Our Mission

Reconcile believes strongly in the fundamental role the church has in providing practically as well as spiritually for its communities. Our vision is to work directly with local organisations and particularly the church, in areas that have been affected by conflict, supporting and facilitating their missions to their local communities to increase development as a way of reducing conflict.

How do we work?

So far our work focused on capacity building and troubleshooting in the areas of Project and Financial Management, particularly aiding communication and transparency between donors and partners by improving systems and training.

We approach the work through light touch, yet holistic capacity building; improving and developing organisations by building on current ways of working to enable them to manage themselves and their projects successfully. All training and support is biblically routed but takes experience from the best lessons of the private sector and NGOs.

With God’s help we strive to have a faith-based role which dictates the direction of the company’s ministry. We believe that our role with the people we work with should be quiet and partial, not overriding, and should work as quickly as possible towards our redundancy.

We currently work with the church in Sudan, Burundi and Zimbabwe

Mud!

Picture1: the main streets of Malakal during the rainy season

Picture 2: The bread Shop from my front door

Dear All,

This is my third return to Malakal this year since we left having spent a year living here and I am continually stuck by the changes. And it is not just that things are changing, as everywhere things change, but how quickly they seem to be changing and dare I say it improving.

In expectation of the rains which inflict themselves upon this area between June and September every year, the UN, International and Local NGOs and the Government have been begun to replace the long since disappeared British (circa 1930's) street drainage system. In the main market this has meant brick lined culverts have appeared Suring up what is left of the road and amazingly making them passable even in the hardest rain. For the rest of town a lone big digger is trawling the streets, an automatic beast of mercy, cutting channels wherever it goes to guide the water which will not seep into the land down to the river. Although a small step by most standards, for Malakal this is a huge milestone, for if the stagnant water that sits after the rains can be disbursed it will not only make movement of people and goods possible but remove the breeding ground for the mosquitoes which thrive during August sending Malaria through the roof.

You will see from the photo of the route from the front door where I stay to my shop which I must traverse every morning to get fresh bread for breakfast that the curse of Malakal is mud. Malakal was never intended as a place for people to live. The tribes of the area, both Shilluk and Dinka never settled the area in major numbers knowing that in affect it was a swamp, they preferred the high ground further in land, and across the river to the North. However when the British looked for a resting place while traversing the Nile towards the impenetrable Sud Malakal seemed the perfect spot. Its location just North of the entrance to the Sobot river and just before the Nile begins its course through into the swamps seemed ideal. The land at the rivers edge where the Government buildings were placed is slightly raised and gave good access to the river. However once but 100 metres in from the river bank the land descends almost imperceptibly but those few centimetres make the difference between dry and wet, in a real sense often the difference of life and death during the long rains. Coupled with this the nature of the soil of Malakal known as 'Black Cotton' means that it does not absorb the all the water, it settles on top in large puddles attracting infection and disease. Added again to this is the soils quality of glue likeness, sticking with an iron hold to everything that touches it (except for the most part the barefoot) and refuses to let go. The walk to the shop becomes a workout of mr universe proportions with great balls of mud collecting and being carried along with you.

So as I arrived now in August life has ground to a halt, no cars move, no donkey carts pass, just those people who must venture out to complete those tasks that cannot wait until its truly dry. Now this is of course a mixed blessing for the cool winds that signal the rains which come coupled with a dark yet iridescent sky are one of the true havens of Malakal. For once you have endured the heat and sweat of February through to June to feel that first wind of change is like a wake up call to life, suddenly as the temperature plummets from 45-50 Celsius to 20 Celsius you realise how life can be lived and rejoice.

But of course there is also another story within this for as I am struggling with my bag to traverse the lake which is encircling the place I will stay for my time in Malakal I pass the church and diocesan office and take rest. And in this moment of rest I hear the first news of the projects that we support and am amazed to hear that in this time of mud and rain and difficulty they are on track and well over 50% complete, new classrooms built and new water systems installed. They refuse to be held down by the environment, and by the apathy that has infected so much of post war life. They want change, and they are not the only one, and it is change they are making happen, school by school, child by child.

Every Blessing

Simon

My Visit to Khorfulus

Picture 1: Khorfulus School - currently constructing they're a food store, pit latrine, a new classroom and verandas.

Picture 2: The Diocesan Boat

Picture 3: The Sobat River

Dear All,
We had aimed to start early to get the boat loaded for the visit to Khor Fulus, the second school of Malakal Diocese. The mud however is here with a vengeance still following the heavy rains of last Sunday, which according to the news reports were the most torrential in years.

The porter, a small man struggled to bring the horse and cart as close to the materials as possible but feared that once stuck in the mud the cart would be lost until it dries (maybe two months from now). So he became the cart, and carried the cement, iron and welding equipment to the road where the horse stood safe. This took three hours and was but only a small element of the days journey. Once cargo was safely at the water edge the process of loading the boat began, quicker by far but as a large generator had now joined the multitude of items to be carried to Khor Fulus it was not without incident.

However by 12.30 once boat driver was found and wounds of the injured (casualties of the ten man triumph which lifted the generator into the boat) were bandaged we set off. The boat is Malakal made, which means that it is welded of iron and looks improbably heavy for its size, but it began to carry us down river along the Nile to the junction of the Sobot were we bear East. The river was swollen with the rains of Ethiopia and the lands of Southern Sudan but it remained calm and the sun shone hard.

After over an hour, and almost half way through the journey a strange towering crane can be seen on the sky line, with steel framed structures bare beside. It looks from a distance as if a business district is being begun in the most unlikely of places. As we come closer and it becomes clear what a first sight seems modern and incongruous on the landscape has been here for some time. We pass the village of which no name is clear but has grown itself around and within the remnants of what was the end point (or start point) of the dream of a Jonglei Canal. The canal original envisaged to by pass the to the East the massive swap known merely as The Sud was never finished. All that remains are broken machinery helpfully left to prove the foundation of a community which now live within and around the strange steel beasts of progress tamed and lying dormant at the water edge. They mess seamlessly together as if bound from birth.

This point also marks the beginning of the chicane of fishing nest which criss cross the river, lain by waiting fishermen. The nets prove almost completely concealed by the water but for the strange regularity of floating sticks which hold them up. Progress becomes slow yet the switch from the great Nile to the smaller Sobot brings with it a thronging waterside almost no part of which is now not owned by virtue of a mud hut being placed near by.

This mass of people that has descended or appeared on this stretch of water is thanks mostly to the founding of Khor Fulus. Khor Fulus was in history not known as a place in itself but merely a crossing point for those going South to Bor. However the war has made it a place of significance and now due to its designation as a congregation point for soldiers of the SPLA (Sudan Peoples Liberation Army) it thrives. As with all boom, without order it goes bust and for most of this year it has suffered continued upheaval as the army is reordered and brought under control. In January almost the whole community was set in flight by the rampage of discordant militia at odds with the Police and not controlled by the army which is supposed to be responsible for them.

Thankfully now life is returning so some sense of normality and as we docked at the Episcopal Church compound the school was massed with children singing and drumming. At first I thought it must have been an elaborate welcome but no, my ego was put back in place they didn't even know we were coming as no phones work in the area and our trip was out of the blue. Once the excitement of our groups presence had been quelled and we left to inspect the new classrooms and latrines the group returned to itself and the games began. They had come on Saturday, as had the teachers simply to sing, dance and play games. On Sunday they all return again to Church. Everyday, the school - which when I last visited over a year ago was being used as a hospital to treat cholera suffers- sits right at the centre of these children's lives at the heart of the community, giving education and hope.

The time was already after 4 and although I had only been in Khor Fulus an hour we needed to start for Malakal if we were to make it before dark. So rather than await the hired boat that was being unloaded and could take along time the Diocesan boat was called forth. This was the same boat and driver with whom almost exactly a year ago I was stranded for three days up river and once the boat had finally given up i'd had to walk the final 5 miles back to Malakal. I was apprehensive to say the least to re-enter the boat I had vowed while floating in the dark away from home that I would not re-enter if I escaped safe. yet the options were none and the day was drawing on, not to mention the thunder clouds were drawing in, so we set off.

The rain came but thankfully just had the driver had learnt (how to use a boat)from that previous first voyage we took together so had I and remembered a rain coat. We arrived untroubled in Malakal as the sun set low in the west gilding the clouds erupted after the rain. As the final light took flight I walked angle deep in mud broken sandals in hand to the house thankful to be back in a day and blessed to have seen what I saw.

Blessings

Simon

Sudan, Burundi and Zimbabwe – Update 13

Picture 1: Me talking about monitoring and reviewing projects with the Church in Burundi Picture 2: Aftermath of the fighting in Khartoum in May

Picture 3: Simon at the Anglican Bishops Conference

Dear All,

Sorry it’s taken us so long to write our latest update on Sudan. As many of you now know we have reduced our work in Sudan for this year and have been asked by Lambeth Palaces International Development department to assist the Anglican Churches of Burundi and Zimbabwe with their current projects.

Burundi
Burundi is a tiny landlocked country in Central Africa with Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda surrounding it. It is just south of the equator and lush hills and mountains cover the land, it’s a beautiful place, people call it the Switzerland of Africa. It has recently been plagued by civil war between its two main ethnic groups: the majority Hutus and ruling minority Tutsis. All Burundians speak the same language – Kirundi.
Simon and I spent a week in Burundi. Bujumbura, the capital and where we spent our time has a distinctly 70’s feel from the concrete buildings to people’s hairstyles and clothes. It felt a bit like stepping back in time. We were there running a training for all 6 Diocese of the Anglican Church of Burundi which has funding for a large school regeneration project with schools being rebuilt after their destruction during the civil war. Each Diocese is responsible for its own building work. We gave a training focusing on the basics to have in place when implementing a project, also basic Financial Management processes, how to monitoring and evaluate Projects and an introduction to report writing.

While we were in Sudan in March I found out that I was pregnant and by the time we were conducting the Burundi training the morning sickness had well and truly kicked in. Although it wasn’t really morning, it was more like all day nausea which kept coming in waves often when I was talking to the group, I had to make a few dashes to the bathroom but on the whole I don’t think people noticed. Everyone was quite quiet and not very used to the participatory training that we offer. It was difficult to gage how much of the training they would feel able to implement in their own programmes. We hope however that further time with them over the year will help us to see how they are working.

Sudan

Khartoum Fighting
Due to my pregnancy Simon went back to Sudan in May on his own for one month. Unfortunately for him, within his first few days back in the country there was serious fighting in the Omdurman area of the city yesterday between the JEM Darfur rebel group and Government forces. The clashes that took place were right by where he was working. He and other church staff members were face down on the floor until a lul in the fighting when he managed to move to a house nearby and was able to get food and water. Problems continued in the area through the night but subsided in the morning and he was able to leave Omdurman for a safer area. He was fine if a bit shaken up.

Malakal Diocese
Malakal have just received their money for this years school building work which is focusing on the strengthening of the current schools, giving them fences, water guttering and tanks and verandas. Simon spent time with the Diocese helping them revise the current budgets and splitting them up school by school. The work should start this month.

Mothers Union
Rebecca Ator Yor, the Mothers Union worker who was appointed for Malakal Diocese last year is getting on well. She has been making parish visits and plans to run a health workshop for women next month including a session on HIV/AIDS. The Mothers Union are very keen to start their own income generation project and so I have been helping Rebecca look at ways to fundraise to start a café and write her first proposal. The population of Malakal town is growing with large influxes of returnees. Many returnees coming from the camps in Kenya and Ethiopia have an advantage in obtaining work over the general population of the town as their education levels; in particular their English literacy is vastly higher. Because of this they think a cafeteria could generate a small income which the MU hope would help to fund Mothers Union activities.

Zimbabwe
At the beginning of June, Simon was asked to go out to Zimbabwe to participate in a conference for all the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Burundi. The church there is being funded by Lambeth Palace and USPG to run a number of different community development projects.
Simon found his trip to Zimbabwe incredibly easy despite all the current issues going on as it is so more developed than somewhere like Sudan. Things like good infrastructure and very high literacy rates meant that getting places and communicating concepts and discussing ideas was very easy.
Each Diocese is running a project and the Bishops were coming together to discuss their progress with each-other and to think on how they can improve on how they are working. Simon helped to facilitate this forum and also provided some small trainings. The trainings were on:
- Project Management with particular attention given to the basics to consider when implementing a project.
- How to monitor, review and evaluate projects
- The basics of Strategic Planning and Project Planning as well as how to do a capacity assessment in order to aid realistic planning.
Each of these trainings were followed by break-out Sessions in which Participants to split into groups to talk about how they are currently working, how they will monitor and evaluate as they progress with the programmes they currently run, how they planned for their current programmes and what people think they can do in order to improve their own planning processes.
The current situation in Zimbabwe is making it hard for these Diocese to run their programmes, especially the extreme hyper inflation in which the only way to protect some of the value of the project funds is to keep it in British Pounds until the day it needs to be spent. It is thought that the constantly changing prices of goods currently means around 30% of projects funds value is being lost.
Simon is back to Burundi this week and I will update everyone on his return,
Best wishes
Keren xx

Sudan Update 12

Dear all,

Children of Malakal Primary SchoolWe have now been back in Sudan nearly 3 weeks, Here’s the news:

Malakal Diocese
We arrived in Malakal to amazingly cool weather, at only 35 degrees we were very happy, however within in few days the temperature shot up to its normal March time heat of 45 degrees which I find very hard to sleep in. We stayed with a lovely family who let us use their guest tukul (mud hut) which was a real blessing as accommodation in Malakal is crazily high! (there are two hotels, one is a series of tents you can stay in – up to $200 a night! due to UN inflation (Malakal is one of the UN sectors for South Sudan with many UN agencies basing themselves here as well as over 2000 UN Peacekeeping troops).

The family we stayed with were also hosting a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) team who really hadn’t been looking after themselves properly (sleeping without mosquito nets and drinking river water rather than filtering it) consequently 3 of them had become seriously ill with Malaria, Ecoli and Jardia. However all 3 after some very heavy medication

New Schools Project
At the end of last year we helped the Diocese write a new proposal to Christian Aid for 2008, their proposal was approved just before Christmas which means they will receive further funds for their school building work. This year they will be building 4 extra classrooms at 3 of the schools and providing fences, verandas, guttering and water tanks for all 5 schools in the Diocese.

This is one of the 5 schools in a town called Khorfulus. Unfortunately in February there was some heavy fighting in town between the SPLA (Sudan Peoples Liberation Army) and the Police causing many people to flee. The situation has calmed down and we hope will remain so that the school will be able to open at the beginning of term (School in South Sudan runs from April to December). As you can see from the picture this school currently has 2 classrooms, 164 children are being taught here and the 65 in the kindergarten are taught under a nearby tree. One new classroom will be built here, verandas around the building will help to shade children during break times and protect the mud walls during the heavy rains. This area receives up to 5 months a year of rain so guttering and a large water tank will be installed to enable them to have water on site for drinking and cooking. Although this doesn’t deal with the whole problem of water it’s a start. We hope to find some funding for the diocese to be able to buy water filters so that whether collecting rain or Nile water, the children will be able to start drinking clean water.

We are not here for the whole year this time, we are just visiting to assist the diocese at key points during the new project. They are currently at the point of project start up, so we have been giving some follow up training to the Project Management training of last year focusing in on the implementation phase. Things like reviewing the project time line and budget, project governance structure, recruitment, procurement, staff role clarity and project monitoring.

The Diocese have a development committee which will be responsible for overseeing the building project. Last year everyone who worked on the project was a volunteer. However this year there will be money to pay for a Project Manager, an Education Co-ordinator and a part time book keeper. We have been helping to write the job descriptions for these posts. This is the first time anyone has heard of a job descriptions let alone had one and the committee got quite nervous about the idea. There will be no recruitment process this year but we will spent time discussing recruitment processes in the hope that for their next project they will start to feel comfortable with the idea and have the tools to administer it.

Mothers Union Worker
Me with key members of Malakal’s MU. The Bishops wife Rebecca is in blue on my right.
Parishes, gathering and encouraging women in their prayer and bible studies.At the end of last year the Mothers Union of the Diocese actually held the first ever interviews for a Diocesan role very successfully and appointed Rebecca Ator Yor (pictured here) as the first Mothers Union Worker for the Diocese. She will be paid by the Mothers Union UK which will enable her to be full time. She will be visiting the Rebecca herself is a trained nurse who worked with the army throughout the civil war. Now she plans to organise health and hygiene workshops for women in the Diocese. Among many other things Rebecca plans to give much needed support to the many parish kindergartens in the diocese, she will visit them, meet with parents and encourage them to pay school fees for the teachers many of whom are volunteers and struggling to survive, she’ll organise community fundraising for classrooms and apply for and oversee school feeding programmes. The hut pictured above is one of the Parish kindergartens, 60 children currently attend here and this is likely to increase when the new term begins – Rebecca is helping the parish fundraise for a second classroom.

That’s all for now, we have another week in Sudan before we travel to Burundi where we will be spending a week with the Anglican Church giving some assistance with their school building work. Will be in touch again soon,

Best wishes
Keren & Simon xx