The Calabar Women’s Organisation, which works to promote education and health in the part of the country where Mary lived and worked, visited Dundee to honour her memory.

Anita Pascal, the organisation’s president, said “Mary Slessor is such an important figure in Nigeria. She helped so many people and did so much for the country. We all regard ourselves as the great, great grand-daughters of Mary Slessor.”

Trustee Lynne Binnie and former trustee Elaine Hackney welcomed the group at the McManus Galleries where they took great pleasure in visiting the Mary Slessor exhibition. The trip also included a visit to Verdant Works and they were able to take part in Sunday Worship at the Steeple Church, where they were made very welcome.

Anita said it had been a “privilege and an honour” to learn about the life of  ”our late Mama”

Please click here to learn more about their visit.

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AKPAP OKOYONG PROJECT UPDATE 

We had a Trustee Meeting in Dundee Scotland early this month, which highlighted the following;

Medical Facility

The Clinic has reopened on a limited basis, with an experienced nurse and Anthony our pharmacist. As our activities expand, having a doctor becomes increasingly important. Unfortunately the medical section is not fully functional due to inadequate funding. Our present funding level is insufficient to have a resident doctor

Training Centre

The training programme has fully restarted under the supervision of Ian Clarke, an English trainer from Voluntary Services Overseas . We have around 50 trainees taking two year courses in fashion design, carpentry, or welding mechanical maintenance

In common with the rest of the country, power supply is very erratic and we again need additional funding to replace our ageing generator.

Palm Oil/Cassava Unit

This is the high season and the processing is in full swing. In the new unit, we are sourcing palm fruit from farmers for processing and also buying palm oil locally for storage now and then selling off six months from now when the price rises.

Our long term need is to get competent and accountable managers.

The medical centre has now been open for eighteen months and in that time has received over two thousand people. Over thirty babies have been born, so far, and to date, thankfully, there has been no fatality of mother or child, and no deaths from malaria. The foundation would like to welcome a new doctor to the centre, Dr Kingsley, who will be instrumental in helping us become the regional centre for HIV Aids and Tuberculosis. We are making great advances in gaining the confidence of the local people in our medical provision and to offer TBA’s(Traditional Birthing Attendees) training, in basic hygiene, complication in childbirth and labor. We are now seeking funding for Solar panel powered electricity for centre.

Palm/Cassava Operation

The Palm and Cassava process is right now in full swing, and we are delighted to say that the unit is almost self sustainable. This plant earns badly needed finance for both the local population and the Mary Slessor Foundation. We are pleased to announce that the French Embassy has recently agreed to fund a 2nd production

We take great pleasure in announcing that in conjunction with Exxon Mobil a second training unit is constructed and now open.. The training centre is currently being run by three of the original trainees, Asuquo, Ubong and Essien, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication.

Training Centre

Fashion Design Centre

Petula Codrington is the VSO fashion designer with us at this time. She has currently twenty students in training and is hoping to have an exhibition of their work sometime in December.

Woodworking Centre

The centre continues to go from strength to strength, from the early days of making bee hives it has recently received a contract to supply school and teachers desks and chairs. The improvement in skills and diversity of products can only increase the drive for self sustainability of the Unit.

Metalwork Centre

This centre is flourishing, and provides all the equipment for the palm processing plant.