About 4 or 5 years ago, in a coffee shop in
Southsea, Simon Paylor and myself dreamt about being able to bring together all
the CRED Partners in one place, so that they could share with each other,
inspire each other, learn from each other, and build network and relationships.
Since that day, there have been many
changes within CRED – Simon has moved on to pastures new, the team trips are
being run by Adventure Lifesigns, and we have gained some new partners. But the dream remained, and yesterday I had
the absolute joy of standing at Entebbe Airport in Uganda welcoming the CRED
Partners who run projects in Africa, as well as some of the CRED trustees, to
this wonderful country.
As the only person who had met every person
involved in the ‘CRED Talks’ conference, it has been a really wonderful time
introducing folks to each other, and hearing the hum as people chat, discuss,
laugh and learn together.
The start was not without its hitches, due
mainly to delayed planes and yellow-fever certificate related incidents; but we
are now all here, gathered together at John and Sophie’s, and the conversation
is flowing beautifully.
Today we went out to a project that John
Njendahayo has developed at Maya, about 30km outside Kampala – so we had the
joy of sitting together in rural Uganda, hearing from each other as we shared
our stories and our passions for why we do what we do. John gave a tour of the
buildings, and introduced thinking relating to rainwater harvesting, solar
energy, biogas and tube homes, as examples of how to be good stewards of this
earth at the same time as reducing poverty at a grassroots level.
This evening Etenesh from Berhan Lehetsanat
in Ethiopia is sharing about a gender equality conference she went on; and
tomorrow Francis, also from Uganda, will input about the work I Live Again
Uganda are doing in Acholi Quarters and northern Uganda.
Beyond that
- well according to the schedule it will include Whole Brain Approach to
Teaching and Learning, and also workshops on personal wellbeing and volunteer
support. But hey, this is Africa, and
with such an incredible gathering of experience and knowledge, who knows where
we will actually end up!
What I do know is that this is one amazing
week, and I feel incredibly honoured and privileged to be part of it; and to
enable all these folk, who I am proud to call my friends, to come together in
this way: to bless and be blessed, to inspire and be inspired, to promote
dreams of new ways forward, and just to have space to be refreshed, refueled and
reaffirmed in all that they are doing, through making a difference to so many on this continent, each
in their own way.
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