Trinity Koinonia Ladies

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Cote d'Ivoire - how it all started!

One Friday evening in March the Koinonia Woman had an evening of fellowship at Edith Greenfield's where we heard our guest, Eirene Griffin speak to us about her work in Abidjan. Abidjan is the capital of Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa. In 1981, Eirene started a project there which came to be known as CAHPA (co-operative for Artists Handicapped Physically in Abidjan). This project provides a way for disabled people who had previously been reduced to begging for a living to be trained and provided with the opportunity to work and live with dignity. Eirene set up a weekly meeting for these people, served them a meal, and brought in volunteers to teach them basket weaving, basic hygiene and other skills. The aim was to encourage these people to become self sufficient so that they could set up small businesses such as shoe repair, jewellery making, and so forth.

Many of the disabled people who became involved in this program were then able to afford to have prostheses fitted allowing them to wear shoes or jeans for the first time in their lives. At the CAHPA Centre today, men and women continue to learn new crafts and provide for themselves and their families with dignity. There are currently nine people employed there, each independently caring for their immediate and extended family. Housing conditions have improved considerably and the children of the artists (as they are now called) are attending school - something that wasn't possible for their parents.

The recent political unrest in the country has caused ex-patriots to leave and with them an important source of income. It is envisaged that CAHPA will gain recognition by IFAT (International Federation for Alternative Trade) and be able to sell their crafts on a world-wide basis. In the meantime, they have been dependent on sales in Ireland through Church connections, through weekly markets in Belfast and a monthly market in Dublin.

CAHPA is a fair trade co-operative and all the proceeds from the sale of crafts are returned to the artists. Mark-up is small to cover the cost of postage. There is no middle person. Artists contribute from the sale of their crafts towards the upkeep of the Centre to pay electricity and water. Upkeep is through the generosity of volunteers.

The total income through sales, donations and a £1000 grant was £10,000 for 2006. Without sales, the men, women and families of CAHPA do not have an income. There is no national welfare system, no executive housing scheme, no free education, and no free medical.

It is envisaged to build two storeys onto the existing centre to create one or two apartments, the cost of which will be £147,000stg. Rent from the apartments would provide an income to the existing artists who would give training to new recruits, set up literacy and hygiene classes and provide a drop-in centre for some of the many who continue to beg for a living. This is the aim of the group. It is the basis on which the centre was created and only in this way can the long-term future of the project continue.

The women of the Koinonia fellowship were very impressed with the remarkable work that Eirene has carried out in Abidjan. She told many moving stories of how God is working among the people there. Some felt challenged to come alongside Eirene and support her by helping her sell the crafts here in Ireland and possibly to join her on her next trip out to the project in Abidjan. After much prayer, and confirmation from God through his individual word to each one- Lesley, Maureen and Thelma plan to visit the people in CAHPA this coming October!

Congratulations!

Congratulations and well done to one of our Koinonia Ladies Angela Pollock who won an award at this years' prestigious RCN Northern Ireland Nurse of the Year Awards for her leadership qualities, personal skills and expert clinical skills.

The Early Days

Trinity now have established an up and running Ladies Group under the leadership of Lesley Webster.

It all started from the Fashion Show which we held in Autumn 2005 in aid of Trinity Methodist Church Development Fund.

The female models who took part enjoyed themselves so much backstage that they wanted to keep the fellowship going, so from then on we have had activities involving:-

• a weekend away to Dublin
• a Christmas dinner
• a trip to the Waterfront Hall to hear Anne Graham Lotz
• a surprise birthday party for a member who shall remain anonymous (Debbie!)
• a night out at Lisburn Cathedral to hear a concert of music with Geraldine Latty. This was a night of fellowship which you might expect involved eating and talking!
• a weekend away to Glasgow
• a picnic and BBQ.

Throughout the year our numbers have steadily risen and all those involved agree that a group where ladies can have fellowship together in Trinity was long overdue. Who would have believed that a mere fashion show could have has such long lasting effects?

In September 2006 we started our new session with a Pot Luck supper in the Manse, our numbers that evening were 27! We had a lovely evening of food and fellowship and our epilogue was taken by Pearl Maconaghie. We have all been thinking throughout the year of what name to call ourselves and Lesley came up with the name Koinonia which is a Greek name for fellowship - unanimously, we decidedto call ourselves 'Koinonia'.

On Saturday 7th October 2006 the Koinonians had a car boot sale and raised a grand total of £300 which was donated to the church building fund. Also in October, a group of Koinonians went to the Waterfront to hear Jeff and Kay Lucas speaking on Reality.