Kituntu and Biedenkopf Partnership: The future bright to God’s people
Being in partnership, these two church districts have shared a lot in preaching the gospel of God and participating in development activities. Various projects have been developed together such us student scholarships, rainwater harvesting tanks, capacity building and KAKAUMAKI (Kampeni kabambe ya utunzaji wa mazingra Kituntu), an environmental programme and other projects.
The Kituntu district Pastor Rev. Justinian Kasinja mentioned the ongoing project of KAKAUMAKI as a hope for life. “KAKAUMAKI helps a lot to cover bare hills in Kituntu and Karagwe and, in that respect, bare people against direct sunshine. This is a great contribution from the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau and the Kituntu District towards alleviating poverty and giving Karagwe a future in terms of planting and protecting trees and nature,” said Rev. Kasinja.
In May and June 2011, a delegation of nine people from Kituntu visited EKHN. In October 2011 five people from EKHN visited Kituntu including Bishop Dr. Volker Jung the church president of EKHN who led the delegation which included Rev. Annegret Puttkammer, the regional Bishop of Nordnassau.
Up on the KAKAUMAKI project, in 2010 the total number of 17,500 was planted during the first phase in the area of Runyaga. In September 2011 the second phase was started in the Kituntu area in planting 13,135 trees there. It is planned in March 2012 that another 5.000 tress will be planted in the Kituntu area.
The project concept is that selected people prepare terraces and contour lines but they don’t have the seedlings to plant there. The funds for the seedlings come from EKHN and Biedenkopf. Apparently the people of Kituntu are positive to this project so they are ready to cover bare hills as much as they can.
Text: Rev. Justinian Kasinja