More–than–a–Match 2008
60 Churches
+ $200 per church
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= Water for Haiti &
Education for Sudan
Supporting the Millennium
Development Goals from Colorado
July 2009 Update
Congregations from every corner of the Diocese responded with generosity to the Diocesan wide campaign to benefit the Colorado Haiti Project's Water Initiative and the education initiative in Abyei, Sudan affiliated with the Episcopal Church of Sudan. A total of $54,859 was the campaign result ($27,000 was contributed by congregations and individuals) from a variety of creative approaches among participating congregations.
While Haiti and Sudan are among the poorest nations on earth, the church and the spirit of faith are strong and thriving among their people. Nevertheless, equally daunting but radically different circumstances confront both the Sudanese and the Haitians. Yet in both nations, strong relationships have been built over many years between their clergy and people and many congregations and individuals in our Diocese.
According to Paul Casey, Executive Director of the Colorado Haiti Project, the momentum of generosity from the More–than–a–Match campaign translated into very immediate results on the ground in Haiti. The drilling crew in the area surrounding Petit Trou de Nippes began work in January of 2009 and as they say in Haiti, "Dlo se lavie" or "water is life".
However, the situation in the Abyei region of Sudan deteriorated following the heavy fighting there in May, 2008. Many buildings were burned and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee. Tensions in the area were exacerbated by the ongoing dispute over the boundaries of the oil–producing Abyei region. Therefore, it was determined that funding for the re–building of the school should be phased in pending the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague which was authorized to issue a binding decision on the boundaries. Payments have primarily been delivered in person as wire transfers cannot always be utilized in Sudan. As of July, 2008, $13, 271.00 was distributed to the representatives of the Episcopal Church working in the Abyei region for roofing materials, a brick–making machine, and transportation of materials. The remainder will be held, based on mutual agreement, until the settlement of the boundary decisions has been fully understood and accepted. The final ruling was issued on July 22, 2009 and it will take some months to determine if acceptance of the new boundaries will hold at the local level.
On behalf of the Colorado Episcopal Foundation, I want to express our profound thanks for your generosity in donating to the More–than–a–Match campaign. Together we raised over $50,000! This was the first time we as a diocese worked together on behalf of two of the poorest places on the face of the earth – Haiti and Sudan.
The Foundation set aside 0.7% of its operating budget to devote to the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Our hope was to match $12,000 with your help so that together we would create more financial resources for people who are desperate for clean water and for access to education.
Forty–two congregations responded to this call as did 6 individuals.
| St. Luke's Episcopal Church | Denver |
| Church of Christ the King | Arvada |
| St. Matthew's Episcopal Church | Grand Junction |
| St. Stephen's Episcopal Church | Longmont |
| St. Timothy's Episcopal Church | Centennial |
| The Parish Church of St. Charles the Martyr | Ft. Morgan |
| Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church | Colorado Springs |
| Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church | Denver |
| The Episcopal Parish of St. Barnabas | Cortez |
| Intercession Episcopal Church | Thornton |
| Good Shepherd Episcopal Church | Centennial |
| St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church | Golden |
| St. Philip & St. James Church | Denver |
| Church of the Good Shepherd | Colorado Springs |
| All Saints Episcopal Church | Loveland |
| St. Matthias Episcopal Church | Monument |
| The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter | Broomfield |
| All Saints Episcopal Church | Battlement Mesa |
| Church of the Ascension | Denver |
| Front Range Region | |
| St. John's Episcopal Church | Boulder |
| St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church | Boulder |
| All Saints in the Mountains Episcopal Mission | Crested Butte |
| Chapel of Our Saviour | Colorado Springs |
| Christ Episcopal Church | Castle Rock |
| Church of the Good Samaritan | Gunnison |
| Church of the Transfiguration | Evergreen |
| Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration | Vail |
| Grace Church | Buena Vista |
| St. Aidan's Episcopal Church | Boulder |
| St. Andrews Episcopal Church | Cripple Creek |
| St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church | Brighton |
| St. Francis Episcopal Church | South Fork |
| St. Gabriel the Archangel | Cherry Hills Village |
| Saint John's Cathedral | Denver |
| St. Johns Episcopal Church | Granby |
| St. Joseph Episcopal Church | Lakewood |
| St. Luke's Episcopal Church | Ft. Collins |
| St. Michael the Archangel | Colorado Springs |
| St. Paul's Episcopal Church | Ft. Collins |
| The Episcopal Parish of St. Gregory | Littleton |
| St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church | Golden |
You gave from the abundance with which you have been blessed out of the realization that there is always enough, always something to share. Your generosity and creativity in raising money was more than we could have expected. Not only did we exceed the goal, we more than doubled it! And we learned what we can accomplish together – large parishes and small; rural and suburban and in the city –by answering the call, acting as the hands and feet of Christ, to serve those who need the very basics of life.
Some day soon, because of you, clean water will be available in Petit Troup de Nippes, Haiti and young people driven from the burned–out town of Abyei, Sudan will be able to learn to read and write in a new school. Progress reports will be posted on our website www.coef.org and there will be updates in Diocesan e–newsletters and the Episcopalian.
Please share this with your congregation. You are blessed to be a blessing.
Faithfully,
Anita Sanborn
President
John Thornbury
Chairman
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Background Notes:
Water Project in Haiti
Solving the problem of contaminated water is the community's number one priority. Water–borne disease accounts for up to 80% of the cases seen in Petit Trou de Nippes clinic, and the lack of available water is a constant burden in the life of every inhabitant of Petit Trou de Nippes. Carrying water from a spring above the town to the home is the job of children and women, and most St. Paul's students spend up to 2 hours carrying jugs of water before ever arriving at school in the morning. Our largest capital project, to be funded by the Three Bishops' Fund is to supply the community of Petit Trou de Nippes with clean water, by drilling a series of wells in the nearby foothills, with a supply system to carry clean water to the 19 small villages in the Petit trou de Nippes region. At the same time, in–home water filters will be supplied to each household, along with appropriate education in basic hygiene and sanitation.
School in Abyei, Sudan
Abyei is the crossroads of Sudan located at the southern edge of arid land and the beginning of sub–Saharan jungle. Here two worlds collide in Sudan and two governments compete for territory as under the ground lies as much as half of Sudan's estimated five billion barrels of oil. Abyei is a microcosm for the entire country. Roger Winter, special representative of the State Department to Sudan, put it like this, "The future of Abyei is the future of all Sudan."
Just a few days ago, Archbishop John Sentamu of York said:
As citizens, and as children of God, we need to build a society where each individual can flourish and become the whole person they were created to be. Education is part of that transformative process for us to become fully human. Education is about finding out who we are, where we belong, and what the purpose of our lives is. It is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills – the root of 'education' is 'educare' which means to 'draw out'. We need to draw out from every person in every country, the gifts and potential they possess. As Christians, as educators, as human beings, our calling is to help others to attain their full humanity – not to BEAT them in the race but to SHARE with them the prize... Southern Sudan has the lowest access to education than any other country in the world, with less than 2% completing primary education. For girls, this figure is less than 1%. As a result 92% of southern Sudanese women and 80% of men are illiterate....Girls in southern Sudan are more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than complete primary education.