projects to help communities become more self-sufficient, and purchasing motorbikes so the Diocesan youth worker and principal of the training college can travel across the region.
Throughout this time not only have we have learned a great deal from people whose perspective is very different from our own, but the Ugandan church in Karamoja has supported us in prayer and has welcomed news on how our local churches have grown and developed.
We are privileged to have a meaningful relationship with such an independent, resourceful people. The Karamojan church is marginalized geographically and socially so our link is tremendously important to them. They value us as friends who can speak on their behalf and make their needs known.
In 1999 we welcomed the Rev. Joseph Abura, now Bishop of Karamoja (South), to the Deanery. His own example of forgiveness and reconciliation was particularly challenging, as he was able to forgive the people who had killed his brother only a matter of weeks before his visit. The Archbishop of Uganda has also visited us and this has further strengthened our links.
Following the death of Bishop Peter Lomongin in June 2006, the Karamoja Diocese was divided into two, each served by a new bishop: Bishop James Nasak in North Karamoja and Bishop Joseph Abura in Karamoja (South). Alton Deanery continues to support the new Dioceses:
- Through personal contact. In 2007 two of our Deanery clergy, the Rev. John Ellison from Northanger Benefice and the Rev. James Campbell from Bentley/Binstead attended the inauguration ceremonies of the new Bishops in Kotido, North Karamoja and Moroto, Karamoja (South), respectively.
- By providing grants to each of the Dioceses.
- By raising money for specified Mission and Youth work agreed with the Deanery's Karamoja Link Committee.
- By funding the Diocesan Training Centre, jointly run by the two Dioceses in Lotome. Historically, Alton Deanery contributed towards the salaries of Diocesan Training Centre staff to allow the centre to continue running. However, students can rarely afford the costs associated with attending courses, so, to enable more students to attend, Alton Deanery now funds student bursaries instead of contributing directly towards staff salaries.
Since 2007, St Andrew's has sponsored one student bursary for the two-year course. The student we are currently sponsoring is Aguma Joyce.
Aguma, aged 30, is from Kangole Parish in the Karamoja, South Diocese, roughly a three to four hour walk from Lotome. She has three children, an 18-year old boy, Lokwii Johnson and two girls, Akudo Evalyne, aged 10 and Achuka Esther, aged 8. Her husband, Lotukei Isaac, is a wildlife warden. She is also active in the Mother's Union. In her CV, Aguma describes how she came to be a student at the Diocesan Training Centre:
"I was baptised in the Catholic church while I was still young then I changed to be a member and worshipper in the Anglican Church in 1987 when I was received and confirmed. Since that time I was just leading the same life like any other non baptised and confirmed Christian. I was doing a lot of witchcraft, drinking and many other things that would come my way.
I know that my Baptism and confirmation alone cannot do all I need in life, God's hand upon my life is very important that without God I can do nothing. He is all I need.
I got saved in 2006 when God sent to me some men of God from Soroti and when I heard what they had to say to me, I left all that I was doing like drinking alcohol and choose to follow their teaching of Christ. It was also around this time that my parish pastor asked if I was ready to go school and I said yes.
I felt convicted to serve as a full timer worker for the church and so I filled the application forms that were sent by the D.T.C and was considered for training and now I am training."
You can write to Aguma, preferrably using blue airmail letters, care of Simon Aisu Akol, Diocesan Training Centre, Church of Uganda, PO Box 44, Moroto, Karamoja, Uganda.
How Can I Become Involved?
Each year the Alton Deanery Karamoja Committee, chaired by Kennett Westmacott of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Four Marks, raises funds to support Karamoja. They do this in a number of ways, including, for example, an annual Deanery supper and parishes like St. Andrew's making contributions.
As well as supporting these findraising activities, individuals, groups of Christians and Churches are also invited to contribute towards sponsoring a student via the Diocesan Training Centre Bursary Scheme.
The need to train more Church leaders is considered a priority. Alton Deanery provides a number of bursaries at a cost of £500 per student per year for two years. This covers tuition costs, transport and food. In the past, an inability to meet these costs has prevented many from starting training.
These bursaries will also meet the full running costs of the existing Diocesan Training Centre, including paying the Principal, a Tutor/Bursar and three other staff.
For more information on the Bursary Scheme, you may download a leaflet or email the treasurer, Elizabeth Dain:
We also support Karamoja in our prayers. If you would like to support Karamoja in this way, please pray for the following:
- New Bishops: Please pray for the Rev. James Nasak and the Rev. Joseph Abura in their new roles as Bishops of North Karamoja and Karamoja (South), respectively.
- Diocesan Training Centre: We are asked to pray that more students may be able to attend the DTC's courses. Pray also for God's guidance as the change of funding is implemented.
- Compassion: The Rev. Nelson Owilli, Development Officer for Karamoja, has put together a proposal to help children receive an education through a sponsorship programme. This would be run through the charity Compassion. Please pray this proposal is able to be put into action and benefit many children.
- Communication: Please pray that awareness of our link with Karamoja will grow and others will feel called to support the link in whichever way God leads them.
There are also monthly prayer meetings at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Four Marks, at 8.00pm on the first Monday of each month.
For further information, or to receive regular prayer updates, please email
or visit Alton Deanery's Karamoja website.
St. Andrew's representative on Alton Deanery's Karamoja Link Committee brings information of the Deanery's work to Medstead, via articles on this website, the Church Hall noticeboard and regular reports to the PCC.
