Pembury - Sais Mandi Pakistan: Community to Community
In 2010, St Peter's Pembury asked if the HOPE Pembury Churches Together team would join in raising money for the flood victims of Pakistan. The HOPE Pembury team's vision was for a 'twinning' with a village in Pakistan, for the whole village to be involved in providing second stage help after the emergency relief effort had finished. That vision has gradually come to fruition through contacts in Operation Mobilisation Pakistan (OM) and consequently, the HOPE Pembury churches have been linked with the village, Sais Mandi.
In April 2011, the OM Regional Coordinator for Sais Mandi, Imran Gill, visited Pembury and outlined projects that were greatly needed in Sais Mandi, including an adult literacy centre, computer training, sewing centre and child schooling with a target of £5000 for the adult projects and £36 per year sponsorship for each child to attend school.
The HOPE Pembury team believe this to be very achievable and hope that all the Pembury organisations, businesses and schools as well as the churches will be excited about joining together, community to community, to fundraise and provide these facilities to the people of Sais Mandi to not only provide a better quality of life since everything was washed away in the flood but also to provide ongoing work and education for the people of this devastated region.
HOPE Pembury Churches Together are holding several fundraising events to facilitate their vision for community to community relationship with Sais Mandi. They began with the launch of the year long appeal at an evening of Samosas and Wine on Saturday 12th November at 8pm at Pembury Baptist Church. There were speakers bringing information about the area, about Pakistan in general and the vision of the HOPE Pembury team as well as an exhibition, and information packs.
On Saturday 18th February 2012, there is a Masquerade Ball being held at Pembury Village Hall in aid of the Sais Mandi Appeal so please book your tickets now. At £15 per ticket for a live band, curry banquet and great fun, they are sure to fly out of the office. There is a licensed bar. All profits go to the Sais Mandi projects.
2012 is time for the biannual Pembury Village Fun Day, this year, a very special Queen's Jubilee event, on Saturday 2nd June being organised by HOPE Pembury Churches Together in association with Pembury Parish Council. There will be a fundraising tent at this event.
Further fundraising events will be announced but it is hoped that the whole village will catch the vision of the Sais Mandi appeal and join in fundraising for these projects as well as building ongoing relationships and links between Sais Mandi and Pembury.
