The Director of a project to help those living with Aids in Africa, the Kenyan based Ecudare Project, has been invited to speak at The Scottish Parliament on Wednesday at the invitation of The Presiding Officer.
But Esther Wanjohi and her husband, Daniel, are also being welcomed warmly by the Murrayfield Churches Together Partnership (MCT) and are staying in the capital for a couple of weeks. Also joining Esther at the Parliament on 14 March 2012 will be Scottish singer Annie Lennox who will be addressing the MSPs as part of the Commonwealth Day events. Lennox founded her own charity called Sing which also aims to help women and children living with Aids.
As well as strengthening her links with the MCT and sharing her experiences with the congregations, Esther has been invited to lead ‘Reflections’ at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday morning. Business in the Debating Chamber begins each week with ‘Time for Reflection’. Speakers are invited to attend by the Presiding Officer and each reflects the balance of faiths found in Scotland.
Her visit to the capital comes after an international friendship was struck up between her project ‘Ecudare’, based in the Kajiado District of Kenya, and the three churches which form the Murrayfield Churches Together Partnership (MCT):-Murrayfield Parish Church, The Church of the Good Shepherd and the Saughtonhall United Reformed Church, all located in the Murrayfield area of the city. It was in 2006 that the MCT reached out to Esther in a bid to help her cause, and ever since then they have stayed in regular contact, offering support and friendship.
The Ecudare Project aims to provide quality of life and holistic care for the women and their families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. It is a goal that Esther has worked tirelessly towards, with inspiring results. Just recently, they have managed to open a new pre-school for the children in the community.
Shirley Brown, a member of the congregation at Murrayfield Parish Church, said of Esther’s visit;-
‘The reason that Esther came over here is that we wanted to share with our congregations how much Ecudare has grown, they have transformed. They have been given a self confidence with the work that Esther is doing, so I hope Murrayfield Churches Together is going to continue supporting them and spread the message that things can be done.’
Esther is hoping that her upcoming appearance will have some impact. She said:-
‘I have chosen to reflect on HIV/AIDS as it is an area I have compassion in. I don’t know the outcome but I am hoping that maybe somebody somewhere will hear our message and want to join us to give hope and help with transformations in Kenya.’
Esther and her husband will remain here until 19 March, before returning to Kenya to continue their work within their community.
You can read about Ecudare here:-
