teartimes Autumn 2010
Happy harvest Life-saving progress in Cambodia Transforming Haiti Lives restored after the earthquake
Joy to the world Your Christmas service sorted
Be part of a miracle | www.tearfund.org
welcome
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Peter Shaw, Editor editor@tearfund.org
Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
was privileged recently to be part of a small team that visited one of Tearfund’s local church partners, Agape, in Peru. They are based in a dry, dusty, neglected suburb of Lima. For a few days, we followed Elena, a project worker for Agape. We made a short film, took photos and interviewed her about her incredible, life-changing work Peter with Pastor Berto Suarez in Samaria with poor families – see page 24 Church, Lima, Peru. for more details. We witnessed Elena supporting children, working at Agape’s office and conducting workshops with local people in the evening. It’s quite tiring being part of a Tearfund trip – but it’s even tougher being the subject of one. One day, during a break in filming, I thanked Elena for opening up her life to us for a few days. Elena replied she felt that, through the spotlight on her, God was tapping her on the back and saying ‘well done’. And I think she’s right. Through Tear Times and all the resources Tearfund produces, we are demonstrating how the local church and Tearfund disaster response teams – inspired by Jesus – are carrying out vital, amazing, sacrificial work in the poorest places on earth. So, as well as saying a big ‘thanks’ to you for enabling local churches to impact their communities, we’re saying ‘well done’ to people like Elena and Tearfund partners like Agape. This edition of Tear Times is packed with amazing stories of encouragement from across the world. As you read and receive inspiration, let’s make our prayers be our ‘thank you’ to our magnificent God, for our wonderful partners and local churches who work in his name.
s e m i t r a e t 2010 Autumn
Tearfund We are Christians passionate about the local church bringing justice and transforming lives – overcoming global poverty. And so our ten-year vision is to see 50 million people released from material and spiritual poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 local churches. We can support you if you want to encourage your church and others to get involved with Tearfund. And if you have any questions, we’d be delighted to talk to you. Audio and Braille versions of Tear Times are free upon request.
Happy t harves g
Life-savin in progress Cambodia
iti rming Ha Transfo ed after tor Lives res uake the earthq
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Be part
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Editor: Peter Shaw News Editor: Mark Lang Design: Premm Design Print: Pindar Graphics
Copyright © Tearfund 2010. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for Tearfund promotional use only. For all other uses, please contact us. Cover image: Math Kunthea and her brother Math Raskmby, southern Cambodia. Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund 2
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CONTENTS
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News – food crisis in West Africa and updates from across the world
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Life-saving progress – providing food security in Cambodia
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Haiti update – how your support is transforming lives
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World view – the struggles of urban life in Peru
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Stepping up, speaking out – how your voice could change the world
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Giving smiles back – the local church is giving hope back to Zimbabwe
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Joy to the world – celebrate Christmas with inspiration from Peru
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Nepal – how New Wine women leaders found inspiration
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Criminal justice in Africa – challenging interview with Alexander McLean
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The bigger society – how the local church is key to effective aid
8 ‘We know we are poor but we work hard.’ Tol, a mother-of-four from Cambodia
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NEWS Burkina Faso: Lack of food and water means that many animals are too weak to walk or stand, and are transported to the market in carts.
Nancy Palus/IRIN courtesy www.irinnews.org
Millions on the brink of starvation in West Africa
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earfund partners are responding to an escalating crisis in West Africa where more than 10 million people are facing extreme hunger due to drought and poor harvests. An appeal has been launched as 8 million people in Niger – more than half the population – are affected by food shortages. Neighbouring Chad has 2 million people facing hunger and Unicef says 102,000 severely malnourished children will need life-saving treatment this year. Both countries have declared a state of emergency after experiencing shortfalls in food production of 30 per cent. In Mali, 250,000 people are at risk of starvation, while Burkina Faso and northern Nigeria are also feeling the effects of hunger. Known collectively as the Sahel Region, these countries have been experiencing a combination of damaging factors. Prolonged dry periods, the erratic nature of vital rains and pest infestations have devastated crops and killed an abundance of livestock on which many pastoralists rely. Compounding this are repeated bad harvests, year on year. Martin Jennings, Tearfund’s Head of the West Africa region, says, ‘This is a crisis 4
bringing suffering to millions but through our partners we’re reaching out to the most vulnerable. However, our partners urgently need more support, such is the scale of the need, and I urge people to help our work through giving and prayer.’ In Niger, partners Jemed and UEEPN are providing food and running cash-for-work schemes. The crisis here is more severe than that of 2005 when 3.6 million people were affected by food shortages. Yet, the current crisis has attracted little mainstream media coverage. Many pastoralists have been forced to sell their animals at low prices to buy food, losing their main, and often only, means of making a living. This means families often have no money, and many people are eating just one meal a day. In Chad, our partner, PEDC, is offering food to hundreds of needy people in the department of Oum-Hadjer where drought has caused crop production to fall by 20 per cent. Please pray for greater media coverage of this crisis. To support the appeal visit www.tearfund.org/westafrica or phone 0845 355 8355 (ROI: 01 497 5285).
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Tearfund family expands
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new team of high-profile church leaders and Christians in the public eye supporting Tearfund has been announced. Academic and theologian Dr Elaine Storkey continues as president, with the number of vice-presidents expanding. Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, continues to serve in this role. The other vice-presidents are: Lady Carey; Roger Forster, founder of the Ichthus fellowship; John and Anne Coles, New Wine; Mike Pilavachi, Soul Survivor; Katei Kirby, minister with the Wesleyan Holiness Church; Steve Clifford, Evangelical Alliance; Rev Elfed Godding, Evangelical Alliance Wales; Right Rev Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore in the Church of Ireland; Rev Celia Apeagyei-Collins, the Rehoboth Foundation; Nicky Gumbel, Holy Trinity Brompton and Alpha; and Rev Siew-Huat Ong, Chinese Church (London). Comedian Tim Vine, worship leader Tim Hughes, head of Care for the Family Rob
Parsons and Director of the Christian Socialist Movement Andy Flannagan will also be lending their support to campaigns, events and resources as ‘Friends of Tearfund’. Sir Cliff Richard and the Bishop of Liverpool, Right Rev James Jones, are stepping down as vice-presidents due to pressure of other commitments. Sir Cliff, who will continue to be a Friend of Tearfund, said his work with Tearfund had been ‘a foundational part’ of his life. ‘The children, families and churches I’ve visited in the poorest parts of the world have truly touched my heart and I continue to be humbled by them and by those who work with them,’ he says. Bishop James says: ‘Having taken up the government's invitation to chair the Hillsborough Independent Panel, which is a major undertaking, I have decided to stand down from being a vice-president. I continue to share Tearfund’s vision to see people released from material and spiritual poverty, and pray for their work around the world.’ Eleanor Bentall/Tearfund; Clive Mear/Tearfund
Left to right: Lord and Lady Carey; Sir Cliff Richard; John and Anne Coles.
News in brief TRANSFORM: If you want to see the work of Tearfund partners for yourself, Tearfund’s Transform programme offers a range of trips – from two weeks to four months – to countries such as Rwanda, India and Peru. If you are aged 18 or over contact www.tearfund.org/ transform (apply by 15 October)
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RESTORED: Tearfund is part of a new alliance set up to prevent violence against women. Restored aims to raise awareness of such violence and equip churches to stop it. Restored will also promote healthy, biblical relationships between men and women. For more, go to www.restoredrelationships.org
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Geoff Crawford/Tearfund
Your poverty promise could help poor people in countries like Uganda.
Make a promise to end poverty
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re you already part of next month’s Micah Challenge, helping 1 billion people living in poverty? It’s not too late to join this campaign across 40 countries which wants to mobilise Christians worldwide to support poor communities, as well as calling on world decision-makers to play their part. The date to remember is Sunday 10 October – 10.10.10. Micah Challenge – supported by Tearfund – wants individuals to make a simple commitment in one area of their life to remember people in poverty. This could be anything from campaigning, volunteering or buying fairly traded products.
With a new government and parliament, there’s also an opportunity to tell MPs about your determination to end injustice and ask what they are doing about it. The Micah event comes as we reach the ten-year mark of a 15-year commitment to attain internationally agreed poverty-reduction targets, the Millennium Development Goals. This milestone is an opportunity for the global church to impress on world leaders the importance of meeting these goals which, if fulfilled, will deliver real quality-of-life improvements for people living in poverty. To be part of the 10.10.10 day of action, visit: www.whatsyourpromise.org.uk
Tearfund supporters lobby MPs Churches in key parliamentary constituencies have been urging their MPs to engage in tackling global poverty. With Tearfund’s support, special services and meetings were held across the country during the summer to impress upon politicians the needs of people living in poor communities. Events took place in marginal constituencies and constituencies where the MP was: • a minister or shadow minister • a Christian, or
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• someone considered a rising star within their party With many new MPs elected in May, the targeted lobbying served to raise awareness among them of the importance constituents place on global poverty issues. During the events, MPs were given Tearfund Act Fast postcards and petitions demonstrating high levels of concern about injustice. To find out how you can influence your MP, see page 18, or visit www.tearfund.org/campaigning
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Clive Mear/Tearfund
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Nicky Gumbel (left), Vicar of Holy Trinity Church Brompton and Krish Kandiah (right), Mission Director at the Evangelical Alliance will speak at the Community Mission Conference. teartimes autumn 2010
Members of Tearfund’s Inspired Individuals programme, who are helping – materially and spiritually – to transform communities worldwide. The work of our partners in India that’s helping women escape the commercial sex industry.
PRAYER PULSE Prayer is the heartbeat of Tearfund
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Tearfund partners as they continue to face the harsh realities of the global recession. Restored, the new Christian alliance, backed by Tearfund, working to stop violence against women.
PRAYING FOR
hurches and individuals passionate about bringing transformation in their communities are invited to an event this October which will equip them to do just that. The Community Mission Conference Authentic church in London will offer inspiration and resources to enable churches to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in their communities. The programme will tackle issues such as keeping our Christian faith strong while staying engaged in our communities, taking the first steps in community engagement and staying passionate when the easiest thing to do would be to give up. Alpha’s Nicky Gumbel, Tearfund’s David Westlake and the Evangelical Alliance’s Krish Kandiah will be among the headline speakers. There’ll also be practical workshops and opportunities to hear and share experiences of how churches can bring material and spiritual change. Community Mission, a partnership between Tearfund and Livability, is staging the conference at Westminster Chapel from 10am to 4pm on Friday 1 October. Tickets are £25. For more information and to book, visit www.communitymission.org.uk
Generous support for Tearfund’s Haiti earthquake appeal, which is now making possible the restoration of livelihoods, access to education and provision of trauma support.
GIVING THANKS FOR
Conference equips churches for integral mission
Progress in the new round of international climate change talks coming up at the end of this year. Latest prayer news at www.tearfund.org/praying
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harvest
LIFE-SAVING
PROGRESS (and hope restored) Eating, along with breathing and talking, is what we – the fortunate few who have access to food aplenty – do most frequently. Earlier this year, in an idyllic-looking bamboo house in rural Cambodia, we met dad Mol and mum Tol and their children. They’re not among the fortunate few. Words: Steve Adams Photos: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund 8
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Pan Tol and her daughter, Math Sreylan, aged three, now enjoy two meals a day thanks to support from Tearfund partner the Wholistic Development Organisation.
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was shocked when I saw Mol and Tol’s children eat,’ says Ralph, the photographer who came to Cambodia. ‘It was as if they hadn’t seen food for a long time and would not see it again. There was something disturbingly “urgent” about the way they chewed and swallowed – a real feral hunger. They ate in no time – as if their lives depended on it. It really moved me because I have children of my own and I’m used to seeing kids of that age eat.’ This moving description offers a powerful insight into the world which your gifts and prayers are changing. ‘We used to stay hungry in our stomachs,’ explains Tol. ‘I had to find frogs and snails and red ants for the family to eat.’ Today, the family eat two meals every day. It’s not yet a happy ending, but in a village where one in five children dies from malnutrition, it is life-saving progress. And as Ralph observed, the children never take it for granted. teartimes autumn 2010
‘I had to find frogs and snails and red ants for the family to eat.’ Hunger gap In Cambodia, tens of thousands of families face an annual ‘hunger gap’ when there are no rains and the rice harvest has run out. This is because rice only grows when rains are plentiful. And in Cambodia the rains come only once a year, starting in late-May. In recent years climate fluctuations have meant the date the rains start has become increasingly unpredictable – as has their duration. Families such as Mol and Tol’s don’t have a large plot of land. So the rice they harvest in December only feeds them for six months. Into this hunger gap has stepped Tearfund partner The Wholistic Development Organisation (WDO). Using your gifts to Tearfund, they are mobilising local Cambodian churches to bring hope to hungry people – 9
harvest by enabling families to grow food during the dry season. ‘Before WDO came here, I had very little knowledge of agriculture and could not grow crops like melons, long beans and peanuts,’ explains Mol. ‘I was a farmer and grew rice. That’s all I knew from my parents.’ The church knows the culture ‘To work well in a community we have to know their culture – and the local church knows this,’ explains Thida, who heads up WDO. During the past decade, Pastor Vinn Chheoun has planted six churches in the area where Mol and Tol live. Each of these churches works closely in partnership with WDO. ‘Across Cambodia, we have helped 18,000 people in the last five years,’ explains Thida. ‘With the local church, we try to meet whatever needs are identified in communities.’ Pastor Chheoun thanks God for the arrival of WDO. ‘They came here and worked with our churches,’ he explains. ‘They helped not only Christians but everyone in the village. This village was one of the poorest in the area. The work has changed tremendously the way the people live.’ Pastor Chheoun’s churches are young and growing. In the world’s only Buddhist kingdom,
the influence of Christian congregations such as his, as they rebuild lives wrecked by the Khmer Rouge and poverty, is nothing short of miraculous.
‘Across Cambodia, we have helped 18,000 people in the last five years.’ Food for all In Mol and Tol’s village, the help of the church and WDO has included a ‘rice bank’. WDO, with support from Tearfund, provided a secure shed on stilts to store the rice. They also provided rice to kick-start the scheme. Fifty families, including Mol and Tol’s, have joined. The church runs the initiative – they were the only ones the villagers trusted to manage it. ‘I took my 20kg of rice to the rice bank,’ explains Mol. ‘Then, when I was lacking food, the rice bank loaned me 100kg. It really helped us. It is much cheaper than the other ways of getting rice.’ This is one of several ways in which the support of Christians like you and churches like yours helps families like Mol and Tol’s to build a future where food is always available. This is why, as Thida says, ‘the global network of churches is very important to us’.
Pastor Vin Chhoeun in front of the village rice bank, which secures food for 50 families during shortages.
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Long-term support But the rice bank is only part of the picture. It’s intended as a safety net for difficult periods, not an end in itself. The local church, with WDO, has also loaned chickens and pigs to needy families. Mol and Tol are already breeding theirs. They will eventually repay the loan, keep the offspring and start a business selling chickens and pigs. Alongside this, WDO and the church provide crop seedlings – and families like Mol and Tol’s are learning how to use their land in the dry season. During our visit we saw Tol regularly going to market to sell the water melons she had grown – with the seeds and agricultural advice given by WDO and the church. ‘They have helped our family completely,’ Mol explains. ‘They provided chickens and seeds and agricultural training. And this is the outcome,’ he says, pointing to his field full of crops – a contradiction in a country where fields normally lay bare in the dry season. ‘WDO help us to think of the future. They give hope,’ he says. Steadfast support Mol and Tol are an extremely hard-working couple. ‘We know we are poor but we work hard as we want to get enough food for our family,’ explains Tol. Your generosity is bringing hope and sustainable solutions to poor communities like theirs. Please stand shoulder to shoulder with Pastor Chheoun and with us as part of this life-saving church-based vision. Your regular support represents an investment in the kingdom of God. Use the tear-out slip on pages 8-9 now to respond. As WDO and the local church help Mol and Tol plant vegetables and fruit, they are also
Math Kunthea, aged 10, and her brother Math Raskmby, who now enjoy sufficient food thanks to Tearfund partner the Wholistic Development Organisation.
Order your harvest resources – inspire your church! You can move and inspire your church with Mol and Tol’s story, using our free One family harvest resources. To order the resource call 0845 521 0021 or email churches@tearfund.org Additional resources are available online at www.tearfund.org/onefamily
‘Mol and Tol accepted the Lord and came to a realisation of who God is.’ seeding another sort of fruit. And it’s this fruit which is giving them hope – even through the difficulties. A year ago – two years after WDO began work with them – Mol and Tol became Christians. ‘They accepted the Lord and came to a realisation of who God is,’ explains Pastor Chheoun. ‘This is an example of the good combination of the work of WDO and of the love of the church in the community. This caused a great impact in this family.’ Please give generously of your money and prayers to allow work such as this to continue.
Every church in five years… Tearfund’s partner WDO is on course to reach and mobilise every church in Cambodia in the next five years. This work is made more urgent as climate change makes farming even harder. In Cambodia and around the world this vision requires generous people to give and pray. Please pray urgently and be generous on behalf of families like Mol and Tol’s. Our partners and church networks are there for the long haul. Please consider making a regular financial commitment to this work. We’ve provided an easy-to-use tear-out slip on pages 8-9 for you to respond. Thank you.
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tearfund in england
Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
Rich pickings: a roadside market stall in southern Cambodia.
England prepares for a Cambodian harvest
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olunteers and supporters across England passed the challenge to a male member of the congregation. They both found this very are gearing up to tell the story of Mol and Tol through Tearfund’s One family difficult. Following the service, they enjoyed a meal together featuring harvest resource. Here are some fantastic ideas fairly traded food. for inspiring activities organised by supporters • Prayer Group Leader Christina Blaker, from England last year. of Holy Trinity Huddersfield, organised a • In Poulner, Hampshire, people from St John fundraising ‘hunger lunch’ where 40 people the Baptist Church held an auction of harvest produce and raised £400 for Tearfund. ‘feasted’ on soup and then listened to a • King’s Church Quantocks in Bishops Lydeard, presentation about the life of a young girl in Malawi. Somerset, watched the film of Stidia in • Rob Marshall (guitarist and songwriter Uganda from our Make life flow water and with ‘80s group The Mark Williamson Band) sanitation campaign. During their service, raised more than £400 for Make life they challenged a 12-year-old (with her flow with a concert at St Peter's Baptist parents’ permission) to try to carry a jerry Church, Worcester. can of water around the church. They then
Reap a harvest in your church It’s not too late to order a One family pack and tell the challenging story of Mol and Tol’s struggles to feed their young family through your church and community activities. The resources provide everything you need to tell the story with very little preparation. The pack includes: • Interactive materials for 5- to 10-year-olds • Interactive materials for youth • Fundraising tips and ideas for a harvest meal, including a quiz and sketch • Indepth notes, biblical commentary and a PowerPoint presentation for church leaders and speakers
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• 5-min script and PowerPoint presentation for a short church slot • Downloadable 8-min and 3-min films, and a worship film • Booklet to help you organise a harvest service or meal • Double-sided colour poster to advertise your events To order, contact us on churches@tearfund.org or 0845 521 0021. Or you can download many of the resources from www.tearfund.org/onefamily
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haiti update
‘Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.’ Psalm 130:1-2
CRUSHED BUT NOT BROKEN How your support is helping the people of Haiti to rise again When Iselene was preparing her heart to pray, as on any other Tuesday, she expected to spend the evening kneeling in the comfort of her local church surrounded by fellow believers, not alone, buried in the dark under tons of rubble – the remains of her home. But miraculously, eight months on, against all the odds, hope is growing in her life, and in the lives of countless other people in Haiti. Words: Peter Shaw Photos: Richard Hanson/Tearfund
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selene cried out to God... to Jesus... to anyone to hear her screams of agony. And she was heard. And rescued. Halfway across the world the local church responded. People like you and churches like yours poured out prayers and gave generously to the battered people of Haiti. This is the story of someone who by the grace of God survived – and now lives in hope.
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haiti update ‘It was all so hard,’ says Iselene. ‘I couldn’t do things for my kids or even myself. I asked for death.’ She’d given up hope that the prayers she pleaded during her three-hour ordeal would be answered. ‘I had to accept the facts and get on with it,’ she explains.
‘It was all so hard. I couldn’t do things for my kids or even myself. I asked for death.’ In the evening of 12 January 2010, Iselene, a wife and mother of three, was trapped in her bath under the wreckage – she was getting ready to set off for a prayer meeting. She shouted out for rescue for three hours – little knowing that her voice was just one among tens of thousands in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Left helpless Her initial rescue, by her husband and family, released her from the prison of fallen masonry. But now – it seemed – her injuries had left her trapped in extreme poverty. Her left arm had been crushed behind her back: it stuck to her skin. Her right hand was also crushed and bleeding. Twenty-four hours later, when she at last found a doctor to examine her injuries, it was too late. Her right hand had to be amputated at the wrist; her left arm was removed from the elbow. With no hands, she could hardly look after herself, let alone her three children. Her home destroyed and looted, she moved into a tent with her sister and one of her children. Her two other children were given into the care of a neighbour. 14
A life-changing encounter So when, a few weeks later, a stranger came by and asked her name, Iselene’s response was to yell at him. ‘He came to talk to me, but I didn’t want to. I shouted at him to go away.’ But he persisted. ‘He was so polite that I ended up talking to him. I’m very glad I did,’ she smiles. The stranger was there thanks to your generosity and the persistence of the local church. He is François, a support worker from Tearfund partner World Concern. His first response was to give vital medical supplies and everyday essentials such as soap. But he also gave Iselene the key to help her unlock her life from the future poverty she faced. With a cash grant of 600 Haitian dollars (about £50) from Tearfund, Iselene set up her own business. Family life restored ‘I bought dry goods like spaghetti, porridge, nuts and biscuits, sweets, oil and lots of tins to sell outside my tent,’ says Iselene. With her business income and renewed purpose, Iselene now has material and spiritual hope for the future – and a determination to overcome her disability.
‘I used to worry about where money would come from. My business is a great relief to me.’ ‘Sometimes I sell well, and that’s good,’ she says. ‘I used to worry about where money would come from. My business is a great relief to me.’ Her income and health improvement mean that her two children have returned and they are living together as a family again. Building back better It is still going to be a struggle for families like Iselene’s, but – thanks to your huge generosity autumn 2010 teartimes
Education and school rehabilitation are a substantial component of Tearfund’s response – we’ve restarted 75 schools, built 260 toilet cubicles for classes, and taught hygiene and disease prevention to 8,000 school children, as well as training nearly 400 teachers to do ‘Put your hope in the Lord, the same. for with the Lord is Through mobilising church and community groups, we’ve launched a huge drive to unfailing love.’ educate young people and adults about Psalm 130:7 how to prepare for and respond to disasters. So far, we’ve trained around 6,300 people in disaster reduction. We have a five-year strategy to materially Despite all she’s been through, Iselene’s and spiritually restore the people of Haiti and faith is still steadfast, reinforced through the rebuild their destroyed homes. Using these response of the local church. ‘I still have faith precious resources, we will equip local churches rooted in the community, supported in God – I’m not angry with him. I believe he’s there and I’m thankful for each moment by our expert emergency relief teams on the I’m living.’ ground. Churches were among the very first She is very grateful for local churches to respond, opening up safe spaces and and individuals who responded to Tearfund’s providing food. Our key aim is to ‘build back better’ shelters appeal. ‘I’d like to say thank you, to you, for everything you have done for me. that are appropriate for an area at high risk from earthquakes and hurricanes, and develop Please pray for me, and for my children.’ Please do pray for Iselene, and for strategies to ensure the country is better prepared against the risks of future disasters. Tearfund’s partners and our disasters team in Haiti who will continue to support her family, and thousands of others. For more Signs of transformation inspirational stories of how your generosity Eight months on we have already seen is rebuilding lives, visit significant results. At the time of writing, www.tearfund.org/haitiupdate we’ve built temporary shelters, given out 1,700 tarpaulins, and provided clean water and sanitation for around 3,000 families living in Haiti: Iselene and two of her children serving in the camps. We’ve conducted trauma counselling for shop that Tearfund helped to stock – providing her thousands of people who have lost everything. with a sustainable livelihood. – Tearfund has £6 million from donations to our appeal, and a further £4.6 million from the Disasters Emergency Committee, to make a significant long-term difference.
‘I’d like to say thank you, to you, for everything you have done for me…’
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worldview
Tearfund photographer Ralph Hodgson says, ‘We take washing machines, spin dryers and hot water on tap so much for granted in the developed world. In the impoverished outskirts of Lima, Peru, the chores seemed never to cease. Daily life is a continual round of washing and cleaning by hand – much of the work carried out by grandparents or older family members.’ Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
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climate lobby
Stepping up, speaking out Words: Helen Heather
peaking up and praying about injustice with, and on behalf of, poor people is part of God’s purpose for us. And, as he did for Moses, God equips us when he calls us to go direct to those in power.
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climate talks in December. Developed countries must provide new financial support to help poor countries adapt to the changing climate and cut their emissions significantly.
Climate slavery Millions of poor people are already slaves to the changing climate. In Moses’ time, many families suffered under the oppression of Pharaoh. Today, millions of people in Egypt and in other arid countries such as Mali are suffering as reduced and less predictable rainfall brings drought. This can, and does, force people from their homes and the land they depend on for food. ‘When I was a girl, it rained a lot and we had everything,’ says Aissatou Ganamé, a farmer from Sana, Mali. ‘We had enough food, we were healthy. There were lots of animals. Now it’s all gone because of the drought. We are not as healthy as we used to be. The rains come late and the animals don’t get enough to eat.’* Climate change is hitting the poorest people hardest and we, as Christians, who are called to demand justice, need to speak up to challenge this. We need to pray for politicians to agree ambitious and assertive action to protect poor people during the
‘We had enough food. There were lots of animals. Now it’s all gone... ’ Sana, a farmer in Mali
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Urgent need for a global deal Rich countries that have the power and resources to take these vital steps are not moving with enough urgency. As a result of the disappointing Copenhagen climate talks last December, the climate discussions are moving very slowly and there’s little progress towards a deal. This is deeply worrying, but a global deal is still possible. The UK government can help make this happen by taking ambitious action nationally and pushing for more progress towards a global deal. You can help ensure the government acts by meeting your MP in your constituency as part of The Climate Lobby on the weekend of 4 and 5 November. Tearfund has joined with the Stop Climate Chaos coalition to give you the opportunity to speak the truth about
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Jay Butcher/Tearfund
God sets us challenges – then expects us to rise to them. For Moses, in Exodus 3, it was to go to Pharaoh to demand that the ruler set God’s people free from slavery. Daunted by the size of the task, Moses asked: ‘Who am I that I should go?’ This year, we have a great opportunity to speak up on behalf of the poorest communities whose lives and livelihoods are being devastated by climate change. Are you up for the challenge?
Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, speaking out about the importance of clean water and good sanitation on World Water Day 2010.
Tips for meeting your MP climate change direct to your MP, who has the power to influence government action.
Geoff Crawford/Tearfund
Time to step up With more than 200 newly elected and enthusiastic MPs to lobby, important climate talks in Mexico in December and a carbon-cutting bill going through parliament, it’s a great opportunity for us as local churches to act together as one global church – to urge them into action. And if you are struggling to see the point of talking to your MP, remember Moses – his obedience reaped huge rewards. While Moses didn’t consider himself eloquent or confident, God equipped him for the task ahead. Our MPs are much easier to convince than Pharaoh was, but God will still be with us, giving us boldness and passion to plead for climate justice.
Parched earth in Uganda: drought is now more prevalent because of the changing climate.
‘Don’t try to raise too many issues – I find it better to stick to one at a time.' Malcolm Heyward from Buxton Methodist Church ‘Try to be flexible and organised and involve other members of your church. Writing to your MP also helps build a relationship and I always thank them for their engagement!’ Rev David Uffindell, vicar of Sunningdale Church
How you can speak out • Speak to people in power. Join The Climate Lobby in your constituency on 4 and 5 November. Visit www.tearfund.org/lobby or call 0845 355 8355 (ROI: 01 497 5285), for more information and to register your interest. • Write to your MP to ask for action on climate change and if you’re joining the lobby mention that you’re looking forward to meeting them. Download a template letter at www.tearfund.org/lobby • As you pray for your MP, ask that they will be passionate about fighting injustice and poverty and be bold in speaking up for strong and decisive international action on climate change.
* From Changing climates, changing lives, a joint report by Tearfund, ACF International and the Institute of Development Studies. teartimes autumn 2010
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zimbabwe appeal
ZIMBABWE ARE RESTORING LIVES Tearfund has launched a special appeal for Zimbabwe to help feed people struggling to cope in a country beset with problems. Despite increased political stability, many Zimbabweans are still vulnerable to the hardships caused by a weak economy and an unreliable climate. But – by equipping the local church to respond – your support is making a huge difference. Words: Mark Lang Photos: Eleanor Bentall/Tearfund
‘I feel things are going to be better for me. I’ve a lot of hope for tomorrow.’ Ready for school: Orphan Miclon, 17, who struggled to find enough food until he was offered a lifeline by Tearfund partner Zimbabwe Orphans through Extended hands.
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autumn 2010 teartimes
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eturning home after another day of lessons, Miclon looks like any normal school kid. But this is Zimbabwe, where appearances can be more deceptive than a politician’s smile. At 17, Miclon’s demeanour has a serious intensity beyond his years. Smiles are strangers to his face. You understand why when you hear how death has shaped his life. His father died from an AIDS-related illness in 2003. His mother died from the same in 2007.
Weighed down with woes Living in Zimbabwe, a country weighed down with economic and political woes, would be hard enough in the best of circumstances, let alone for an orphan. Miclon lives on his parents’ smallholding in Matabeleland South where he has a roof over his head and land to farm. The land is parched because the rainfall pattern is erratic and that makes growing crops harder than the sun-scorched earth itself. Ten minutes’ walk from his home, Miclon shows us a field he owns. Apart from tufts of dried grass, it’s barren. The baked ground feels like concrete. ‘I couldn’t get anything from the fields because of the lack of rain which killed my crops, like the maize plants,’ Miclon tells us. ‘There was a shortage of food and I used to run out of things to eat. Eventually I had to sell the few goats I had to buy food.’
‘I used to run out of things to eat. Eventually I had to sell the few goats I had.’ Sustainable support With climate challenges and dwindling agricultural assets, Miclon was on a slippery slope until a Tearfund partner working with the local church offered a lifeline. And it’s a lifeline we can help extend to many more people thanks to the generous response to our Zimbabwe appeal. Please do be part of responding to this urgent need. teartimes autumn 2010
‘Being self-reliant if you are a child under 18 and jobless is hard.’ Initially Tearfund partner Zoe (Zimbabwe Orphans through Extended hands) helped Miclon by giving him food. More importantly, Zoe offered a sustainable means to develop a livelihood by providing livestock. It also trained local church volunteers so they could give Miclon and other orphans advice about animal husbandry. Miclon says: ‘I was given goats which reproduced and I kept them for two-anda-half years. After that I took one goat back to the church so it could be given to another orphan.’ Miclon now has three goats, which produce about half-a-litre of milk a day. He uses their manure to fertilise his riverside garden where he grows vegetables. ‘I plan to increase the number of goats, so I’ll eventually have 40,’ he says. ‘Now I know how to put my priorities right and what I need to do to be successful in life. I feel things are going to be better for me. I’ve a lot of hope for tomorrow.’ Expert help Church volunteer Zuzile Moyo, who’s been trained in animal husbandry, plays a key role. The mother-of-four offers Miclon practical advice but also the everyday support, emotional connection and spiritual comfort that a young man living on his own needs. Zuzile says, ‘Being self-reliant if you are a child under 18 and jobless is hard. To look after a home is difficult enough. It’s tough.’ Indeed, Zimbabwe at large remains a hard place to live. Despite a unity government bringing some political stability, the country’s economy – which the World Bank says has shrunk by 50 per cent over the last eight years – remains dependent on agriculture. 21
zimbabwe appeal
The last three agricultural seasons have seen seed and fertiliser shortages and the World Food Programme reports a 677,000 tonne shortfall in the cereal crop from April 2009 to March 2010. Such factors explain why 3.5 million Zimbabweans are receiving food assistance from outside the country and why more help is needed.
Christ-like response This system is reaping rewards for poor farmers, bringing them good yields which not only feed their families but often produce surpluses which can be sold to cover other costs, such as school fees. It’s a way of working that many people in Zimbabwe will benefit from over the coming months because of your Christ-like compassion Zimbabwe appeal and generous support for our appeal. Thank you. In June, Tearfund launched a special appeal for If you haven’t yet had the chance to respond, Zimbabwe. The generous financial and prayer please do support Tearfund’s Zimbabwe appeal support of a global movement of churches at www.tearfund.org/zimbabwe. A gift of such as yours is enabling our partners to help, £37 could provide agricultural training for five materially and spiritually, more vulnerable church volunteers. With this training they could people like Miclon. then help 120 orphans to farm their own food, River of Life is another Tearfund partner that’s giving them the skills and opportunity to build helping Zimbabweans to stand on their own an independent future. two feet through its Foundations for Farming Above: Orphan Shadreck, aged 12, is not able to go to programme. It teaches them a stripped-down school because he has to work farming fields to support way of growing crops – incorporating himself and his younger sister Primrose, aged ten. adaptation to climate change and reducing the need for heavy labour – thereby making the most of the resources they have. LoveZim With water being scarce, instead of Please join with churches across the UK ploughing, farmers learn to dig holes to plant and beyond to pray for Zimbabwe by their seeds, thus retaining soil moisture. visiting www.lovezim.org – and support They’re also taught how to make compost The International Prayer Day for using dead leaves, old crop stalks and chicken Zimbabwe on 26 September 2010. or goat manure. 22
autumn 2010 teartimes
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christmas church resources
JOY TO THE WORLD this Christmas ‘On Christmas Day, I remember that Jesus was born into poverty – in a wooden house like mine. I am poor but the Christmas story gives me hope,’ says Daniel, a 12-year-old boy from Lima, Peru’s capital. We tell his amazing, inspiring story through Tearfund’s Christmas church resource, which also features a Nativity play for children at your church to perform. And we’d love you and your church to be inspired by ordering it – for free.
GOD WITH US
Words: Peter Shaw Photos: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
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ife is tough in the shanty town where Daniel lives. Ten years ago, Daniel’s mum, Maribel, and his dad moved from Peru’s lush green highlands to escape terrorism and build a better life. Not long after they arrived in Lima, Daniel’s often abusive dad abandoned the family. This had a devastating effect on Daniel. He spent increasing amounts of time on the dangerous streets away from his house.
Just a year ago, it seemed inevitable that – one day – he would never come back home.
‘On Christmas Day, I remember that Jesus was born into poverty – in a wooden house like mine.’ A Christmas miracle But, thanks to the prayers and generosity of local churches like yours, Tearfund’s partner, Agape, was able to work with Daniel’s local church. And a miracle has occurred. Daniel now works hard at school and stays at home. Daniel and Maribel have a new-found faith and their local church is now central to their lives – and they celebrate their joy with you this Christmas. Will you be part of this lifechanging work by telling Daniel’s moving story in your church this Christmas?
Simple-to-use Nativity play script We’ve produced an innovative and inspiring Nativity play – reminding us of Jesus’ arrival in a stable. There are plenty of parts for all the children in your church – and it’s a powerful Christmas reminder about those who live in poverty as they celebrate Christ’s birth this year. Daniel lights a Christmas candle in his local church in the outskirts of Lima, Peru. 24
autumn 2010 teartimes
ORDER YOUR FREE CHRISTMAS PACK NOW It’s all you need for a great Christmas church service Our Christmas present to you: A NATIVITY PLAY SCRIPT This short drama for children to perform at a Nativity/Christmas service is designed to fit the scope of your children’s work. It explores how Jesus’ birth brings hope to the world. A CHRISTMAS FILM This three-minute DVD to show in your church tells the story of Daniel and his family – it has a festive theme to slot easily into your Christmas service. SERMON INSPIRATION If you want to use Daniel’s story of transformation to inspire your church Christmas talk, we have provided you with detailed speakers notes to produce a 15-minute (or longer) talk. PLUS! Fun children’s craft activity; great ideas for festive fundraising; full background notes on Daniel, Peru and poverty in Lima; inspiration to pray for Daniel and his family. teartimes autumn 2010
‘I am poor but the Christmas story gives me hope.’ So, if you are looking for engaging and easy-to-use resources to enhance your church’s Christmas celebrations this year, please return the tear-out form inserted here to order this free pack – or phone 0845 355 8355 (ROI: 01 497 5285). Or visit www.tearfund.org/christmas 25
connected church in nepal Jane Kendal with a Nepali church leader.
‘Never before have I seen such raw enthusiasm for the gospel and the simplicity and ease with which people live out their Christian lives.’ Jane Kendal
4,500 MILES APART but everything in common Tearfund and New Wine are working in partnership to bring transformation through local churches. In March, seven leading women from the New Wine network visited Nepal through Tearfund’s Connected Church scheme. It provided an amazing opportunity to see how Christians are living out their faith in a very different context, and witness how Tearfund’s work through local churches is having a big impact – transforming lives and touching people with the love of God. It was a life-changing experience for the women, who tell us a bit about themselves and what they experienced on the trip... Words: Cally Spittle Photos: Cally Spittle/Tearfund ANNE COLES ‘I am on the leadership team of New Wine and have special responsibility for women. I’m married to John, the leader of New Wine, a movement that aims to equip the church and transform the nation. ‘In Nepal, we visited a literacy project for women and the church had really got that moving through Tearfund’s partners. The church 26
weren’t doing it to make the local people Christians – they wanted to bless their community. But the community loved the Christians for loving them.’
‘We saw practical and spiritual changes as a result of the work of Tearfund partners.’ autumn 2010 teartimes
Get connected NINA COULTHARD ‘I am vicar of a small church just outside London. I find it interesting and challenging to see how people live out their faith in different contexts, which is what drew me to this trip. ‘It’s hard to get your head around what it would be like to live in the kind of poverty we witnessed in Nepal. It’s easy to put up with such hardship for 24 hours. But to live in that situation is almost impossible to imagine.’ NIKKI GROARKE ‘I live in Islington, where I am vicar of a church of just over 100 people. It’s a real mix of different ages and cultures – and people at different stages in their relationship with God. ‘We saw practical and spiritual changes as a result of the work of Tearfund partners. We visited a water mill project that started through the local church. This was really making a difference to poor people’s lives as they didn’t have to travel so far to turn their maize into flour – and no longer had to queue all night to do this.’ JANE KENDAL ‘I’m involved with our church’s women’s ministry and I’ve recently started a small business working as a career consultant. I am married to Henry, a vicar, and we have three children. ‘Never before have I seen such raw enthusiasm for the gospel and the simplicity and ease with which people live out their Christian lives as I did in Nepal. That enthusiasm acts like a magnet and I want that for my church, and for the church in England.’ NIKKI MARFLEET ‘I live in north London and worship at St Barnabas Church, where I serve on the worship team and as a home group leader. I have a passion for worship and discipling young adults. ‘The visit to Nepal has probably been the most challenging trip I’ve ever done. The highlight for me was leading worship in English at the church we visited, when everyone else was singing in Nepali. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.’ teartimes autumn 2010
Through Connected Church, Tearfund can connect your church directly with people in some of the poorest communities on earth. We’ll link you with a church project that will transform your life – and theirs. To find out more visit www.tearfund.org/connected or phone 0845 521 0021 (ROI: 01 497 5285). For more information on New Wine, visit www.new-wine.org
CATHARINE MORRIS ‘I was ordained in the Anglican Church eight years ago. I now lead New Hope, a church plant in the centre of Reading, and I also work at the nearby parent church. ‘I came away from Nepal with a sense of the New Testament church. The church is growing so much faster than we ever see in the UK. In Nepal, we caught a glimpse of that explosion in the church – people being healed and coming to faith.’ KATE WHARTON ‘I’m vicar of St George’s Church in Everton, Liverpool. Before that, I worked as a children’s speech and language therapist. One day a week I work with local deaf people, and take services in British Sign [Language]. ‘This has been one of the most challenging trips I’ve been on, but also one of the most fun at the same time. It’s definitely been the trip where I’ve most seen God at work, and been aware of God’s power.’
March 2010: New Wine Connected Church team against the backdrop of the Himalayas. 27
Q&A with Alexander McLean
Criminal justice in Africa Alexander McLean founded the African Prisons Project after spending time in Uganda during his gap year. While volunteering at a hospice in Kampala, aged 18, he visited a government hospital and met prisoners sent there for treatment. He found they were badly mistreated and often died of minor illnesses. He began caring for severely ill prisoners in the hospital. This led him to rehabilitate the prison’s clinic and set up the African Prisons Project. Alexander is part of Tearfund’s Inspired Individuals initiative. Interview: Peter Shaw Photo: Andi Bray Was it daunting, aged only 18, to volunteer at a hospice in Uganda? I had no idea what I was getting myself into in Uganda – but I was excited and ready for a challenge. I was surrounded by a different culture. It was meant to be a two-week trip but it turned into six months. The first month, I was with the hospice, going on home visits around Kampala. Then I spent three months in Mulago Hospital, looking after people dying of AIDS-related illnesses. It exposed me to much suffering and made me wonder what I could do to assist those who were forgotten about. I saw many really awful things during that time. How did you discover your passion for criminal justice in Africa? When I was in the hospital, I saw what needed to be done there and then – people dying in front of me who needed assistance. As I went to church every Sunday, I was told we should love our neighbour – I thought it was a good opportunity to actually do it. Then I went into the prison and saw the same things there – a prison hospital that needs refurbishing. When I left Uganda for the first time, I had no intention of starting an organisation or to keep going back to Africa. But I felt I’d left something of me there. 28
After returning from Uganda, you started to study at university in Nottingham. It must have seemed a strange contrast? I found it very difficult to acclimatise back in the UK. I kept going back to Africa in the holidays and I saw there was a lot that I could do to help there. I thought, maybe after graduation, I’d spend a year in Africa. Then I’d come back and become a barrister in the UK and live a ‘normal’ life. But gradually that time has extended and I think this is where I’m meant to be for my life. It’s not just a project – my life will be serving the destitute in Africa.
‘It’s not just a project – my life will be serving the destitute in Africa.’ How central is your Christian faith to your work in prisons? A practical and spiritual response is crucial to our work, both for our staff and for the people we serve. Each day, as staff, we begin with some singing and praying together that equips us for the challenges of the day. And for the prisoners that we serve, we aim to bring about transformation in their lives as a whole. autumn 2010 teartimes
Andi Bray – andibray@hotmail.com
Inspired Individual Alexander McLean talks to a prisoner in a cell in Uganda.
Tearfund’s Inspired Individuals initiative identifies, supports and resources social entrepreneurs – people who have the unique skills and vision to transform the lives of millions living in poverty. To find out more, visit www.tearfund.org/inspiredindividuals And that’s about equipping them when they get out of prison, and giving them dignity when they are in prison. But also bringing spiritual transformation – sharing our faith with the prisoners – whether that’s through looking after sick prisoners, giving them medicine, bathing them and feeding them, but also through praying for them. How are you supported by Tearfund’s Inspired Individuals initiative? Inspired Individuals is great. It helps to provide me with a support group of people working in a similar area to me. We face the same challenges and we can share ideas and strategies for solving problems. We can open our networks to each other and pray together teartimes autumn 2010
when we meet up. We recently met up to encourage each other, which is fantastic because often this work feels very isolated. And having financial assistance is great as I don’t take a salary for my work. How can Tearfund supporters pray for your work? At the moment we are trying to establish ourselves in Kenya and Sierra Leone and set up a second office in Uganda. Please pray that we have good conditions to operate in – prison officers who are friendly, who share our vision and want to invest in our work. And that in the countries we work, we can bring greater change – beyond the prisons – to touch whole communities with a desire for justice. So that we can enable many people to be more compassionate – to think more about forgiveness for those who have done wrong. Find out more about how the African Prisons Project brings dignity and hope to prisoners in Africa at: www.africanprisons.org
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J20095 Living Gifts advert(HR).pdf
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GIVE SOMEONE SPECIAL A PAIR OF PIGS THIS CHRISTMAS (DON’T WORRY – THEY WON’T HAVE TO KEEP THEM)
A Living Gifts voucher lets them choose pigs, schooling, clean water – whatever they’d like, to give to a global neighbour in real need
ORDER A VOUCHER NOW!
www.livinggifts.org.uk 0845 241 7782 * If a Living Gifts catalogue was not included with your copy of Tear Times please visit www.livinggifts.org.uk or call 0845 355 8355. Living Gifts are available to residents of the UK only.
Richard Lister/Tearfund
reflection
The bigger
society O
Words: Mathew Frost, Chief Executive ver the last two years, we’ve taken some important and significant steps to make sure that – despite the recession – Tearfund has been able to keep supporting the poorest people in the most vulnerable communities on earth. Time and time again, we’ve found that the most effective and sustainable way to do this at the grassroots is through the local church. And, in cultures where there is no local church, we’ve worked through Christian partners whose vision is to bring material and spiritual transformation. Elena, a community worker with our partner Agape in Peru, puts it simply: ‘Local churches know the people in their communities well. They are well placed to meet the needs of the people around them, and that’s why Agape works closely with local churches.’ (See page 24.) And 20,000km away in Cambodia, Thida – who leads Tearfund partner the Wholistic Development Organisation (WDO) – says, ‘The church is like a catalyst in the community – it has the power from God. To work well in a community, we have to know their culture. And the local church knows this.’ (See page 8.) The UK coalition government has now been in power for about six months, so it’s a good time to view the progression of its policies and ask some searching questions. David Cameron is beginning to develop, through legislation, what he means by a ‘Big Society’, one of the key ideas in his election campaign. The prime minister describes the idea as ‘a society where the leading force for progress is social responsibility’. Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development and head of DFID, used his first speech in the post to set out his plans to assess independently how and where overseas aid money is being spent, and whether it gives value for money.
teartimes autumn 2010
Uganda: Matthew on a visit to Tearfund partner Pentecostal Assemblies of God.
In response to that, I’d like to ask Andrew Mitchell what the ‘Big Society’ means for poor people around the world. What will it mean for Agape in Peru? Or WDO in Cambodia? Is the involvement of the local church key to his method of triggering a deep and enduring sense of social responsibility, and gauging value for money? And, when I have a meeting with him, I’ll take that opportunity to ask him. At Tearfund, we know that the best way to measure whether aid is valuable, and that it promotes social responsibility, is to listen to the ‘big society’ who benefit directly from it. And in millions of communities around the world, the closest contact to the poorest communities is the local church. So when it comes to making sure our work, and similarly the work of DFID, is effective, we need to listen to the poorest and most vulnerable people – and that means working closely with the local church.
Get in touch with us! UK
www.tearfund.org Email: enquiries@tearfund.org Tel: 0845 355 8355 100 Church Road, Teddington TW11 8QE Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland)
Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD T y^ Catherine, Capel Cildwrn, Llangefni,Ynys Môn LL77 7NN Rose House, 2 Derryvolgie Avenue, Belfast BT9 6FL
ROI
www.tearfund.ie Email: enquiries@tearfund.ie Tel: +353 (0)1 878 3200 Tearfund Ireland, 5–7 Upper O’Connell St Dublin 1, Ireland Registered Charity No. CHY 8600
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There’s something different about this photo... If it had been taken 18 months earlier, this photo would have looked very different. Cambodians Mol, Tol and their four children weren’t smiling then. They were malnourished and in their own words, without hope. One key change has been a pair of pigs. Our partner, working with Mol and Tol’s local church, loaned them livestock – to breed, to sell, to eat. One of many simple yet lifesaving steps we’re able to take because of your generosity.
A regular monthly gift of £19 could give two pigs to another family each month, so more and more families can feed themselves and generate income.
Please give. Visit www.tearfund.org/family, call 0845 355 8355 or return the card on page 9. Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland) Photography: © Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund 20052 - (0910)
BE PART OF A MIRACLE