St. Joseph's Cathedral Zanzibar 'Fund Raising' support.: Message from Project Leader

St . Joseph’s Cathedral Zanzibar, Tanzania Renovations/Fund Raising Project

Dear Friends:

I’m writing to you all on behalf of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral Renovation Committee in Zanzibar, Tanzania to raise awareness and to solicit for funds for the Repairs/Renovation of this church. Some, if not all, must have already heard that the Cathedral is in dire need of major repairs and financial support.

The Cathedral in Zanzibar is the oldest Church in East Africa. Mr M. Beranger, the French designer of the Notre Dame Basilica at Marseilles, France, is the same Architect who designed this Neo-Romanesque style Church. This Church was built by the French Holy Ghost Fathers between 1893 and 1898 with all the material and artifices coming from France. This historical landmark which has stood the test of time for over a century is greatly in need of repairs. It will be a shame to lose it as it is still a place of worship and its where our catholic faith was and, is still nurtured. Looking back, this Church provided us with many blessings to mention a few, baptism, confirmation, fellowship, marriage partners, celebrated the lives of our loved ones at funerals and for many of us, lasting friendships.

The Committee had MD Consultancy Architects, based in Milan Italy to carry out feasibility study on the restoration of the Church and for the repairs have contracted with Bagamoyo Contracting company from the mainland to do the work. This is the same company that did the work on the church in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

The Renovation Committees in Zanzibar, in Canada, the USA and in the UK, are all working together soliciting for funds to help in the restoration of the Cathedral.

Due to leakage and extensive damage to the two steeples as seen in the photos below, we are urgently collecting donations and pledges to have the repairs done before the ‘Masika’ (heavy rains due in March) as untold damage could be done as water is our worst adversary at the moment.

The estimated funds required for the repair of only the steeples right now, stands at an equivalent of $ 40,000.00. This is a huge sum of money for us to come up with and the only choice we have right now is to raise funds by seeking your financial support.

On behalf of St. Joseph’s Church Renovations Committee, Zanzibar, we kindly ask you, to please donate the best you can and as soon as possible. donations and pledges of any amount will be graciously accepted and appreciated. Please donate generously and with all your heart. We have been blessed abundantly, so let us help this great cause by giving the church our best!

The first phase of this fund raising project will end on November 30, 2010 and we will resume again in January to November 2011 with the possibility of having fund raising activities. Nevertheless, donations will be accepted at any time. All funds received by this date will be remitted to the St. Joseph’s Renovations Committee in Zanzibar.

Your contributions can be made in whichever way you choose, for example:

* In your Business Name

* You can do it in your name

* As a Family together raising the funds (e.g. the Adams family)

* As a Group at your work place helping to raise the funds (e.g. Telus Staff)

* In memory of a loved one (father, mother, parents brother, sister, etc)

* You also have the opportunity to pledge funds and donate in three instalments: (September, October and November).

Bank Accounts are opened in the name of St. Joseph’s Cathedral Renovations Zanzibar, purely to operate for this project.

Make your Cheque payable to:

ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL RENOVATIONS ZANZIBAR

As soon as you make your donation, please notify a committee member nearest you for follow up. Names and contacts of each committee member has been listed below.

Our committee believes in transparency and will provide you with updates as they become available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email them or contact any committee member. You will receive a response as soon as possible.

In conclusion, please help us by forwarding this mail to your friends, families and other supporters. If you have any other friends from the Island of Zanzibar, please provide us with their names so that we can contact them to support this great cause or spread the word to them.

Thanking you in advance for taking the time to read this letter and for your financial generosity towards the St. Joseph’s Cathedral Renovations Project, Zanzibar.

God Bless You

Anthony Antao

Project Leader,
St. Joseph’s Cathedral Renovations, Zanzibar.

CONTACT LIST of COMMITTEE MEMBERS

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania

• Renovations St. Joseph Zanzibar stjosephznzrenovation@yahoo.com

• Alice Moniz alicesalem@hotmail.com  Tel 1-255-77444-1122

• Anthony Anthon Gomes anthonygomes2000@yahoo.com  Tel 1-255-71 331-7922

CANADA
Toronto

• Claude Fernandes fernandesclaude@yahoo.com  Tel 1-905-286-0636

• Steve Parado steve_parado@yahoo.com  Tel 1-905-507-8532

Calgary

• Christine Tamatave ctamatave@hotmail.com  Tel 1-403-568-2266

Vancouver

• Eustace De Souza edesouza@shaw.ca  Tel 1-604-272-1193

USA

• Anthony Antao aantao@wi.it.com Tel 414-444-0993

• Agnel De Silva agneldesilva@hotmail.com  Tel 412-531-4047

• Rev. Fr. Alwyn malaika99@hotmail.com  Tel 650-591-5937

United Kingdom

• Astrid De Souza astridleo@btinternet.com

• Joe de Lord -  joedelord@hotmail.com

• Mario Machado - machado@freenetname.co.uk, , ,

• Francis De Souza - frdesouza@btinternet.com

• Benito De Souza bvents@aol.com  bvents@aol.com Tel: 020 8330 2542

Latest Photos posted 2nd September 2010

NEW PHOTOS

RENOVATION PROGRESS - Sept 2, 2010

Subject: Repair on the Statues outside

Dear All

Kindly find attached various photos of the mentioned subject. Best regards Anthony M. Gomes Secretary/Renovation Committee St. Joseph Cathedral Zanzibar

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Kindly find attached various photos of the mentioned subject.

Photo 1 - Photo showing how the statues looked like before being damaged.