Adventist Radio London inspiration for the.
Song good evening, Good evening, Good evening, and welcome to Talking Point. It's another Sabbath evening, and hopefully you've had a really good sabbath. Whatever you've been doing in your churches, out and about hope. Maybe you've taking some walks, maybe you've been enjoying the weather, and we always talk about the weather, and it's a little bit changing all these days, but hopefully you've been having a blessed day whatever you've been doing. So thank you very much for joining us
this evening. My name is Angela and I'm joined as usual by my co hosts Zenya and Pedro.
How are you both, Good evening, Welcome to Talking Point. It feels like it's been a while, but yeah, it's good to be back and I'm good.
I'm good.
Enjoying the weather. As you've said, Angie, always the starting point the weather, isn't it, And I'm hoping that we're on the cusp of summer. There I say it.
Yes, I think it's teasing a little bit, you know.
Oh my goodness.
Sometimes I think God has a sense, a real sense of humor.
That's it, that's it.
He knows, and it's not been so nice because there's been a bit of a ray. It's been a bit of a mixture.
He has from one day to the other. Really, but yes, let's let's go some things and outs that we are heading for uh stretch of good weather, shall we?
And you've got a good week.
I certainly have. I mean it's it's been up and down, but you know, that is life. That is life. I am not going to complain. That's my new motto. I shall not complain because once his life there's hope. So trying to keep it positive. I like that and keep it moving.
Cool.
I'm good, good after that, good evening everybody, and welcome to Talking Point. Yeah, I'm good. And it has seemed like a while, hasn't it that we've been on together talking So yeah, it's been it's good to be back talking to you guys and to the folks on Radio Aventures Radio London. Thank you for joining us this evening.
Yeah. Sorry you a busy week as usual?
Uh yeah, actually I have. Yeah. My well actually for real quick, my job has expanded, so I do a lot of north now from Halifax, so I've been to like Newcastle and Darlington and Sutherland each day. So yeah, I think last week I did thirteen hundred miles of driving. So yeah, I'm a little busted, but it is what it is. But yeah, besides that, you know, everything else is good family as well, and we're all hanging in there. Oh but the weather thing, you guys kill me with that.
I like the way. I don't like it to be too.
Hot, but that's just me, that's true.
I've said that before. I don't like it to be hot because, like getting it's more for me in the car. If I'm in and out of the car. You know, you get back to the car, the cars hot and then it takes like five ten minutes for the car to cool down. So and it don't take long for it to get hot. So like I go in a person's house, I'm in there for thirty minutes, I come out the car steaming hot. Again. Now I got to try to cool it down before I go down the road.
So it could be a little taxing for me, but I.
Think right here where we atod it's good for me. I like, if I can set the stat right here, right now, is what it will be all year. Honestly, Yeah, I.
Like it when it's sunny, but not like just straight up heat, like little breeze, you know, a little coolness.
I like that.
We personally, yeah, yeah, the folks saying Brittain, when the sun comes out, everybody go crazy. But that's a whole other We could do a whole We can do a.
Whole really, but we're thankful, thank you so so yeah. So for anybody chuning in for the first time, we are talking points, this is this is talking point I should say, this is a show about Wow, we're talking about different We're having conversations and talking about different topics, themes and ideas that maybe sometimes aren't always discussed. And what we're gonna be talking about today is I'm liking I'm going to kind of coin this kind of part of my change Maker series in the sense of.
The King.
At people who are making a difference in there, whether it's their local community or maybe their global community, and hopefully that will inspire you to try and make a difference, make a change within your own circles. Sometimes we think it has to be a big, major thing to make a difference, but it doesn't necessarily have to be. So we want to kind of really highlight some really cool stories and so really cool people who have been doing exactly that. But before we get into that, let's start
off our show with a word of prayer. So anyway you mind praying.
For us a definitely, Father, thank you for another opportunity to lead and to discuss the topics that are relevant and law. As we have this conversation today and the interview ahead, may persons listening be blessed, and may there may it be a call for action in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. So yes, we're going to be highlighting two ladies today, actually friends of sen years or Zenia knows, who have definitely, you know, been making a big difference in a really really big way. And it's kind of one of those areas that the idea of making a difference is probably something that as Christians we are kind of cool to do. We're all to kind of you know, love our neighbors, love other people. We're supposed to be spreading the Gospels
with the word, et cetera. And there's lots of opportunities potentially to do that during the months, several months throughout the year, especially like June. There's like Volunteers Week, Volunteers Month. There's also the Big Help Out which is over a weekend in June as well, but really is the opportunity for doing something to make a difference, really highlighting the
idea of volunteering and giving in your time. Many of us work really hard, but there is something about maybe whether it's highlighting you way passions or getting involved in something that you feel really strongly about so really want to help out in different ways, you can definitely do that through volunteering. It's definitely an interesting and really good thing for your well being as well. So that has
a whole other thing as well. But what I found really interesting as well, there was a recent poll this was to do with a Big Help Out that nearly one in two young people and they were saying eighteen to twenty twenty four year olds want to volunteer, but sometimes they we unable to find ways to get involved. Now again, there are some different ways you can get involved in stuff, and hopefully with campaigns like these, different organizations will start to open things out and open opportunities.
But there are still things that you can do young old in between. So we're going to be looking at that today. So my first question I think is just thinking about this. What's your thoughts on volunteering generally? Because I guess the idea of doing something, I say, volunteering for nothing, and sometimes as a volunteer you're not getting paid for this. What's your thoughts on that? I know I've done many voluntary roles over the years, and sometimes you put it in a lot of hard work and
time and effort. Sometimes it feels like it's worth it, and many times it doesn't. So do we think it's an important thing to volunteer try and do something within your local community?
Well you want us to one of us, okay, well, but me volunteering is unnecessary thing that is good if you have the time. Now, everybody has the time to volunteer. I think that you know, if I could volunteer for something, I would, It's just the time frame doesn't always work out for me to do. So. I think volunteering makes give your sense of accomplishment. Some people a sense of accomplishment of like helping somebody else that needs help, or
helping a cause that needs help. And so volunteering for me would be like I get a good feeling just knowing that I can help somebody because you know, so many less fortunate people than us out there that are struggling and going through things, and even people that are okay, sometimes they need help. I think we always need help and we have to get away from the fact of we always have to get paid for what we do, because I don't think, you know, we should be paid
for everything that we do. We do a lot of things for free that we would just not think, not think twice about doing. But because then when they said, well can you do this, You're like, well, can you pay me? We're like and you're like, well, you do it. You do it for free anyway, so why can't you you know, why can't you do it? I mean, you do it for free when you when it benefits you, so why can't you do it when it benefits somebody else?
So you know, for me, volunteering it's a necessary component for organizations to thrive and to help other people to achieve what they need to achieve.
Ahead, No, well, I'm conscious that I'll be talking for another hour, but yeah, and Petu, you talk about time, and I want to highlight that what we're doing now as part of Adventists Radio London is a voluntary initiative, and so I think that generally people can find the time work it into your schedule. And also organizations do
offer volunteer days. If they don't, then then speak to the persons in charge and see if they can put that onto their agenda and make that a possibility that you can have a day to volunteer at your local or at a charity that is near and dear to you. There is about fourteen points to at last count in twenty twenty two volunteers in this country, fourteen point two million.
And so volunteering informs the backbone of any or any society, the backbone of organizations, because if they don't get people who are willing, then a lot of the work doesn't get done, particularly organizations who don't get a lot of financial help financial support. And then I'll end by saying, if you can't, if perchance you don't have the time to then give tangibly. Yeah, yeah, that is an excellent
way to contribute. If you can't be the hand and the you know, the hands and the feet, then send someone by providing the finances for others to do what they're doing.
Yeah, I was gonna I was listening about I was gonna say the same thing about that, because sometimes again there are so many different ways you can you can serve, and you can give and you can give back, you know, and like you said, it doesn't have to be a really physically with your time and in the person you know, philanthrop.
That word.
Bad.
That's definitely a big way of doing that, and I think that's really I think that in itself was a really good with really good skill could you call it that? Or trait to teach your children as well when we think about the idea we sometimes you know, you're teaching young children about sharing and you know, giving each other and playing and you know, all those kind of things.
You know, that's definitely something that you could kind of highlight on that and I think as when we think about it as Christians, I mean, if we do you've mentioned obviously about how what we're doing on the radio,
most of us were doing our work at church. If you're involved in church, that's a voluntary you're doing that voluntarily anyway, you know, and you know you always in to be part of team, as part of departments, and you know, your contribution to whether it's the service or the programs that are put on or the activities or the initiatives, they're definitely things that you can do as well. There are so many different ways to be able to do that.
You just made me think of something when you said children growing up, we always like my parents always taught me to help people, and that's volunteering when you think about it, like you know, like if I saw a lady needed help, they get help bags or groceries to her house, and I help or take our groceries to our house, that's actually consider volunteering, isn't that? Or is that? Yeah? So you know, just trying to I guess they teaching our children to be self aware of just helping others.
I think as they get older then it just carries over where they would then help other people off our thinking about it.
Yeah, I mean when you look at the Pendiction definition would definitely say, you know, volunteering somebody who freely offers to take part in something or works for an organization without being paid, or freely offers to do something.
So yeah, you'd rather do it freely than have to have a quite appointed.
Yeah, that's true.
I'd rather do community service because I wanted to do it, not because the court taught me to mm hmm, well, well, you know.
What sometimes, but I also, I mean, this could be a whole other discussion. I'm sure that's all idea of actually giving back. It's if you you know, sometimes it's given if people have done something wrong. So in some ways you're taking, you may be taken from the community in the wrong way. So now let's give back in the right way or a contribution. So I'm not averse to that necessarily, but I guess.
It shouldn't be the only reason you think what we're saying here.
Yeah, definitely, definitely. And you know, when we think about this as well, it's the many it's almost like a biblical mandate as well. You know, serving God is obviously one of the key principles of our faith, and we're expected to kind of help our church help others, you know, be commanded to love one another, care for one another, pray for one another, encouraged help counsel of those things and the many verses that will tell you about the
sort of things that you could be doing. But said, yeah, because we're going to go into talking you know, your conversation with our guests and tell us a little bit about and you know, just introduce, you know, what we do, what we've done today with our guests today, who they are and how you know them, and yeah, where we're at with that.
Yeah.
So the person that I'm interviewing today is Elizabeth Romeo found out of GOHA and GOHA is Good Health Africa. It's a faith based child centered organization or charitable organization that caters to the children and the community in Western Kenya. So the children and their families and how okay cool, yes, in Western Kenya. And so the foundation is based primarily on the pillar of education. So the school, Donald Romeo Community School is named after Elizabeth's husband and my late husband.
But it's so much bigger than that, grown so much bigger than that. It now offers food and clean water and pall trees and clothing and medical supplies and especially spiritual support to the community. And that's all through mainly child charitable or through people supporting the ministry. So it's very much pinned on that. And at the end of the conversation, I'd just like to make an appeal on
their behalf. Sitting with Elizabeth is her daughter Sharon, Ronio Fidel Demurray and they're going to be talking about Good Health Africa. How it was buff I think I ended up having an hour long conversation or more, and we just got into it talking very comfortably because she's a
family friend and we've known each other three years. But I just am in all all of what she has done, and I maybe have to raise some funds on my own to get there, but one day I would love to go and see this ministry, to be there, to volunteer there, because what she's done is nothing short of amazing. Now, can I first start by asking you both to give a brief introduction. I mentioned that monstrat was where we first heard about Good Health Africa, and that speaks about
heritage there. You both man fashions, and tell me a little bit more about where you're from and a little bit about yourself. Let's start with sister Omia Well.
I was born in Salem, Montserrat. I attended Salem Primary School and I also started as a teacher at the age of fifteen, Wow, teaching at Salem School. And after that I went to Teacher's College and to this day still an educator, I should say. And after the volcanic crisis came to England and because I have a disease, and that disease is that I'm addicted to education. Started teaching here, then heard of what was going on in Kenya and decided that and go ahead with the children.
And yeah, I'm still continuing.
Yes, and looking so youthful, my adam. I mean, our listeners will not be able to see you, but I know that God is blessing you. We can tell, we can tell, bless you, bless you and Sharon you you are part of the project. This is your mom Missus Romeo, and I know that you're invested as well. Tell us a little bit about you and you're sort of you're making your way into the project as you became more involved.
Oh okay, Well, when mommy came to England after everybody had to leave Montrage in the towards the end of the nineteenth centuris age, she came in thatteen ninety six, and of course we stayed in contact and bit by bit as she started exploring the idea of doing this project in Kenya, she know she talked to us and so on. I knew that at the very beginning when it came to making the first expenditures, on the building and so on that we all agreed among her children
to contribute a certain amount of money. We had received some.
Money from losses that we'd had through the volcano, and we decided to give a certain percentage of it with her concretely worth with her project.
And then in two thousand and four, my daughter, who was just then turning thirteen at the time, my sister Valerie, and I went along with money because that was the summer after the school had been dedicated. It was dedicated on the third of August two thousand and three, which happened to be the birthday of my dad, for whom the school was named. So the following year, since I was a teacher at the time, in the summer holidays, we went there and that really brought it a life
for me. I think had I not gone, there are lots of things that I wouldn't have grasped in a way. So we spent roughly a month there getting to know the people, the place, getting a feel for the culture and so on. And then after that it's been support, practical support, some financial support, and I have been for the past I forget how many years now, trustee, along with the sister film the Gauge, who has been absolutely
wonderful in world. She brings a kind of sharp mind and I along with the great compassion to what she does. We also have been fortunate to have John Elder Dublin, Christian friend, former student of my mother's, who is the person handling administration and finance for the project, without whom we could not manage. Another superb person helping. So and then there's Mummy who was the director.
Yes, so I've just picked a little bit of what you've said that you are an educator as well and you started is that your career to your teacher or it's a sort of fallen in Mummy's footsteps, because I feel a little bit like that.
I resist, But at the end of the day, yeah, I think my career has been interesting in the sense I started off with Spanish Spanish as my first live Spanish literature and that's what I did my PhD. And I did it in Cuban nineteenth Central Cuban literature. Now and started off teaching at University of London and thought I would just continue as a university teacher lecturer.
But then in ninety three.
I went, well, my family went to Montserrat to spend initially a year. The idea was to help a bit of the family business, which it needed a bit of backup at the time, and for my daughter, who was then too to get to know that site of her
culture was perhaps I need to say. I met my husband who's friend when we were both students at University of London, and our daughter was born at the Royal Free in London, and so her experience of life to that point was London and English, so we thought it was good for her to get to know that the Monstert side too, And while we were there, we decided to extend for an extra year or two, and the volcano erupted in ninety five, which is two years after
we arrived, and that kind of upset the Apple card as far as plans are concerned, and so we eventually had to come back. My family anyway, my husband and my daughter and I relocated suit to be back to Europe and decided that we would settle in France rather than England. And so when I went to France, I applied to universities there, just thinking I would continue as I had done before university, teaching Spanish.
But the Lord blocked those and how you've put that a series of.
So called coincidences and to go into it ended up with me being asked to teaching English at the Adventist High School there on the university campus in College over the Swiss border. And it was only after I signed on the dotted with them that I heard back from the university. Look at that it was great, clear to me where God's plan to go. And I worked there for twenty three years, I think, until I retired three years ago.
So teaching, educating, it's in your blood and part of the process. And you've mentioned that Good Health Africa has an element and I know it's much more than a school, but it has an element of education, and that's I think where Good Health Africa was birthed. You mentioned two thousand and three as our date.
That's when THEO was dedicated.
Right now, Sister Romeo let me because we've touched on it offline and I want to bring that to our listeners. How did Good Health Africa come about? You are an educator in the Caribbean. Now, if I'm sure, if someone asked you when you started at age fifteen, whether you'd have a school in Kenya. I'm certain you would not have said yes, you know, that may not have been
on your radar at all. Tell me how then, was good health Africa birthed, and perhaps Sharon, you want to call or come on up after and explain to me and the listeners what good health Africa actually encompasses.
Right well, I must say to you that I graduated and still attended ahs.
IHS. That's the Institute of the Holy Spirit and I'm writing that down.
Yes, that's my college.
An email.
The institute took me at fifteen and through right now up until now, I'm still a student at the Institute.
I love it.
No, no, you know everything results are on the volcano. And after I came here, as I said, I'm addicted to teaching. I went into education here in classrooms here in England and at church when we had Education Day, somebody from the Kenyan Embassy spoke and said that at one point yet he went to school naked. He didn't have He was the only child in school naked because his father could not afford to send him to school. And so the dad has the choose education or close
and he chose education. Why he went to school naked as I sat in church and listened. I said, well, I wonder how many children in Kenya need an education so badly that they'd be reduced to what this brother is talking about. And so that that was the start. I sat in my seat and said, I'll try to do something. My children grown and what a view and
if I can help somebody else's child I read. That is all the thought came, and I started the Holy Spirit, the pread the institute is it the principal of the college, the Institute of the Holy Suit me the Institute of the Holy suit Our president kept me informed and put me in places where I had to be and put everything in place. So in the schools here in After I got my salary, I decided that God go to
Kenya and see what's going on there. And I went to Kenya, saw what was going on there, came back and decided, well, you know what, I used my salary as a teacher told the school wow, and that is I decided, well, this school we will follow the principles of Seventh Day Adventage education. Whatever you start in a Seventh Day Adventage school, that would be what our guidance. Ie, I'm I'm.
Answering, oh, yes, you are very much so.
Yeah, I'm so much involved in it in my spirits, you know that.
I'm sure you've told the story how many times as well. So the.
President of our college, the IHS, sent two people from Kenya. They had the Sabbath, we had lunch together and I said, well, if I found land, that I build a school in Kenya. And I thought it was joking. Now we were just chip chatting. In two weeks he sent me back and said he has found land. Come to view it, and everything was under the ahs. And I went saw the land. He had a lot of water on it and electricity
poles running through it. Everybody wondered, how come that this woman come from so far away and guard But the lord had it prepared for his workmen. So that is how we started, and through all kinds of ups and downs and in them out. In two thousand and three we decided to dedicate the building and what to call it was a problem what to name the school? And I said, well, my husband was a very generous person.
As well as he worked as a teacher, he also was a teacher, and I think I'll give him give the honor of saying down on the room and community to bring together everybody, all the children, I said, I hope I have so then I that's how I got there in Kenya.
Wonderful.
I've left out a lot of the stories.
But you know, and we will touch a little bit on it as we go along. I'm two thousand and three till now. There is a lot to tell and we won't be able to tell it even in the day. So we'll pull what we can and we'll share what we can. And I am just already so amazed that God and how he works and how you were willing, and he just decided he would put things in place, as you said, the Institute of the Holy Spirit, and
letting him. You know, when he gives I said that all the time, when he gives vision, there is provision, all right, And we trust him and we only have to make ourselves available. And when I listen to you, sister, I know you've left out a lot of the story, and a lot of it I'm sure would have been trials and tribulations and working through and and we'll touch a little bit about on that. But it started with a willingness, a willingness to give of yourself. You had
a little bit of background. You heard someone say there was a need, and you said, Lord, send me. And I just want our listeners to take that away as well, because that's all it takes initially, is that willingness, that willingness to be a part of something, to solve a problem and to be someone that will help in a time of need. And let God do the rest.
Since I want to tell you that teaching for me is a delight.
Right, it's not a burden.
Just tell me, get me in in school and give me all of their need and get on a minute, and you know, needs and whatever it is comes from the headquarters, from the Paulic spirit Ahs, and I get on with it and a lot open the understanding of the children. And I'm delighted and thank God that I'm able to help.
And still are you? Still are amen? Amen, Sharon? If I can pull you back in now and just give us a little bit of the essence of good health Africa. I know the Donald Romeo Academy is an element, perhaps the basis of the foundation for the project, but I know it also goes beyond the school. And you spoke offline about the need for free education which came online
when the school broke ground. But there are also other needs that you help to supply in terms of the community and the children who attend the school.
Okay say Good Health Africa is a British charity, an official charity which.
Has as its main aim.
To support d r CS the school, to raise funds to to support the school, and but also to provide leadership for my mother's vision of education, which I would summarize, summarize in in short, preparing children to love God, love and serve God, and love and serve others, kay, which means that it's not just about getting good diplomas and sending up you know, heads that are filled and hearts that are empty. It's it's supposed to be education holistic. Absolutely.
So it started off. It started off with Sister Romeo hearing what turns out to be an appeal a young man who's saying that there are people in Kenya, children in Kenya who are having to make a decision whether they go to school or eat go to school or they're clothed. And you responded to that appeal, responded to that need and broke ground. In two thousand and three school opened in January twenty two thousand and three. Well, the actually you broke ground before the building I.
Think started in two thousand and two and had to get some precise dates, but I think right it was dedicated in two thousand and three. Oh, my dad's birthday, third of August. And since the Kenyan school year starts in January, not in September like us, it was the following January that school started open two thousand and four.
Right, And we're talking about resistance, and you told me an interesting story that I want you to share with our listeners as well, because here comes this lady from Montserrat, and small island that very few people know about, more so now I think since the volcano. But it's a small island, and I'm sure many Kenyans would not have known where Monstrat was. You know, who is this lady who's come from wherever she's come from, deciding that she wants to do something good for our community, and it
was met with resistance some skepticism. Tell us a little bit about how that that sort of unfolded.
Well, I mean, forget about montad A lot of them didn't even know where the West Indies was there you go.
Okay.
So here comes this woman and it's interesting. Do they call your massongo money? Yes, Mozongo is the name for white people, right, but Mauzongo has come to me just foreign ers is honorary white.
Yeah, not Kenyan.
Here comes this Musu foreign woman who says she wants to help and is prepared to spend her money because I think a lot of people may not realize. Initially, when mommy came to England and she had the itch for education, she ended up teaching in some difficult inner city schools and the money that she earned from that
is what she used to start off the project. For the first years, there was very little contribution from other an her using her salary as an inner school part time school assistant and whatever else to get things going. Even comes this woman spending her money for in a country that's not her country, and in a country that's a culture that's quite tribal and its view of the world. Somebody from another tribe, another country. It seemed a little
suspicious about to some of them. So the rule went around that my mum was probably some sort of witch with Nefari's design.
Ulterior motives, and yes.
In the first six months, only one hundred children. One hundred three parents of one hundred children sent their children to the school to kind of test the waters. Eventually more came along, and now I think the role is the four hundred and thirty something. That's a big change.
Yeah, Yes, I like that story because it just shows how God works. It shows how God works and how he will call us to foreign lands perhaps, and the Bible of four stories like that. And I'm just amazed that Missus Romeo persisted because if yes, sometimes when you meet resistance, it's easy to just turn back or say, you know what, I'm trying to do something for you, and this is what you this is what you're saying, this is what you're doing, this is how you're undermining
what were come here to try to do. And it's just amazing that you have kept at it. Two thousand and three is a long long time ago. Perhaps it feels longer to use the steromeo, but to have kept the vision going up until now.
And I think, I mean, we sometimes laugh about it now, but I sometimes say to Mommy, had you known at the beginning that the huge culture gap and different assumptions and the problems of not to put too fine a pointed corruption and so on she would encounter she perhaps wouldn't have started. And it's as if the law just let her see and understand things bit by bit, and by the time she grasped something, she was already you know.
Fully invested. No turning back, no turning back about praise God while speaking about speaking of resistance and and so forth, Sister Romeo, what are some of the highlights for you? Because we know that there must be, must have been challenges, But what are some of the highlights for you? Why? Why have you stuck with it despite those challenges? What is your passion? And no teaching?
Is it?
And you you've spoken to to being able to teach, and that's really all there needs to be for you. But what are the rewards that keep you going in this project?
M hm, my dear sister. I love to teach. I give me a chal and say oh they can read, or whatever you want it just it's a love I have in my heart of sharing information. And I believe that the IHS would help me to have that the child or whoever I'm teaching, and so that God's Kingdom gets the glory.
Amen.
And first, have to take you back to naming. You about naming. My name is not beth Romeo anymore. My name is hassi Ela, hassi Ella. That's what the people WN call me, okay.
And what is there? Is there a meaning behind it or story behind it?
Is a kind of a dogesst darkness in the Bible. Right, it's amen as hassi Ella. I just whatever I do in Kenny is whatever did in Montserrat. I have changed my style of teaching and relating to people the same thing. I haven't done anything different. God put me there to help those who are destitute, those in need, and what have you. And so going to Kenya my eyes, I went to a park. First, I would say, one of
the outstanding things. I went to a park, and every time I went, I study old man under the tree. And well, I said, well, suppose he' not getting anything to eat. So I used to take some of my breakfast over to the park to give to this old man. Then I decided, you know what, I think he needs to change his clothes, and so I hired some people to take him to a river. You know how, all the things we got clothes ready, and one of you to give him a bath, and what a view and
whatter you? And one day I saw him eating banana skins out of a bin, and I said, Lord, have mercy. So that's why I started off to tear the food for him. And so they took him, and they came back to me and said, he will not open his hand. They can his hand to wash some of his hand, and he won't open his hands. And so they called me and one of you. And what they found out,
I'm leaving out a lot of the story. What they found out is that in the palm of his hand there was a large soap with saying monster and there and what had happened. But but oh well, they bade him a lot when he came. They brought him to me. He was not an honor. He just came from another tribe next water view and in a strange place in parts of Kenya at the time, I don't know if
any changes. If you have mental problems and the police get fed up with you on the street, they take you out in the woods someplace and let you out what happens. They don't care what happened to you or what of you. So he was brought from some far place.
He was.
Let go into town not knowing anybody or anything, and render bought so because that he had on when I saw him dirty were things he took up the side of the road, etcetera, etcetera. Anyway, so he came to me, bathe and washed and chained, got somebody to cut his hair, and what of you? And then I want to find out what gave him this show in his hand. He was born, they say, with his hand in a fist.
Born with a hand in a fist. And you know people they believe in which craft almost and so they send him to a witch doctor to see the which doctor could get him to open his hand. And the witch doctor they put on through some boiling water on the hand between the fingers, hoping that when the guy feels the pain and his fingers opened. And Bill, that was the beginning story. I had to get him housed and etcetera. The I lost connection with him, but I want to thank God that I was able to deal
with someone. I didn't start any teaching yet, I didn't put my eyes around to look to see those people who while were they able to help. And eventually got him into a school and he was doing very well.
Amen and I wanted to. I mean this highlights and Sharon you can you can back me up on this this high like how much more than a school this project is. And when we last spoke, Sister Romeo, you're saying that there is a a is it a garden or a farm? You know, you do part of feeding, there's a hospital element. There is much more to good
health Africa than justice school. And what you're saying there is for me a testament of that that you you bring children in and you help them, you clean them up, you you know, you take care of them and you educate them and it's a holistic approach that you take.
Yes, I think one of the things that's important to know is that, for instance, the children get two meals at school.
Right in the morning.
They get a sort of porridge type thing with milk from the cow. School cows, one of them was given by a lady and her husband in Monschat Clover and David Lee faithful supporters over the year, so that Clover and the milkmans to make porridge for the children. They have a solid vegetarian meal at lunch time and for many of those children, particularly in the hard time of the year, were they not getting two meals at school, they might just get one at home.
Sorry none.
I think things are a bit better.
Than they were when the school started, but it's still pretty tough for a lot of the children. And see, one of the things that the school has done is to create a school garden farm or chambas they call it, where they grow I think they grow three quarters of the maize that they consume. Maize is like the basis of their diet, and they make ugali, which is like a kind of pungy food type starch dish, and they
would have beans and so on with it. So the school grows most of the maze and a lot of the beans that they on said three quarters self sufficient in food now. But what's particular about it is and I see that as a part of the cultural impact of the school. This is a culture in which if you are someone of a diploma, like a teacher, get your hands dirty. So I remember when we went in two thousand and four, My sister.
And I started off a small, small, very small school garden and sort of happily digging and making beds and so on, and the teachers and others are kind of looking at us like we were weird because.
We remember Whisipers with the rich foreigners, we're in there getting all muddy and depth. That was just unthinkable for them. But now we have a school in which teachers and students go into the field to help with producing, hunting and so on and reaping the course, which is just
just totally unthinkable normally still is in the culture. I think another impact of the school is the fact that we try very hard and we're still making efforts to make it better and better to have a good accounting system, with transparent accounting, with receipts for everything. It might sound just ordinary to people here, well what else do you do accounting? But there it's there's such a culture of you know, help yourself when you can. For a lot
of people is not even seen as stealing. It's just you know what they do, you know how you get on. And so the fact that the school does not play paid ribes right, because there have been times, for instance, I think you waited for a long time for electricity because people were expecting what is called something small, so small is a euphemism for you know.
Something under the table, right exactly.
And there have been times and things have been held up because the school would not pay something small. But the very fact of doing that and functioning that way, I think mommy has had the faith to believe that it will have in the long term impact on both on the children, the people who worked there, and the wider community.
Yes, wonderful. I've just been looking online and doing a little bit of reset. And I mean the the accolades. You know, you have taught and people who have graduated. Students that have graduated from your school have turned out doctors and lawyers and physiotherapists and nurses, et cetera. So there is yes, So there is so much to be said about the education that is the foundation of this project.
But when you speak, you're also speaking about the long the rippling effects within the community and the impact that you're having within the community that goes beyond the education. And you're talking about setting principles and and showing the love of God. And you know that is long lasting. Yes, it's long lasting.
Lots of everyday ways in watch the school makes a difference. I remember one of the things that struck me most when we went in two thousand and four was how dirty the children were. Yeah, and I realized that well, they just like water. Yes, you have to go long distance to getting water, you're not going to waste it on washing your school blouse or so. The school has a spring which local people now have free access to, so you know, they have as much water as they
want free. This is a place where many people have to buy water. Right they're getting free water is very important.
And isn't that God that you have a land? I mean, Sister Romeo, you spoke about that in the very beginning, that this couple brought to you a land that was able to sustain this project in a way that you maybe didn't even envision when it first started. That you have water, you know, and you have you have the
facilities to farm. And I mean, sorry to interrupt, but that excites me because that sees that shows that God had the end in mind even at the very beginning and had a vision maybe beyond what you saw then what he had been introducing and putting and putting in place as you go along.
I've got you know, I'm going to try to answer something that I should have said before. And the our main textbook in the IHS is the Bible, and the Bible tells me as a teacher, the entrance of thy word gives light, as one of the sums I don't some hundred and eighteen a ward but forgotten now. He said, any time you use a word of God in your teaching,
something happens that human beings cannot understanding. And because we spend a lot of time teaching the children to repeat by from heart as we say the word of God, the children do very well on the government exams. And we also write exams with our Seventh Adventists partners there. And would you believe that we will be number one? I would believe in this Seventh Adventary School, and we
write exams with them. And when we write with the government, we be placed between one and five, sometimes number one sometimes and I understand and always say the entrance of Thy word gives light. And so we do a lot of trial. Best to do a lot with using the word of God a lot of problems. Sometimes teachers don't perhaps see the whole valuability is. And to try to convince the teachers and make make sure make sure that the world is spoken. We make sure that they know
the Ten Commandments. We make sure that they know certain signs and what they can repeat from memory, those sons, and I don't think sure, and mentioned it that the old ladies around and the older people around the school, we give them lunch, Yeah, you know, because the cooks and whatever the at the school have extra and the old ladies around only eat, perhaps eat at night when they gather up the few leaves of this and the
beans from this, and they eat at night. So when we give them lunch at midday, it does a lot for them, coming you know, from from the school. So God has been good and kept his word and.
Get his promise. Yes, well, let's let's talk as we wrap up this. I know I have kept you quite long as it is. Let us talk then about what you've hinted at it. And you've mentioned there are several people who you've named as we've gone along, who have given and contributed to the project over these years. How
can people get involved, How can people get involved? And what is the importance of contributing to a project like this, Because in all that you've said, you've only mentioned that the very unset that you used to give some of your your salary to the project.
I want to say, to use all of my salary, Why the head teacher of at school, the school that I attended, would say to me, would you stay back in the afternoon and give extra lessons to a said of children? And she paid me different for that. So that is what I took to go to the supermarket and all of you the extra money yes, and said, look how the lad works. And then this salary and the Lord sends in money to the side extra extra. I want to buy anything for myself, and at least
I love going to the charity shops. And I go to the charity shops and a lord provis I go in in those days. I don't know what happens now, but I still go to the charity shop. And now the principal of the college has my uniform in the already. I go in and the person with the charity in the charity shop, who said, oh I look at this, madam, what I'm doing? Something brand new? And I in those days, I will get it for two pounds or what of you? And you know, I give God and Pa he backs me up.
There is value in that. And you can say it again the charity shops there is I mean, I don't know how it is now as compared to them. But there is some value in shopping there for sure.
For sure.
Some really good bargains a lot.
Yeah, something new there from me, ran New.
I have a pastor friend who always speaks about that that you know, he gets his suits, really good suits. He will get them at the charity shop and none the wiser. You will see him on the pulpit and you would not know the difference. But I mean, you're speaking of giving of your salary to this project, and I know even then it must have taken more than that to get the project to the place that you've
wanted it to be. And we are we are here, and I'm wanting to speak to our listeners about how they could get involved, how could they contribute and what what are you looking for your funds to work towards at this point? But where would you like to see the project go in the future. So tell me a
little bit about that. And when we spoke initially, you know, when we were talking about an interview and presenting this to our listeners, you spoke of gifted as well as an element that persons can use to give to good health Africa. So tell me a little bit about that. How do you let your supporters know or persons know how they can support the project.
Mummy, whenever she gets a chance in local churches, she will, you know, talk about the project. Unfortunately she doesn't often have a chance to do it. But there have been a few Pentecostal and other churches been very faithful.
Maybe you could name the ones that have been helping you. You know a few. There are individuals within church do give help and the result for presently we are have we are a church, the school is a church official so on five days a week we are.
School mm hmm.
And on six days a week, over five days, six days a week, on the seventh day Sabbath, we have church. We have a chaplain, we have what the children shan help me there. I think five days a week it's it's normal school. On Sabbath there's church and there's an official church there. Now don't really community school and.
The community then gets to support.
Yes, and the as pathfinders on Sunday. But I think for me the question was more about where do you get financial support for gook Sister Ruthn's church.
I mean you can name those ur just they don't under car named.
You don't want to you don't want to leave anyone out.
You know, and I know you're going to edit this out. So I think as I'm seeing it now, Mammy has had very little support from Adventist church is, but she has had some a few particular places with monstrat like a Pentecostal church in London. I don't think there's any harm and you're not going to say such and such church hasn't helped. There have been some groups like them who for years have given us every month. I think they should be recognized to mention the ones who haven't.
Sister and we have whether Roger Wee in h Acton Church s the church to give help the other church is.
Individuals right and how can how can they or how can we? How can we give towards the cars? So if someone's listening now and they want to give towards Goha, how can they do that?
Well, there's there's a site, well, Good Health Africa site where you could there's a website that you do too, and there's a bit for how you can donate. Okay, I don't know whether leaving account details would help, you know, for people to pay directly into barcles, I'm not sure how wise or whether that that would be.
So what what I think we can do there then is if any one wants to give towards the project, they can contact the station. I will provide details, and we usually do at the end of the program. So I'll provide details for persons to contact the station and request that information, and we can provide bank details for anyone who wants to give directly into a bank account, and then talk to me a little bit about the good the gift aid aspects.
So if okay, So gift aid is something that we're working on at the moment so that people who you know the way it functions that they you know, they get recognition it from the from the tax man. If you give, they give to go have. But that's not yet completed down within the next few days, I think, all right, And I think a lot of One of the things that I've noticed is that a lot of people tend to assume that you have to give large amounts. Oh, I can only give five pounds, so you know, it's
not a lot. I'm the one faithful person who has set up a standing order to give five pounds a month.
Yes, and those are the and those are the contributions that you can depend on, isn't it so you can budget around, isn't it? Those are regular contributions. Beat five pounds, beat ten pounds, whatever it is. It helps you to budget because you know those are going to be coming in. Basically, as you've said.
I mean, five pounds a month doesn't sound like a lot, but at the end of the year that sixty pounds.
And everybody does that. If one hundred people give five pounds a month for instance.
Exactly, and afore teachers are paid around seventy seventy five pounds a month, right, So imagine if a group of friends put together, or you know, just ten individuals giving the five pounds, you know what I mean, they could be paying a teacher's salary.
Gallery.
One huge need at the moment is for a school bus.
Yeah, there was.
A school bus that was bought a couple of years because some of the children come from quite far away and without the bus they wouldn't be able to make it to school. However, we were forced to buy a second hand bus, which has ended up being like a huge drain. It keeps breaking down and this so we're looking into the possibility of getting a new bus, which would cost about thirty pounds, which doesn't sound like a lot here, but there is five million Kenyan chillings okay, so.
I would disagree. I think that sounds like a lot.
It sounds like a lot pounds. I mean a few people who gave a couple of hundred each. It would quickly mount up to at least the deposit for the bus. If we could at least get like half of it, like fifteen to deposit with a company that sells buses, then afterwards we could work out the monthly payment and so on.
But we need to have.
At least half of the initial cost. Bear in mind that the bus goes for transporting children in the week but at the weekends it's used for outreach. So we know that there's there's a church already established at the school, but there's another company that was started by an employee of the school, which is quite lively and going. There's also a prison ministry and the soap ministry, which sounds a bit odd, but it goes like this that the prison, the conditions are pretty awful and a lot of people
that don't have soap to wash. So the school, there's a pastor who goes in on behalf of the school with a little team and they distribute soup to the prisoners, including female prisoners with children and babies.
So this is all done on the back of contributions mainly.
To absolutely absolutely it's through the school. Now, one project I personally have in mind and trying to see I started off and then COVID came in a whole sort of different things got in the.
Way is to have a kind of bag bag that would be.
Would contain soup, basic toilet trees, and a couple of T shirts for the prisoners. Because when my sister went there last year with mummy, she was quite shot shocked by the state of the clothes of a lot of the prisoners. It's very tattered and so on. Imagine that you could give her a couple of T shirts and a couple of shorts to each each prisoner. Now, let me just be very clear about this. A lot of people when they hear that, think, oh, I can buy
a lot of T shirts and send them there. But first, the cost of a T shirt here will probably buy three or four there at the very least.
And that was my next question actually, so yes, there's.
The cost of sending it. Three, there's negotiating when it arrives in customs at the other end, and there's all kinds of well unmentionable things that will not where it can things disappear and you have to you know, you have to pay this and that the other so. And then there's the last.
Thing, which I think is very important, that if you buy things locally, you're helping the local economy. And so the idea will be to buy fabric locally, have the bags made locally, and get everything local to put in those bags for each prisoner to have. I do it every few months what they need.
I mean, I'm tempted to ask you to repeat that because that's so crucial, but yes, I am. I agree. It's it's much better I thing, and people do think, Okay, I've got stuff that I'm giving away or whatever the case might be, or throwing away, et cetera. And I remember mentioning that to Sister Romeo, and she said, you know, it's better to get the funds.
Concise manner.
Do you want me to.
Go with that more?
No, no, I won't ask you to because this is
No?
going to be recorded and people can re listen but I think that's such a crucial point because people may think it's easier for me to maybe I've got a shirt lying about that you know I'm not using and I want to give it to the project. But I remember mentioning that to Sister Romeo before and she said, you know what, people think like that, but it doesn't
necessarily work out like that. And you've highlighted the reasons why giving funds usual works out better because one, you can invest into the community there, and there's other unmentionables concerning sending things across. So yes, it's better to give funds into your hands so that you can navigate more wisely.
And I said earlier.
As I said earlier, we really make an enormous effort to make sure that funds are handled properly, that they will received for everything and so on, so that everything is transparent. Because we consider that people try and trust their money right to OPA and that we're accountable to them. That will be done properly.
Absolutely, I like that wrapping up, as I said, you've mentioned how persons can get involved, and there's a reminder if you want to give to Good Health Africa, I will be sharing the details at the end of the program of how you can get in touch with the station and get the details that you need to give that way. Also, I can give information regarding websites so that you can and go directly to the website and contribute in that fashion. Projects that are on the horizon.
You're looking for a bus and we're hoping to raise the funds to be able to purchase one that is fairly new as opposed to one that is secondhand and may have longer term implications of that in terms of breaking down, etc. So something fairly new or new, and that of course comes at a cost, So we're hoping
that persons will respond to that appeal. Is there anything else looking ahead, sister romeiare looking ahead, Sharon, that you in a vision for the project, that you're looking for contribution towards beyond sustaining the project, And maybe another day we can talk about what sustaining the project sounds like and costs, because you're talking about teachers being paid, say sixty seventy pounds a month, and how many teachers then do you pay and the cost of running and up
care keeping the building, and I'm sure that that must spiral in a month to month basis, and so therefore for us to sustain the project, it needs the contributions of people who see the project as being useful, contribution from the community there in Kenya and the community here and across the globe that see the project and the value that the project brings to its community. And so we are asking people to be very prayerful. You've spoken about the Institute of the Holy Spirit. There are lots
of projects that persons can can give to. There are lots of good causes. But I think we've got to be spiritually guided as to what we give to. And I know that God will give us a blessing for our contributions and our giving to projects like this. Is there anything that's on the horizon for Good Health Africa that you don't want to share with our listeners, thing that you'd like to accomplish, or is it just a matter of keeping the project going?
So I knew my mean.
The name Good Health Africa says something because part of her original vision. I mean, what did you originally envision for the.
School that we would use education as a springboard for evangelism? Do you want people to learn of Jesus Christ? I mean Easter has gone and everybody's talking about everywhere is the Cross and Jesus. We want them to help the children and the community to know about Jesus Christ. That is what the project is all about, helping, worshiping our creator and helping others. And according to the spirit of Prophecy that one of the things that helps any new
project is dealing in help. We need need a clinic. Indeed, the first time we had a clinic there, we had ninety seven people from the community coming in to the doctor. Before that pay was exhausted at the end of the day, and what happened we had to pay x amount every time he came at least for his gas and things. That eventually money ran shots, so we couldn't continue with the project. But health is y very very important, and we also tried out with the van to get the
projects extended into the community. To look at jiggers. A lot of people don't realize how detrimental hell that jiggers. Jiggers, that's something I have on my hat. Jiggers.
It's a parasite and lays its eggs in people's wherever it touches the ground, for instance, and so It's very common in people's feet because if you're walking without shoes. But some people they may get it on their eyes or their faces. They lie on the ground, they don't have a proper mattress and their face touches the ground and it really it kind of literally explodes in your skin. And I cannot bear to watch the images. And it was strong enough to watch the images. You look it
up on Google. You look at jigger is just absolutely horrendous, and so people end up limping what they can't walk properly. Their eye they might lose their sight. It's just disgusting.
Quite from what you're saying. It's it's and I won't I don't want to use the word easy guess that's the right term. But it's an easy enough fix.
If relatively, if you have the means and the clinic and right to help people.
So use we use the van to start off with that, but as money is run out and whatever, you we aren't able to continue. But this jiggers visits is worse than malaria. People are malaria, but jiggers girls lose and nippolo on their breasts because most of them don't have beds to lie onigers in the ground. I mean to say, young men have their pin is damaged and all that. It's terrible. So if we can get help with our health program, and you know, the van goes out and help.
We have to pay the doctors, et cetera.
Yes, we have, and we have children at our school have lost doors because you guys like to go between the doors. That's all than a lot of it. So we really need.
You want to establish the health element of the of the school.
Oh yes, and dentistry we.
Need to you know, well that's a crisis here as well, isn't it.
Yes, So so that's that's more long term.
In the more immediate future, we really need to have a more hygienic kitchen. They're doing wonders cooking in the present conditions for four hundred and thirty seven children. But you imagine that you need a good, big and industrial give the state of the art, you know, just just hygienic with you know, proper child flows and that kind of thing. And so that's one thing that we're that people will contribute towards.
Yeah, and another thing we have to look consider is the women in prison with their children, you committing events you're sent to jail five year three or whatever it is, the children are sent to jail with you with and the conditions in the prison and not any of the best for mother and for children and whatever. You can imagine a problems that with that.
There's also another thing that I'm just kind of mentioning things that we've talked about and have been trying to research, and that is having kind of menstrual support for young girls, the older of the children in the elementary school because for a lot of girls, they don't have proper menstrual protection right, and some of them miss school because of that.
That's thing that if we were able to we need to do some more research into the how and what, because you have to be very careful when you interview intervene in another culture, how you do it with something sensitively. It's right to do it right and to intervene in a way that will be most helpful. So we're looking into that. But perhaps if there's a listener who has some expertise in that area, who has suggestions and new funding, what would help towards that.
And I just ask you to share with our listeners and we can reiterate this or repeat this at the end of our program once this goes live to share with our listeners, buts an email address or a website, the exact website that they can go to to be able to contact you or to contact the project and either leverage their support in whatever way that they can, because we've been talking about tangible or sort of financial support. But I appreciate that there are other ways that people
can get involved. So if anyone is willing, how can they get in touch with you? So get that information for me. I can certainly share it at the end of the program how people can get in touch with you or get in touch with Good Health Africa if they want to be more involved, or there are, as you said, areas of expertise that they were willing to to share with you in any of these matters that you've just raised. I'm always in awe when I speak to you, Sister Romeo, I'm always in awe. I think
you're a mighty woman of God. I think that your heart is huge, huge, I don't even know. I don't even know how to say thank you on behalf of all who you have touched and all who you have inspired. And you know the work that you're doing and continuing to do is amazing. And you've got the support of your wonderful children. You must be so so proud as a mom, you know, and the children that you have birth and the children that you have raised all across Kenya.
I can only imagine not and only at the end of time, you know, will you actually understand the depth and the ripples of your impact here. Only eternity will tell.
Well, I as I say, I depend on my tutor of Ahs. Whatever I do, I learned from the Ahs. So I dive the ihs, praise and glory, Peace, Oh God. Jesus said when he went back that you sent back in spirit, and it is really said teach, So I know I'm in the right college. Yeah. He teaches me how to teach and what to do and who hold
one of you. There's so much, there's so much to say, and there is so much need that I hope people would understand that I said in the beginning, we are there to introduce people, children and adults, one of you to Jesus Christ. That is the bottom line. A lot of teachers have been baptized. Teachers at the school have been baptized, nor more parents have been baptized. There's a college,
there's a university. Mayors and the seventh year Adventist students usually come over on a Sabbath and then enjoy the sabbath with us, and we have a very strong path find a club when they go to come, you know, they always make an impact there. So we are current for the gospel and we are holding up the principles of Seventh Day Adventage education. God Firse and his son Jesus Christ, reading the Bible and obeying and following God's ten commandments. No child is to lead that school and
not know the ten commanders. It has to be taught in the class and all the children are able to repeat the ten commandments. So we have the Bible as our guide for Seventh Day Adventage education. Health is important and we have tried moving with that. Agriculture is important, and I read sometimes that I had the machinery to the technical things. Look at all the children out in
the fields when they're starting to plant, they maze. I feel of three hundred children plus the teachers are on the illers and really lapsed with maze in it and everybody planting.
But that is what time of year is that? What time of year do you plant it's a pic time or do.
You remember the seasons? You'll have to look into.
The I would love to be present.
I'm just tying to what time of year it is that that rep is that. That's just one of those areas where you really see that there's still a little bit of friction in that. There are some parents who say, because now some of the parents pay, okay, the children to come, why shouldn't we paying for our children to go in the field and get dirty. They still have this idea that privilege means that you don't have to
do it. And so that's an ongoing mission for the school for children to stop associating agriculture with the authority. So that's a cultural challenge.
Which yes, and there's of course nothing wrong with that. That's that's an element to to to it, isn't it? So why not? Why not?
So I'm going on with someday a philosophy of same day advant education. Knowing the language well in which of a country are so we have to put emphasis on teaching English because that is answer really gods that the two languages, English is number one. They learn the language well, for evangelism, you have to tell people what Jesus Christ.
It depends on what. If you're talking to the premier or somebody like that, you are to be able to speak sense and your grandma to be right if you have to be talking to such and such a personal So we put emphasis and the English language then accounting. You can work for five hundred shillings and spend six hundred there.
Music will struggle with that.
The music ministry. The ministry that thing when we sing the Sounds of Zion and the children Learne gave me the Bible. Everybody sings that at some point.
But the important part of the music ministry, find me just add is that when there are local funerals or other events, the school choir is expected and is going to participate. That's another way in which they're integrated in the local community community.
Yes, amazing, amazing.
So we're going forward and Jesus Word of Blood is going forward. We have prisoners who have accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and master. They come up to prison and they come up to the school and we tried to give them a job with their day job. Two days or what a deal.
And so do you have a lot of volunteers on the project. You have people who come and just give back, students who have graduated and since moved on come back. You get a lot of fun volunteers.
Well, we don't have many volunteers. Most people. Kenny has more teachers than they would handle. And you have to have a teacher certificate to teach, and you cannot. You don't get a job until you're out of college for about three years or whole years. As soon as you come out of college, if you're lucky, you get a job right away. But there are some people come out of college and for three years waiting I mean getting
an interview so that they could get a job. But I think also the question of volunteering.
Is not such a part of the culture, partly because largely I think because a lot of people are just surviving. You have to spend your time, you know, just just just surviving and and and so you have to be pretty well off.
To be able to give you give your time free.
So at the go end we work as volunteers. But at that end, for the moment, it doesn't seem to be the case. I think for some of those who become doctors and whatever else who are former students. That is something that we need to cultivate a kind of alumni.
Come back.
Yes, it's not there yet.
I have to add that one young man who joined the school in two thousand and three, one of the first judents. He is now the deputy head of.
The school amen, and he joined the school unable to read. He was, oh, yes.
What's this young man's name? Read? Mind if we say.
It, it's Joseph.
To his name, Joseph.
Do you imagine somebody who comes to the school at age twelve and cannot read, but is so enthusiastic that he accepts to go into the baby class as they call it, with the five class and work his way forward and by the time, within the number of months, he was reading. And can imagine that now twenty years later he's a deputy.
And that's the beauty of the school, isn't it that you've brought people. You bring children who may not have the resources, but they're able, more than able, more than capable, but just need the opportunity.
But I think there's more than ability and capability. One of the things that struck me and added to my frustration as a teacher in a rich country is enthusiasm for the children, children or study. So at the end of the day, waiting for the school boss, what do you see them doing sitting around on the on the grass on the lawn, quizzing each other for their lessons and you know, and they want to learn, whereas if they thought that they were doing me a favor. Sorry,
I must take this call. It's regarding the bus the company.
Sorry problem.
The meal has gone so I'm.
Yes, she had. I don't know how long she'll be. But let's let's wrap up, if we don't mind going to wrap up with a prayer and how to reach program has been doing very well.
Very ever we go, Lord bless us. We always are standard out front you God has blessed, Yes we are. Oh. One set of people that I didn't think the retired nuns at the hospital there in Hiaga. They accommodate me when I go a place to stay in their places. They have places reserved for doctors from Sweden and all about. And I have an apartment. They give me one of the apartments and treat me very nice. They couldn't do well as well enough, those nuns, weren't they? They do everything.
Everything had to help me to get the program going. And so I had to. If I mentioned help, I must mention those those nouns. They do everything that is possible to make sure that the problem runs so much about God and physically et cetera. And so God, God is blessed and brought in people from different areas to.
Help and to sustain the project, because you couldn't do it alone, Romeo, you couldn't.
Used to give God the praise. We had everything in place, yes, you know, if we have about fifteen acres of land that is where we have banana orchards and things that are Sometimes you have bunches of bananas that the children who get everybody gets one banana. Yeah, have to fill them up for the day.
Yeah, Oh, praise God.
People.
The water we are bounded by two rivers. One river is comes from a little hill where they pushed a three inch pipe into the hill. Yeah. Yeah, they push a three inch pipe into the hill and water just start to go glow. And people come there to wash, to bath and all.
Other free of charge.
Yeah. Oh yes. And the water there is better than the water from the other river that is on the other side of the of the of our property. Why that river has people living along the edge, so people don't like to drink that water. The other water and all the co from the range pipe up in the hill. You know, everybody comes, they'll get water to keep, especially for drinking. And then the roof of our school is
so large. We lose millions of gallons of water from the roof, which we could very well use in all gardens in India. But we don't have enough money to get the garden going.
The structure, the structure to store.
The reservoir to store the water from the roof. We tried, but we don't have the money to keep up. But the president of the college has his eyes on what his students.
Man.
I saw that, I'm going to use that. I tell you, I love it. And Romie, I look forward to seeing you. We will come my mom. I mean, I know she would love to see you, and I need to see her both educated, passionate about teaching and educating, and I know she would love to see you. And I'm looking forward to actually seeing you in person. But let us pray. I'm not sure how long Sharon will be, so let us pray close out the conversation and then we will
talk offline and about maybe our meeting up. Okay, okay, Dear heavenly Father, we thank you, We honor you, we praise you, for you alone are worthy. We thank you for life, We thank you for health, we thank you for strength, and we thank you for safe travels. Both sister Romeo and Sharon have traveled recently and you've brought them safely to their destination, and we thank you and they perhaps we'll be traveling again soon, and we thank you for traveling mercies that you've extended to them over
the years. We thank you for the technology that has made it possible for us to meet virtually and for her to have this conversation about good health Africa. I ask Lord that you will bless those who have given and those who will give to this amazing project. Bless those who have been involved in whatever way. We've heard names.
We have heard several names of people who have contributed over the years, people who have given up their time and their resources, and I asked you to bless them abundantly. We also want to bless the children for whom this is all about, Lord, those who have benefited from the project's Lord, bless them those who are still in the midst of the project, those who have been who have graduated and moved on as doctors and lawyers, Lord, as teachers. Lord, you are in the midst, and I can see that
you are blessing this project abundantly. And Father, finally, I just asked you to be with the Romeos. What a sacrifice, What a sacrifice they have made, What a vision have given them, particularly sister Roma, who has led the charge. She was willing many many many years ago to go and you have been with her every step of the way. Thank you so much for what you're doing, and you continue to do. Great is and great will be their reward in Jesus' name. Amen.
And Okay, wow, that was an amazing Oh I love that, Sonya. That was a great interview. And yeah, really inspiring story. And yeah, she's doing something like she's doing a great work. I have to really commend her for, you know, the work that she has done. And I think you know, it's you know, for her perseverance as well, because it sounds like there was in a bit of initial skepticism about what she was doing and what the intentions of
the school was. But she's definitely with her work, you know, being really part of you know, change, making a big change in community, changing the sections about the work that she's trying to do, especially of agriculture, my new labor and I love how then she's just got the school involved in local activities and events to really integrating within the community and providing for a need. So yeah, that was a fantastic, fantastic cause and wonderful work that she's doing.
Any thoughts from your pedro.
And in the same thought process, I was just thinking, I commend her for starting off of her own money and progressing to where she is now and then just being transparent like she said, because I know one thing a lot of people always with charities now, especially in today's well, so many scams out there, being transparent about where the money's going because when people don't know where the money's going, to have business and not to give.
So I'm hoping that somebody that listened to this interview will be willing to give something to help them so they can better benefit the children and the families in West Africa. Wes Kenya. Sorry, yeah, yeah, that's pretty Yeah, that's for me.
That's it.
I just come in there for that, because I think it's not an easy thing to do, to start off like that, and you know, to help others and to do a lot with nothing sometimes, so I just come in there for that.
Absolutely. Yeah. That that leads me nicely, Pedro into I think what I want to conclude with. Like I said, she's an amazing woman. And as we said at the top, a lot of times we don't see the sacrifice and we don't see what it's taken in the background to build what's now sort of an empire or I mean now she serves. It started off with one one hundred children or less, and now she serves three hundreds really
four hundred children per term or per year. And I mean she started that, as you said, Pedro, from her own pocket, and now it's built up into something that is, I mean, I think, so much greater than she even thought it would be. But it just depends on who is willing to commit and to give and to support. And I'm just encouraging our listeners if you are able to then support this great ministry. She's provided me with bank details which I'll share with you now it's back
plays bag. The salt code is twenty twenty six forty six and the account number is two zero nine eight three four. For those of you who are just grabbing a pen or your phone, I'll say it again, it's back plays bag Salt code twenty twenty six forty six, account number two zero one nine nine eight three four. And of course if you've missed that, just contact us at the station. I'll be able to provide you with the details again. And also if you want to give internationally,
I can provide you with that as well. And certainly they are a Christian.
I'm sorry what comes when you put that in?
It should be I'm not sure myself, but I think it is good health Africa should come up. But if you want to be sure, then just check back in with us or there are contact details on the website. Look for that and make contact to be sure that you're giving to the right organization. As you said, Peder, it's so important to make sure that you're giving into good ground, and you're giving into a good cause and people are not abusing your funds and so forth and
so on. So if you really want to understand what they're doing before you do it, then you can get in touch with them. Their contact details are on their website, or I can provide you or we can provide you with that if you contact the station for more details. There are so many great causes out there, including Adventists radio alone, and I couldn't leave without plugging the station
as well. We depend on your support as well, So you know what if you are willing, you know if you want to give, God promises to give back so much more to you if you give to him, and I count it as giving to him. I count it as seed that you're planting, and you will reap the rewards. If not this side, certainly, our inheritance is sure. So definitely, definitely give whatever you can. If you can't be there physically,
my answer is to give tangibly. Also, just want to say once more thank you to all those who volunteer on a daily basis, who give of their time and their energies without real financial reward. My God bless you you. I think Matthew five sixteen. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven. Ultimately, that's what it's about, glorifying God. And just continue to let your light.
Shine, fantastic, fantastic and as Snya said, you know, if you do want to get in contact with us at the station, you can whatsappers on zero seven four five nine six four to eight time eight, or you can email us at on the studio at Adventist Radio dot London, or you can send us a text message to eight triple to eight write Hope Leader space and then your message.
It's been a fantastic time and time as the flown as always and you know, hopefully this story has been inspiring to you and you know, insviding you to make a start and make a difference. And as we're going on throughout the rest of the year, we'll be bringing other change makers and people who are making a difference and highlighting their stories. So we want to thank you
for tuning for Advantage Radio London. Do join us again next week and yeah, hope you have a story, get in contact with us, keep having those conversations, so we hope to see you. Help you tune in with us against.
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