THE LI TIM-OI FOUNDATION

The Li Tim-Oi Foundation exists to carry on the ministry of the first Anglican Woman Priest by enabling women in the Two Thirds World to train for Christian work in their own countries

Bearing Fruit
The Work and Ministry of Alumnae of the LI TIM-OI Foundation in Kenya and Uganda

In May 2003 one of the Trustees visited East Africa to discover what life is like for some of the women who have received grants from the Li Tim-Oi Foundation. Christina Rees, an American writer and broadcaster living in England, travelled to Kenya and Uganda where nearly a hundred women are now working in both lay and ordained roles. Christina's travels took her to remote rural parishes, city cathedrals and a number of Anglican theological colleges. She accompanied women clergy on pastoral visits, attended outdoor services in villages and ran conferences for Li Tim-Oi alumnae in both Kenya and Uganda. She was overwhelmed by the dedication, courage and effectiveness of the women she met.

Ruth Wakanene

Ruth is a priest working in St Peter's Cathedral in Nyeri, in the diocese of Mount Kenya West. Ruth's bishop, the Right Reverend Alfred Chipman, considers Ruth to be one of the best preachers in the diocese, with a real gift of evangelism. In the year that Ruth has been on the staff of the cathedral, congregations have increased and many people have committed their lives to Christ. Bishop Alfred says: 'Ruth is a natural evangelist and when she preaches people respond to the Gospel.' He is grateful to the Li Tim-Oi Foundation: 'We've been able to put people into theological training that we wouldn't have been able to do without the Foundation's support'. Ruth's vision is to find better ways of communicating the word of God, to teach people ways of generating more income and to fight HIV/AIDS. To fulfil her vision she needs teaching materials, medicine and transportation.

Sarah Nambuya
Sarah is a development worker in Mbale Diocese in Uganda. She runs programs for street children, aiming to get them off the streets, living with a family and back into education. As a result of HIV/AIDS, 65% of the population of Uganda is now under 16. Many of these children are orphans, or their only parent is unable to care for them. A large number of these children are themselves HIV positive and have no access to medication. Sarah shows the love of Christ in action as she works to give these children a future and a hope.

Penninah Kamau

Penninah is a young, single priest in a parish that spans twenty miles in the Rift Valley, Kenya. She gets around to her eight congregations by foot or bus, sometimes walking up to five or six hours a day. Like Ruth Wakanene, she wants to help her parishioners to create ways of earning a living and to show them how to live a Christian lifestyle - a particularly daunting challenge in a culture that looks down on women, youth and singleness.

Dorcas Nyorsok

Dorcas is a social worker working with seven churches in Kitale Diocese in Kenya, facing the challenge of being an educated woman in a culture that finds it hard to accept women's leadership. She is working to help people to stop traditional practices that are detrimental and demeaning to women, such as female genital mutilation and certain cleansing rituals.

Hard Facts
Women in both Kenya and Uganda identified the four main issues facing the people with whom they worked and lived as poverty, HIV/AIDS, ignorance and illiteracy. Other issues included deeply entrenched discrimination and violence against women, and many traditional practices such as polygamy, female genital circumcision, visiting witchdoctors and rituals involving human sacrifice.

Salt and Light
Li Tim-Oi alumnae are living as salt and light, ministering to their own people with love and understanding.

Following her trip, Christina Rees comments:
'' I am completely in awe of these amazing women. Not only have they fought against the odds to work for their degrees, they are so articulate and aware of the challenges they face. They show an immense commitment and dedication in all they do. It is clear to me they are making a huge difference in the lives of the people around them. ''
Now download her full report on her inspiring visit