Presbyterian Women of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)


	Together in Service in Congo Learn about the PW Palm Project Learn about the need for mattresses Learn about the need for bicycles Learn about the Presbyterian Women Palm Project Presbyterian Women can be Together in Service in Congo, helping both adults and children. Photo by Cheri Harper The Presbyterian Women Palm Project is a new mission program in which groups or individuals can make donations for the establishment of palm plantations in Congo, once the world’s largest producer of palm oil. The destruction of agricultural capabilities in Congo has forced the country to import cooking oil from Malaysia for its domestic use. Rather than continuing this dependency, the Congolese could plant new varieties of palms, providing both needed palm oil and income. This opportunity does not require huge financial investments, but can have great returns. With funding from this project, women’s groups and hospitals in the Presbyterian community of Congo will be able to plant new varieties of Costa Rican palms that produce three times more palm oil than the current stock can produce. These new varieties of palms grow low to the ground, allowing women to participate in the planting, maintenance and harvest of the crop. One $20,000 investment from PW will fund 80 hectares of palms that will generate $200,000 per year for 30 years to subsidize educational programs, hospitals and clinics. Presbyterian Women Palm Project facts A $20 gift to the Palm Project will purchase about 10 plants. Current old stock of palm trees produces only 1,000 to 2,000 liters per hectare. New varieties from Costa Rica produce 3,000 to 6,000 liters per hectare. There are 150 trees per hectare. Current prices for oil in the Kasai region of Congo varies from $0.40 to $1.00 per liter. A small plantation of 450 palms at a high school will cover the tuition costs for 60 girls. Current palm plantations at hospitals in Bibanga and Bulape will each produce from $60,000 to $90,000 per year when they start to produce in three years. This is more than twice the subsidy PC(USA) now gives to these mission hospitals. Donate funds to PW Palm Project Give online through Together in Service — type “PW Palm Project” in the special instructions box. Or send checks to PC(USA) PW Remittance Processing PO Box 643652 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3652 Checks are payable to Presbyterian Women. Write “PW Palm Project” on the memo line.


	Go Nuts! Promote the PW Palm Project Ideas for Palm Project celebrations Throw a garden party. Play games like pin-the-nut-on-the-palm or pin-the-palm-on-the-map. Sell cuttings from participants’ gardens. Ask local florists to donate flowers or plants for a raffle. Have a cake walk — helping Congo is a piece of cake! Host a garden tour — how does your garden grow? Host a gardeners’ market — share the harvest! Celebrate Palm (tree) Sunday. Invite children to collect donations in coconuts or use flower pots to collect coins. Plan a Palm Saturday before Palm Sunday. Use a palm tree for a Christmas tree — request donations for ornaments. Celebrate PW’s 20th Anniversary by donating 20 palms. Wear stickers that say, “I’m nuts for Congo” Ideas for bulletin boards and displays Display a palm tree that can “grow” as donations are made. Congo line — add dancers to your Congo line as donations are made. Display a poster of a palm, add nuts as donations are made. Make a plantation of palms — add a palm cut-out with each donation. Sell individual palm fronds to create a palm plant — see how big a plant you can make!


	Mattresses for Congo Many of us take for granted basic comforts, such as a mattress on which to rest while in the hospital. However, hospitals in Congo and Malawi were in need of this hospital staple. A grant from PW’s 2005 Thank Offering helped purchase new mattresses for hospitals in those two countries. While this grant has made a huge impact on the functionality of many health institutions in Congo and Malawi, many beds in Congo still have no mattress or merely an old, unsanitary wedge of foam. With the help of Presbyterian Women, it is possible to supply every bed with a mattress and a sheet in our partner hospitals in Congo. On average, a hospital mattress costs only $60. Donate funds for mattresses Give online through Together in Service — type “Mattresses” in the special instructions box. Send checks to PC(USA) PW Remittance Processing PO Box 643652 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3652 Checks are payable to Presbyterian Women. Write “Mattresses” on the memo line. Learn more about hospitals in Congo.


	Bicycles for Congo Having a bicycle to transport a family's harvest means the family will be able to sell their produce, earning money for education, health and more. Photo by Caryl Weinberg In many places throughout Congo, roads can be treacherous for vehicles, and the trucks in working condition are often too expensive for most villagers to rent. Given these restraints, the bicycle is the best way to transport goods. A family with access to a bicycle has the strongest family member — usually an older son — push the bike from their remote village to a city market, loaded with up to 400 pounds of produce. The biker will sell the produce at the city market and buy hard-to-find items for the village, such as sugar, salt and clothing — and then push the bike back to the village. Bikes of high enough quality to haul produce cost approximately $80. With this minimal investment, Congolese families can lift themselves out of poverty. They can turn their hard work in the fields into cash they can use for education, health care and other development activities that improve their quality of life and give them a chance for a better future. Donate funds for bicycles Give online through Together in Service — type “Bicycles” in the special instructions box. To donate funds for bicycles: Send checks to PC(USA) PW Remittance Processing PO Box 643652 Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3652 Checks are payable to Presbyterian Women. Write “Bicycles” on the memo line.