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Reaching the
Unreached was founded with only one purpose
and aim; to serve the poorest in our area
by whatever means are needed and suitable
and possible, according to the felt needs
and priorities of the people
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Our
whole immediate aim is to help the most destitute
of the population in our area in as practical
and as substantial a way as possible. We believe
that we exist here for the sake of the poorest
whether it be the environs around us or further
a field geographically as well as in time.
We do not wish this to be merely patching
up or stop-gapping, although it will frequently
have to be that. We want it to be something
permanent and in a yeast-like way, affecting
the whole area, many people and the future.
We wish it to be gentle, unassuming and in
keeping with the people for whom it is meant.
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No need of the poor, whether of individuals
or of communities, is to be overlooked or
ignored, which means that RTU must be multi-faceted
and as far as possible run an integrated development
programme for the rural poor. |
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This
means that RTU is concerned for our neighbours
as people, as individuals, who have the right
to a decent life and therefore a right to
our assistance to a better life since we have
more means than they have. We must always
be careful that our facilities and the benefits
of belonging to an established group do not
lead us to selfishness as an institution and
that we are ready to look out and reach out
and share whatever we have. |
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This
must include especially women and children,
the old, the sick, the homeless, the unemployable,
those in need of houses or water, etc.. |
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Since we are trying to reach the poorest people
who would be living from hand to mouth this
must be done freely by a staff dedicated to
this purpose. |
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It
must mean that RTU must be people-centred
and not project-centred, though the latter
will be needed to serve the poor in substantial
and in ongoing ways |
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We must also ever keep in mind that we are
also part and parcel of the area in which
we live and therefore have a duty to keep
deeply involved and integrated in that area.
We are otherwise foreigners. |
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It above all means that RTU strictly avoids
becoming elitist expect for the poor and to
serve them better. |
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RTU
does not need nor should it be interested
in creating an image for itself and must avoid
any form of triumphalism or "trumpet
blowing". It believes that, "by
their fruits they shall be known". |
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RTU
believes that the support it receives in any
form from others whether it be finance, equipment
or even fixed assets do in actual fact belong
to the poor and that all staff receiving salaries
do so thanks to those poor people, whom we
are meant to serve. |
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This
therefore means that all our sources of support
in actual fact originate in Divine Providence
and must be carefully administered. And that
therefore the more we give to those in need
the more we will receive to use for those
in need. |
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We
hope that all out staff will be imbued with
the desire to better the lives of others in
greater need and not simply be with us only
for the sake of their own security and comfort.
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