Apêl Dr James - yr ymdrech olaf
Mae Esgob Andy yn ysgrifennu
Bydd llawer yn cofio sut mae ein Hesgobaeth wedi cefnogi hyfforddiant meddyg yn Uganda o'r enw Dr James Akello dros gyfnod o flynyddoedd.
Yn wreiddiol o ranbarth Lango, ardal ein cyfaill esgobaeth yng ngogledd Uganda, llwyddodd Dr James yn system addysg gynradd ac uwchradd yn ystod cyfnod o ryfel a gwrthryfel.
Cyfarfu tîm o Fangor â James yn ystod eu hymweliad â Lango yn 2006 ac ar ôl hynny gwahoddwyd yr Esgobaeth i gyfrannu at ei hyfforddiant meddygol ym Mhrifysgol Feddygol Ryngwladol Kampala. Yn dilyn ei bedair blynedd yn y Brifysgol dychwelodd Dr James i Lira i weithio fel meddyg llawn amser yn yr ysbyty yno, yn yr adran Plant.
Mi gwrddais ag ef yn ystod haf 2014. Yn ystod yr ymweliad hwnnw, roeddwn i’n dyst i broblemau plant oherwydd diffyg maeth. Yn aml iawn, nid diffyg bwyd, ond diffyg addysg sy'n arwain at gyfraddau ofnadwy o farwolaethau babanod..
Cododd y cyfle wedyn i Dr James gael rhagor o gymwysterau i ddod yn Baediatregydd Ymgynghorol, a gofynnodd a fyddai ein Hesgobaeth yn cyfrannu at ei addysg unwaith eto.
Roedd Dr James yn un o 15 o bobl a ddewiswyd ar gyfer y cwrs a dderbyniodd 120 o geisiadau. Cytunodd yr ysbyty yn Lira y gallai ei deulu aros yn un o'u tai, tra bod Dr James yn dilyn y cwrs. Mae'r cwrs yn cael ei redeg o Kampala a de Uganda, felly mae Dr James yn bell o’i deulu, 7 awr o daith bws, a dim ond pan fydd yn cael gwyliau mae o’n eu gweld. Mae Dr James yn gorfod cefnogi ei deulu, ei hun a thalu tuag at ffioedd ei gwrs yn ystod y cyfnod hyfforddi hwn.
O'r Esgobaeth, cytunwn ni i gyfrannu £3,000 y flwyddyn dros gyfnod o 3 blynedd i helpu Dr. James. Hyd yn hyn rydym wedi cwblhau 2 flynedd ac wedi cyfrannu £6,000.
Mae Dr James mor ddiolchgar i ni. Mae'n Gristion gyda galwedigaeth, sy’n credu bod Duw wedi rhoi iddo'r doniau i fod yn feddyg, i wasanaethu pobl ei gynefin yng ngogledd Uganda ac i fod yn un rhan fach o ddatblygiad a rhannu gwybodaeth feddygol a all wella bywydau plant a'u rhieni yn ei gynefin.
Rwy'n ddiolchgar iawn am y gwaith caled a'r cyfraniadau sydd wedi dod o bob rhan o’n Hesgobaeth Esgobaeth hyd yn hyn, yn ogystal ag am waith y grŵp bach - dan arweiniad y Parchedig Martin Pritchard - sydd wedi bod yn cydlynu ein hymdrech.
Allwch chi, a all eich ardal gweinidogaeth ein helpu gyda'r ymdrech derfynol? Mae angen i ni godi £ 1,500 erbyn mis Gorffennaf ac yna'r un swm eto erbyn mis Ionawr i gyflawni ein haddewid.
Gwnewch gymorth, os gallwch, os gwelwch yn dda. Bydd plant o un o ardaloedd tlotaf byd Duw yn elwa am flynyddoedd i ddod.
Gallwch gyfrannu drwy'r ddolen ar-lein yma, neu anfon siec (yn daladwy i Fwrdd Cyllid Esgobaeth Bangor - gyda nodyn yn dangos yn glir mai ar gyfer Apêl y Dr. James y mae'r rhodd) i'r Adran Cyllid, Tŷ Deiniol, Clos y Gadeirlan Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1RL.
Diolch o galon.
Esgob Andrew
Dr James’ Appeal - the final push
Bishop Andy writes
Many will remember how our diocese has supported the training of a doctor in Uganda over a period of years called Dr James Akello.
Coming from the Lango region of our partner diocese in northern Uganda, he succeeded through the primary and secondary education system during a time of war and insurgency.
A team from Bangor met James during their visit to Lango in 2006 and subsequently invited the Diocese to contribute towards his medical training at the Kampala International Medical University. Following his four years at University Dr James returned to Lira to work as full time doctor at the hospital there, in the Children’s department.
I met him in the summer of 2014. During that visit, I witnessed the trauma of children struggling with malnourishment. Very often it is not the lack of food, but of education which leads to terrible rates of infant mortality.
The opportunity then arose for Dr James to obtain further qualifications to become a Consultant Paediatrician, and he asked whether our Diocese would contribute towards his education once more.
Dr James was one of 15 people chosen for the course from over 120 applications. The hospital in Lira agreed that his family could remain in one of their houses, whilst Dr James is following the course. The course is run from Kampala and southern Uganda, so Dr James is a 7 hour bus journey away from his family, and only gets to see them when he has holiday. Dr James is having to support his family, himself and pay towards his course fees during this period of training.
From the Diocese, we agreed to contribute £3,000 per annum over a period of 3 years to help Dr. James. So far we have completed 2 years and contributed £6,000.
Dr James is so grateful to us. He is a Christian with a vocation who believes that God has given him the gifts to be a doctor, to serve the people of his home in northern Uganda and to be one small part of bringing and sharing medical knowledge that can improve the lives of children and their parents in his home area.
I am very grateful for the hard work and contributions which have come from around the Diocese, as well as for the work of the small group - lead by the Rev’d Martin Pritchard - which has been coordinating our effort.
Can you, can your ministry area help us with the final push? We need to raise £1,500 by July and then the same amount again by January to fulfil our promise.
Please do help, if you can. Children from one of the poorest areas of God’s world will benefit for many years to come.
You can donate via the online link here, or send a cheque (payable to Bangor Diocesan Board of Finance - with a note clearly stating that the gift is for the Dr. James Appeal) to The Finance Department, Tŷ Deiniol, Clos y Gadeirlan, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1RL.
Thank you
Bishop Andrew