A burning desire to improve the lives of people in Africa has led a North East group from underwear to cooking and heating.
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Mount Beauty Uniting Church, which oversaw the successful Knickers for Nairobi campaign earlier this year, has bought 10 charcoal stoves to be used in the Kibera slum, Nairobi.
Church member Graham Clutterbuck said the small stoves cost about $50 each and used half the fuel of traditional models.
“Just a safe, economical stove that they can use which would halve their fuel bills for cooking,” he said.
“To reduce the emissions in the little shacks I thought was really important too, keep them healthier. The gift of stoves is $50, it’s so little to us but they would never ever be able to afford that.
“We love the fact they’re made in Kenya as well, so the money, the profits stay in the country.”
Mount Beauty Uniting Church works through Melbourne-based charity Women For Women In Africa, focusing on donations of ongoing value.
Mr Clutterbuck said Knickers for Nairobi began about a year ago after Women For Women’s Marguerite Ryan came to speak at the church.
The campaign of donated underwear aimed to help women and girls living in poverty gain dignity and sanitary freedom.
People from the Border and North East, central Victoria and as far away as Newcastle supported the cause.
“It just went nuts,” Mr Clutterbuck said.
“Eight thousand knickers and I’m not sure how many thousand bras.”
The appeal struck a chord more than just giving impersonal donations of money.
“With the knickers, people could put a bit of themselves into it,” Mr Clutterbuck said.
“Choose the colour and choose the size and actually buy something in their hand.”
Mr Clutterbuck and his wife Julie had already been booked on an African trip and were able to officially hand over the gifts in Nairobi.
“That was just an amazing, difficult, heart wrenching, emotional visit but the kids are absolutely beautiful,” he said.
About 200 children turned up to see the visitors, who also met their church’s sponsor child Maxwell.
The Clutterbucks passed on a gift of $30US from another church member to Maxwell’s mother, who later sent a thank-you letter.
“She said it was the first dollars she had ever owned, so she bought materials for her tiny sewing and embroidery business,” Mr Clutterbuck said.
“And with the shillings left over, she bought a plate of chocolate cake to share with her family and neighbours.
“They’ve got nothing and they think of other people when they do get a bit of a windfall.”