The W.I met on January 9th. The scrabble group has now grown so popular that it will meet from now on in the Library at a cost of £3 per person. The Christmas lunch raised £93 for the Sue Ryder Foundation. The competition is to revert to letters of the alphabet and February’s letter will be ‘L’. Next month’s speaker is from the Food Bank and members are asked to bring contributions (but not baked beans please).
There was an interesting talk by Sue Smith about Thailand, where she has visited many times. She had a number of interesting anecdotes to tell and brought with her many clothes and craft items that she had purchased from local people..
The next meeting is on Weds 6th February at 2pm in the Library.
Unfortunately, my January report got lost in the ethers between Box and Minchinhampton, never to be seen again! I am sure you all missed it!
It’s a long time ago, but at our AGM in November; we were struggling to form a Committee and were facing the possibility of closure! However, the troops rallied
around in true WI tradition and we are now viable again; but we do need new members, as our numbers are dwindling!
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Imagine if no matter how hard you worked today, you couldn't afford to put food on the table.
For millions of people around the world, that's the reality they face. A fair income gives you freedom, security and hope for the future. It allows you to feed your family and educate your children. That is the power of trade done well.
But unfair trade amplifies poverty. It makes the rich richer and leaves the poor behind.
Traidcraft Exchange exists to do two things...
- To support people to harness the benefits of trade
- To fight against injustice in global trade
It's a simple mission, but it is changing lives all over the world. As you know, Traidcraft has been downsized and many items will not now be available to buy.
What does this mean for us in Minchinhampton?
We will continue to hold monthly stalls for the foreseeable future....although the range of items may be reduced.
Our next will be on Sunday February 17th in the porch room after the 10am service.
Thank you for continuing to support Traidcraft.
Jackie Natt 01453 731018.
What do you know about Tanzania?
Tanzania is 6,000 miles from the UK and has a fabulously varied culture. Kiswahili is the common language, English is the official language of government, but many people living in the rural areas of Tanzania away from the main cities speak their own tribal language too. Here are some facts about Tanzania that might surprise you and could have been useful for the after dinner quiz on Christmas Day:
Dodoma is the capital city, not Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has borders with eight countries - Kenya (to the northeast) and Mozambique (to the southeast), Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Tanzania is made up of three geographical regions: the islands and coastal plains in the east (where Masasi is), a saucer-shaped plateau in the centre and west (where Nkokoto is), and the highlands in the northeast.
Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa standing at 5,895m, lies in these north-eastern highlands. Another special geographical feature is the Great Rift Valley, which cuts through the centre of the country.
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The school year is coming to an end (the school year in Tanzania is January to December – much more sensible than the UK system!) – and the fourth year students that the Link has sponsored – Julius, Senga, Yona, Dekasi, Bertha, Edina, Irene and Judith - will be leaving Vumilia Secondary School.
Hopefully, some may move on to higher education to complete their A levels. I will contact the sponsors of these eight students to ask whether the sponsorship can be transferred to one of the new year 1 students who will move from Nkokoto Primary School to Vumilia Secondary School in January.
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Arriving upstairs at the Country Market on a Thursday morning, the customer finds an almost bewildering array of goods, all home made and locally sourced in one way or another, from individually crafted and unique greeting cards, to colourful toiletry bags; from Seville marmalade to hearty casseroles; from Gloucestershire honey to baskets of hyacinths; from buttery mincepies to home made Christmas cakes and puddings; from delicious loaf cakes to savoury cheese straws.
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We have some good news!!