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Name: FALDA, Benedict (Brother)

image of individual

Nee: born Benedetto

Birth Date: 6.6.1882 Turin

Death Date: 8.6.1969 Turin

Nationality: Italian

First Date: 1903

Profession: R.C. Consolata missionary. Set up a mission at Tigania, northeast of Mt Kenya, 26 km northeast of Meru

Area: Nyeri, Meru

Author: Gabriele Soldati, The Pioneer, the African Adventures of Benedict Falda, St Paul's Publications, 1991

Book Reference: Red 25, Red 31, Hut, Red 22, North, Red Book 1912

General Information:

North - Consolata Mission - Member of the 3rd Italian Consolata Catholic Mission expedition, arr. Mombasa 12-5-1903; arr Limuru from coast May 1903; dep. Limuru for Tuthu Mission July 1903
Red Book 1912 - B. Falda - Nyeri
Hut has Br. B. Faldo
Article in Old Africa magazine Apr/May 2019, by Jerry Haigh: Italian Consolata missionaries from the Mathari mission in Nyeri, led by Brother Benedetto Falda, set off in convoy to Meru in 1913 - at that time called Mutindwa Fort. To this day Meru is also known as Mutindwa jwa Kangangi, abbreviated to Mutindwa — a place to linger.) A steam engine with a water wagon attached headed the convoy. Behind came four-wheeled carts each drawn by four pairs of oxen. After a three-month journey to cover what is today roughly 170 kilometres of tarmac driving through Embu, they reached the Uringo forest where they established a sawmill. They crossed half a dozen deep river gorges, a tedious job. Today's journey by car would take about three hours. They set up the new mission in the area known as Tigania, northeast of Mount Kenya, nestled below the Nyambeni Hills,26 kilometres northeast of Meru town. The first temporary structures, built by Fathers Toselli, Olivero, and Cagliero, were ready by 5 August 1913. By 1915 two houses, one for the fathers and one for the sisters had been prefabricated at the sawmill and transported to the mission. They later merged the houses into one building. Altogether the three men and their workers fashioned 18 houses with 60 doors, 52 windows, 36 beds,  and tables and chairs. They faced many problems and the interesting story is well narrated in the book by Gabriele Soldati, The Pioneer, the African Adventures oBenedict Falda, St. Paul Publications, 1991. Some time after World War lithe mission decided to create a health centre and dispensary. With the health centre established they realised the patients needed food and they found a simple solution. They asked relatives to provide ochoro, fermented millet flour (ground by hand on a stone) mixed with sugar. The ochoro was left overnight and then family members of the patient brought it in gourds (gekuru). The 'lid' stopper became the drinking vessel for the patient. The Tigania health centre was located almost exactly half way, on foot, between the Maua Methodist hospital that opened in 1930, and Meru District Hospital in Meru town.

With Bro Celeste Lusso he was responsible for building the Tuthu sawmill

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