South Africa Ministry Team News
News from The South Africa Ministry Team, a group of FCCB members and friends promoting awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and to respond through relationship-building, direct contributions and education.
Journey To South Africa
September 10, 2008
Annis Kukulan and Frederica Bunge depart for Johannesburg on September 10 as emissaries for the South Africa Ministry Team. There they plan to meet Queen Monamudi, for whom the ministry is providing youth leadership training, and to visit various projects linked to loveLife, the nationwide HIV/AIDS prevention program founded by David Harrison, M.D. Harrison and Pat de Jong became friends when David and his family attended services at First Congregational while he attended graduate school at UC Berkeley. Annis and Freddie will stay for four days with the Harrisons in Capetown and plan to attend services at Rondebosch Church. The visit will stress connection with South Africans working to stem the AIDS pandemic in an equal and two-way partnership for prevention and response.
Calaveras Concert to Benefit South Africa
June 15, 2008
Listen to samples of music from Calaveras’ new CD! “Green Girl” “I’ve Been Looking for You” “A City and a Life and a Girl” “In the Peace of My Love”
On Sunday, June 15, Calaveras, an award-winning New Folk trio featuring First Congregational members Greg Beattie and Victoria Crebbin Blythe will perform a benefit concert at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The proceeds of the concert, sponsored by First Congregational’s South Africa Ministry Team, will go toward HIV/AIDS education and eradication in South Africa.
Calaveras combines folk, jazz, blues, and country into an incredible mix that is both fresh and timeless. The group is about to release their new CD “Green Girl” and will feature this new music as well as past favorites in the concert. Beattie and Blythe are both singers and songwriters and they are joined by musician and vocalist Dave Decker. Hot Pick has this to say about Calaveras’ creativity: “An awesome mix of traditional folk and modern folk sounds. A combination of voices, original songs and acoustic intruments travelling one road to many places—folk, pop, blues and country. The common thread is songs with intelligent lyrics and heartfelt melodies. The three principal members of Calaveras sound as if they were put on this earth to make music together…Music this good deserves your attention.”
The South Africa Ministry Team promotes awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in South Africa. They were inspired by Dr. David Harrison, the executive director of loveLife, a widely-respected, nationwide HIV/AIDS prevention campaign founded and led by a South African physician, David Harrison, M.D. David is a close friend of First Congregational. The team has provided scholarship aid for a young South African woman, Queen Manamudi.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth 12-17 years old, free for children. Call FCCB at 510/848-3696 to reserve tickets. They will also be on sale at church on Sunday mornings.
Calaveras CDs will be on sale during intermission and Cody’s Books will be on hand to sell books about Africa. The Team will also have literature about the AIDS crisis in South Africa and about the work of the loveLife organization. Refreshments will be for sale.
Read Frederica Bunge’s “op ed” piece “Reining in South Africa’s HIV/AIDS Pandemic.” Freddie is a leaders of the South African Ministry Team. She describes the HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa and the vision behind this concert and the Team’s work.
Dr. David Harrison Visits First Congregational in December
December 2, 2007
The South Africa Ministry hosted David Harrison, M.D., South African physician and friend of the congregation, during a recent Bay Area visit. David participated in worship on Sunday, December 2, and was the featured speaker at a Second Hour presentation on the same day. He shared a video featuring Queen Monamudi (photo below), whose education is being supported by the South Africa Ministry Team, and gave us an update on AIDS issues in the country. Young people between ages 15 and 24 are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, and this situation is being addressed through education efforts, self-esteem building and education and training.
Several years ago David won the prestigious alumna reward from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley for his work in establishing and leading loveLife, a nationwide HIV/Aids prevention campaign in his native South Africa. While at UC Berkeley, he attended worship services at FCCB. Subsequently, at his invitation, Senior Minister Patricia de Jong and her husband Sam Keen journeyed to South Africa, and on their return shared unforgettable impressions of the adverse impact of poverty and disease on South African society. Not long after, persons wanting to respond to this issue formed an FCCB Ministry to South Africa, which as its first step has committed to provide leadership training for Queen Monamudi, a former loveLife volunteer.
The South Africa Ministry Team has been raising the funds necessary to fund Queen’s scholarship and invite other First Congregational members to contribute if they choose. To do so send a check made out to “FCCB” with a note saying “South Africa Ministry Team” and send it to the church or drop it in the offering plate on Sunday morning.
Tomasiello Shares South Africa Stories
September 16, 2007
Paul Tomasiello shared his stories and slides from his recent trip to South Africa during Second Hour on Sunday, September 16. On behalf of the South Africa Ministry Team, Paul presented a check for $2700 to Queen Monamudi (shown at the right), a college student and former “ground-BREAKER” at loveLife, a nationwide HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. While there, Paul journeyed to her family’s home an hour outside Johannesburg, visited her college, shared an African meal and attended a local church with her. We are excited about making this meaningful connection in another part of the world.