Tumelong:
It gives me great pleasure to present this 2021 Annual Report for Tumelong.
Operating for the second full year under the conditions dictated by the Covid-19 pandemic has been exceedingly difficult. We have felt this most sharply in the dramatic drop in enrolments at our ECD centres, and our inability to implement capacity building projects. Nevertheless, our ECD centres remain important assets for the Diocese and the communities they serve. This is underlined by the decision of the church at provincial level to prioritise early childhood development and their desire to learn from our experience.
On the positive side, our HIV-AIDS work received a substantial boost by the full absorption of our Community Health Workers into the payroll of the Department of Health. By this, Tumelong surrenders a degree of control over its personnel but gains in return a progressive new model of partnership which ensures the church’s witness continues – and does so at much reduced cost – while shared outcomes are achieved.
Another positive thing to highlight is that despite the financial pressures that our local congregations have been subjected to since the Covid-19 pandemic began, they still were able collectively to donate than 1 173 food parcels, 115 bags of clothes as well as bottle tops. Food parcels are the bedrock of our Care and Relief Programme and it is indisputable that without the participation of individual parishes this work would collapse. We are especially grateful to those handful of parishes which despite their own financial pressures refused to de-prioritise this area of their own mission to the world in need.
Perhaps the most significant achievement has been the addition of a whole new project to our suite of services following a successful fundraising effort. This is the PEPFAR-funded Family Matters / Parental Care project, which at its peak will equip 720 parents with skills to foster healthy relationships with their children.
I believe that 2022 will be a better year. With the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions and the opening of churches, we will now be able to meet with Friends of Tumelong and social development coordinators to work on scale, using a new model of delivery which significantly shifts the locus of activity to the local and archdeaconry level. This is in line with the empowerment approach introduced to our social development coordinators a couple of years ago, called the Church and Community Mobilisation Process (CCMP).
I ask you to continue to support us as you have done with material and financial help, but above everything else with prayers for us and for the work we do.
Lastly, my deep-felt thanks to all – our parishes, diocesan institutions and organisations, donors, and stakeholders – for your support. Special thanks are due to Bishop Allan and the Governing Body for their commitment and guidance, as well as to our staff and volunteers for their hard work, patience and sacrifice.
MRS PAULINA TLAKA
DIRECTOR: TUMELONG MISSION
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