Charity CD to buy a cow

I was delighted to hear this week from a friend who was on the same Albania trip as I was in May 2008 and who has come up with a novel way to help the church in Lushnje.

Janet King, a trustee with the European Christian Mission and a member of her village choir, has helped produce a charity CD with the profits going to help a poor family buy a cow.

She said the visit made a lasting impact on her and she enjoyed meeting Berti Dosti, leader of the Rruga e Paqes (Way of Peace) Church and founder of Victory School, whose story is told in my other book God’s Secret Listener, published by Lion/Monarch of Oxford. 

Janet wrote in an email: “In Lushnje I found a group of people determined to make the world around them a better place for many families and young people with a variety of social, community and educational projects.

  

“Recently, with the help of aid from Holland they have rebuilt two primary schools in local villages.  

“Now the Cow for Life Project (CFLP) is one of their latest initiatives aimed at helping poor families from two villages by providing them with a cow which is either in calf or has a calf.” 

She added: “During a visit in August 2011 I was privileged to see ‘Daisy’, pictured below, as we called her, being delivered to one such family in Bitaj. 

“It was amazing.  To receive a cow is life changing for such poor families who suddenly find themselves able to have fresh milk, butter and yogurt. 

“If all goes to plan, Daisy’s first two calves will be sold and the proceeds put into buying another healthy cow in calf for another needy family.”

Janet said that when about 20 members of Burton Village Choir, pictured below, came together to make music for the St James' Carol Service at Ab Kettleby, Leicestershire, in December 2010 it was such fun that they met up  again in November 2011 to practise another five songs for Christmas.

“It seemed a pity to stop there,” added Janet, “we were enjoying ourselves so much we decided to keep going.

“We wanted to share something of our joy in making music to try to help others less fortunate than ourselves.”

They joined forces with nearby St Mary’s Choir in Melton Mowbray and this CD is the result.

All the proceeds from this CD, entitled You Raise Me Up will go towards the Cow for Life Project.

No money will go in administration fees as it will be transferred directly by Janet to a special CFLP account held by The Way of Peace Church.

The project has gone so well that they hope to raise enough money to buy two cows.

For more details on how to buy a CD for £10 email janetking476@btinternet.com