MMM eNewsletter
MMM Communications, Rosemount, Booterstown, Co. Dublin, IRELAND.
Mission Development 4425 W 63rd St., Ste 100 Chicago, IL 60629-5530
| All for the price of a Goat |
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The radio telephone was not at all clear, but the voice was trying to explain that one of the containers en route from the port of Tanga had overturned some 15 km from Loolera. Could they have permission for the Maasai warriors to open and empty the container, put it back on the truck and then reload it? And would MMM agree to pay for a goat! Sister Genevieve remembers the day: I had no choice my answer was Yes...Over . She put the microphone back on its hook, wondering what the goat had to do with it and what the next difficulty would be. This was May of 1984.The previous August she had gone to Holland to submit the new Primary Health Care project to the funding agency, CEBEMO. Then her uncle drove her to Dokkum in Frieseland where she ordered the prefab housing. Are you certain this can be assembled in 28 days? she asked insistently. She was hoping the engineer would say yes. Two English volunteers at the AMREF workshop at Dareda in Tanzania had offered to devote the 28 days of their holidays to assembling the building that would house the new Health Centre, and build a three- roomed house and carport for the MMM community. The Dutch engineer was very reassuring. Yes, it could be done in that time. He promised to have the house very carefully packed in two containers and sent by sea to Tanga. It was a great relief when the next call on the radio-tel gave the news that the contents of the overturned container had been undamaged,a nd all was now ready for construction at Loolera. But as the work took two days, not one, the cost would be the price of two goats, which made a meal for the warriors each evening.
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