What I want to bring with me ? Memories of Happy African people and the urge to go again- Michael Attard

Africa is closer to home than we want to think ! 

At a latitude of 35°53′N 14°30′E our Island lies within the Northern tip of Africa putting us geographically  part of this continent. 

Our language originates from this continent. 

The "Out of Africa" theory, is widely accepted describing the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans. 

We now accept African people in our country and live side by side.

Africa is closer to home than we want to think ! 

Its’ mention flashes thoughts of famous discoverers, wild animals, jungles, deserts, forests, famine and Maltese Missionaries. 

Michael Attard

One of my friends travels to Kenya every year for six weeks and I somehow live the build up to his annual trip helping were I can. 

This year, my wife and I celebrate 30 years of marriage and we thought a long haul trip to the United States would make an ideal holiday. However, when Fr.Colin came to my office and asked me to join his planned mission, I suggested that if he asked my wife and she accepted I will surely follow.

Our change of plans also sees my daughter Deborah joining in, leaving our two boys at home.

My mission in Embu is to set up a water purification water plant which we are setting up with the help of Ing.Marco Cremona, Ray Grech with equipment donated by Sustech Consulting, IMA Engineering Services, FM Enviromental, Zahra Enterprises and Ray Air. This will provide safe drinking water to about 600 people in this area and to the schools and seminary.

We will be installing four RO units in different schools kindly donated by Prominent(Malta)Ltd.

To be able to help people in rural areas we will  install water desalination units which will be used to evaporate stored water and collect the condensate as pure water. 

This project stems from research funded by the Malta Council of Science and Technology with the University of Malta ( namely , the researchers Ing.Paul Refalo, Dr.Ing.Stephen Abela and Prof.Ing. Robert Ghirlando, Water Services Corporation and Solar Desalination Technik. 

Further collaboration with the Catholic University of eastern Africa (CUEA) will be sought to collect data and develop this project further. We are currently building this unit with the help of Charlot Xuereb, Walter Camilleri and Tony Sultana with materials being sponsored by IMA Engineering Services Limited.

As part of the mission we will be having a Bible day where with the help of Gideons International  we will distribute a copy of the New Testament. Furthermore we are accepting Bible picture Books to be given to younger children.

Gideons International

We have also planned to build an orphanage with architectural plans prepared by Perit Aaron Abela. These plans are already being used in another part of Kenya where Walter Camilleri is building a house for single mothers with handicapped children.

Quite a long list, which has brought a lot of people together with an understanding of love and generosity. 

What I want to bring with me ? Memories of Happy African people and the urge to go again.