ADRAnews Summer 2016

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ADRA NEWS

Summer 2016

A Brighter Future

As a child, Linh was unable to finish school.

While education in Vietnam is supposed to be free, other costs like supplies and uniforms mean many families can’t afford it. Because she didn’t complete school, Linh missed out on fully developing her skills.

After giving birth to her second child, Linh was diagnosed with a heart problem, which affected

her ability to work. This meant Linh’s husband had to leave home to find seasonal work to support the family. Because a lot of money was spent on Linh’s medication to try and treat her illness, it became difficult to send the children to school when the costs for textbooks and uniforms began to pile up.

Linh felt frustrated that she did not have the skills and resources to help improve the wellbeing of her family and community. Often there wouldn’t even be enough food and the family would go hungry. “I felt disappointed sometimes because of the sickness and other challenges,” she said.

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Linh lives in a remote village in the Cao Bang Province, one of the poorest areas in Vietnam where many ethnic minorities live in poverty. Linh and her husband are farmers and they have two children: a son in fifth grade and a daughter in 11th grade.

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The Gift of Gratitude ‘Thank’ and ‘you’ are two of the most basic words in the English language. Yet, when combined they can have a powerful impact on people.

When travelling to a country for the first time, I have always found that learning the phrase ‘thank you’ in the local lingo is a most useful way to connect with people and bridge cultural and language divides. In fact, I can attest that ‘thank you’ accompanied by a smile can get you through many challenging situations.

Thankfulness is an expression of gratitude.

Studies have shown that gratitude is a powerful and healthy emotion that consistently increases wellbeing. It was English author G.B. Stern who said: “Silent gratitude isn’t much good to anyone,” and she expresses an important truth.

Our wellbeing is only truly fulfilled when we turn it into something that we at ADRA Australia call ‘well-giving’. In other words, when we give expression to our gratitude by saying ‘thank you’ to someone we also increase their wellbeing and

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so begin a ripple effect that spreads from person to person.

It is with a great deal of thankfulness that I reflect on the efforts I have witnessed in the past few months of countless volunteers and supporters to further the work of ADRA in Australia and around the world. I am grateful for people who give incredibly generously of their time to manage ADRA op shops and projects around Australia. Voluntary service given with joy because they believe it fulfils their purpose in life. I am thankful for supporters who have raised funds for ADRA’s work during October, whether through community fundraisers like trivia nights and open gardens or knocking on doors and collecting at traffic intersections. A sharing of their gifts of creativity, caring and conversation in the service of others.

And I am blessed too by those who choose to share their thanks with ADRA, like the supporter who surprised me in a news agency queue recently just to say that he’d sent in another donation and that ADRA was his favourite charity.

A little bit of thanks goes a long way to making us all feel blessed. So thank you to you, dear reader, for your contribution to ADRA.

T: 02 9489 5488 1800 242 372 E: adra.info@adra.org.au www.adra.org.au www.facebook.com/ADRAAustralia

ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA

Mark Webster

CEO Adventist Development and Relief Agency Australia

Editor Josh Dye Contributors Mark Webster Aleksandra Ewing Josh Dye

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“I have regained confidence and motivation for life, so I feel better now.”

FROM PAGE 1

So when ADRA came to her village and introduced the Sustainable Livelihood Development Project, Linh and her husband eagerly decided to join. The project’s goal to empower the community with skills and confidence to change their lives struck a chord with Linh.

Because of her passion to help other people, Linh was quickly appointed vice-president of the community development club. To address health issues caused by open defecation, Linh received hygiene training and returned to teach 75 people from her community about sanitation and hygiene. It was challenging and empowering.

“ADRA provided 20 families with loans to build proper latrines to clean up the village because there was a lot of open defecation and diarrhoea occurring in my village. As a result of the latrine project, kids have less diarrhoea,” Linh said. “The latrine has given us more convenience as it is cleaner. Before we received a latrine we would walk to the garden to use the toilet. Now the latrine is closer to the house and cleaner.”

can sell them at a better price and earn a better income,” Linh says. She and her husband shared their experiences with raising ducks to another family which was also able to raise their income.

With the extra income, Linh is able to save some money for her children’s education and buy necessary household items such as a refrigerator.

Now, she takes a lead role in bringing positive change to her village and working hard to use her skills to help the whole community. “My greatest achievement on the project would be writing the proposal. I used the knowledge that I have received to write a proposal for my community and my family for example in building the latrine a family must submit a proposal on their own,” she says.

Linh looks back on the past and can see a positive change in her life. “In recent years I have regained confidence and motivation for life so I feel better now.”

This Christmas, you can help people like Linh have a brighter future.

Through the project, Linh and other families also received loans for ducks to generate a higher income for their families. “ADRA taught me how to produce nutritious food for my ducks so that I

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Disaster Updates Haiti In early October, Hurricane Matthew ripped through Haiti, the impoverished Central American nation, leaving a massive trail of destruction in its wake.

More than 1000 people died. Hundreds of thousands were affected. ADRA immediately responded to survivors in Haiti after the cyclone, deploying an emergency response team of disaster experts to assist in the relief efforts.

As a clearer picture of the disaster emerges, the immediate priorities are providing water, food and hygiene kits. ADRA's immediate supplies include: water purification units, water purification tablets and hygiene kits with soap, sanitary items, detergent and other items.

This cyclone comes as Haiti still recovers from the devastating earthquake in 2010.

With your help, we were able to help people like Ieisme. She’s just 14 years old and lost everything in the storm. She's shaken, but strong: “There is no need for people to be hopeless,” she said. “God can do something for them.”

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NSW Floods In September, NSW was inundated with record rainfall. ADRA emergency management volunteers responded to the flood crisis by helping dozens of people find emergency accommodation after they had to leave their homes.

ADRA has an important role in disasters in NSW. As part of an official agreement with the State Government, ADRA volunteers help source accommodation from places like motels for people who are temporarily displaced.

In October, ADRA Australia was delighted to resign a two-year extension to our agreement with the NSW government agency overseeing disaster welfare services to provide emergency accommodation. We’d like to acknowledge and thank our wonderful volunteers for their invaluable contribution to the needs of disasteraffected people in NSW.

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Thank you so much for supporting ADRA’s work during disasters to bring urgent relief to people in need.

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Development Education

Taking a Back Seat

We all know the jokes about the meddling in-laws whose advice, even though they mean well, is often far from being helpful. So when it comes to helping people in poverty, is our well-meaning support really beneficial? Or are we just like meddling in-laws?

This issue was addressed at a Philanthropy in Australia Conference in September where a number of community leaders, prominent Australian philanthropists and influential charities explored the concept of citizen-led development.

Citizen-led development is based on the idea long-term beneficial change needs to be driven by local people rather than imposed by wellmeaning individuals unfamiliar with the circumstances of the people whom they are trying to help.

We as humans, no matter where we live, work or play tend to have a vested interest in improving the places we call ‘home’. We all want to have the freedom to have a ‘say’ in our lives, the lives of our families and local communities.

Citizen-led development is about equipping local people, who are already passionate about their own communities, to contribute to a common vision and development of priorities. By doing so, we can build trusting community relationships and give a voice to those whom we’re trying to help. We can foster people’s skills and we can build community-ownership for sustainable change. This does not mean watching from the sidelines, but rather giving communities in need the freedom to create their own future and walking alongside them and providing support as they develop their own solutions appropriate to their local context.

It’s why supporting an organisation like ADRA is really important. You know that you are making a long-term and sustainable difference.

No matter who or where we are, we all want to see others thrive. To do so, we can use these helpful tips to put our best foot forward and help nurture thriving relationships.

But to do that effectively, it’s important that we empower communities to drive change. That sometimes means taking a back seat, and not being meddling in-laws.

Sources: • Hempworth, F., 2016, Why communities must drive social change, Alliance Magazine. www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/needcommunity-driven-change • The Movement for Community Led Development, 2016, Defining Community-led Development, The Hunger Project. https://communityleddev.org/definition • MacLennan, b., Bijoux, D., Courtney, M., 2015, Community Development and Community-led Development: What’s the Difference?, Inspiring Communities.

• Hanson, H., Ceccherini, V., 2010, The Benefits of Community-Led Development Programming in Insecure Environments. Mercy Corps. Inspiring Communities.

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Cycling for Change

Louise Ginn is a very driven and motivated woman. Not satisfied with raising more than $70,000 for ADRA last year when she and her son completed a 1000km tandem cycling marathon from Sydney to Mt Kosciuszko and back, she’s doing it again.

This time though, it will be a bit shorter so more people can get involved. In March, the Capital2Kozi crew will begin in Canberra and ascend Australia’s tallest mountain. Each cyclist will ride 400km over 5 days through the beautiful snowy mountains. ADRA cyclists will each raise at least $1500 for the Blossom project in Vanuatu, helping to address the root causes of teen pregnancies by providing reproductive health education and public awareness campaigns.

challenge while helping others. I believe that if you have the desire to do something, then set your mind on it, you will achieve it!”

To learn more and to take part, visit www.ride4rescue.org

Another group of cyclists is gearing up to put on the lycra to change lives.

Early next year, dozens of riders will complete the Great Ocean Road adventure in Victoria and the

“I love an adventurous physical challenge and having one drives me to keep fit. Knowing that I can use my gift of fitness to help young mums in Vanuatu gives me a real reason and purpose to keep training,” Louise says.

“I’m most excited about inspiring others to see that they too can achieve a great physical

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In hot, humid and remote Katherine, Northern Territory, where the population is just over 10,000 people, ADRA isn’t exactly a household name.

But one man is helping to change that. Ron Green recently won the prestigious Chief Minister's Medal for Emergency Services, recognising his exceptional volunteer achievement within emergency services. The award came with a $2500 prize to be donated to a charity of Ron’s choice. And he chose ADRA! Ron has been volunteering for NT Emergency Service in Katherine since 2005 and he was surprised to win the award.

“As the award was for emergency service I wanted to choose an organisation that contributed to disaster relief, particularly within Australia.”

Queensland Classic in New Zealand. Cyclists who choose to fundraise for ADRA will be helping improve the health of children in Cambodia to reduce malnutrition and improve sanitation. What an amazing opportunity!

Simon Lewis completed the Queenstown Classic last year and has signed up to test himself on the Great Ocean Road ride next year.

“I appreciate that ADRA tries to focus on what causes poverty, wherever it is, and tries to transform lives in a way that is ongoing and lasting.”

Ron says his ADRA roots stretch back to his childhood.

“I guess my support began when I was quite young and continued through my teen years through collecting for the ADRA Appeal with the local pathfinder club or church.”

“I love the Great Ocean Road and seeing it from the bike will be amazing,” Simon says. “Raising money for ADRA is really worthwhile and I want to make a difference in the world as well as a difference to my fitness levels.”

Visit 25000spins.com/adventures to learn more and sign up.

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Farewelling a Justice Champion

Pam Wood is a warrior for social justice. As she prepares to retire, she reflects on her time managing the ADRA Community Centre in Logan.

The phone rings. Pam Wood glances down, picks up her mobile and answers in a cheerful voice. It’s yet another person needing help.

As manager of the ADRA Community Centre in Logan, one of the leading community centres in the area south of Brisbane, Pam is constantly confronted with people in need. “We have been inundated with people needing food,” Pam says.

“We do over 500 food parcels a week and we have an op shop that supports the centre. We go through about 25-30 pallets of food a week.”

Pam started with ADRA back in 2004, when the national program was called ADRAcare. She helped establish Logan Central in 2008 and it began to rapidly expand. “What I’ve seen happen in that time is we have become the lead agency in Logan. If you call the Logan City Council, they will tell you to donate to Logan Central.”

The centre helps about 60,000 people each

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year, Pam says, by providing emergency relief and furniture for homeless people, refugees and domestic violence victims. Volunteers help people with clothing and resettling into new residences, while a weekly soup kitchen fills the stomachs of about 100 people each Monday night. “I don’t think there’s anybody in Logan that wouldn’t know who we are.”

Unemployment and underemployment are huge challenges in the region, one of Brisbane’s most disadvantaged. “A lot of people in this area could not survive without us. A lot of people here rely on us a lot. The demand is just huge, and it’s getting bigger and bigger.”

But there are safeguards in place to stop people becoming dependant on ADRA’s help.

“People are only allowed 3 free parcels a year – after that we ask for a handling fee to cut down dependency and greediness that some people have.”

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With just a handful of paid staff, one of Pam’s biggest challenges has been getting Seventh-day Adventist church members to help. “I’d love to have some more Adventist volunteers here in our op shop and in the reception. We have three receptionists every day to cope with the demand.

They’re very busy.”

Pam says a majority of volunteers are previous beneficiaries who have received help in the past.

“They come here because we’ve helped them in the past,” Pam says.

Throughout her tenure in charge of Logan Central, Pam has witnessed “daily miracles”.

“God does love to surprise us,” she says. “To know that God has used me in that way has been very wonderful. I feel that what we’re doing is being the hands and feet of Jesus in a very literal way. It’s been a very, very rewarding job to be in, waking up every morning knowing that you’re doing what God wants you to do.”

Pam has learnt to be faithful during challenging times. “I’ve gotten to the stage where I realise

that any problem I have is God’s problem – I just pray and let him deal with it. God is good at his word. As long as we keep remembering that he’s in charge, we’ll be fine.”

But it’s a taxing job. She estimates some weeks she works up to 60 hours with long days and late night phone calls for help. Now, it’s time to pull up stumps and hand over the reins. Pam is especially looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends who she hasn’t been able to keep in touch with because of her job.

She plans to move down to Kingscliff and enjoy a slower pace and coastal lifestyle. “It will be hard to let go, but I’ve got other things planned. I’ll miss everybody here. I’ll miss seeing God work the way he does, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to see God working in other ways as well.”

“I’m just so proud that we’re able to do what we do. I’ve learnt a lot about myself, about my church and about people. But above all I’ve learnt a lot about God and how much he cares about us and loves us.”

ADRA Community Centre in Logan packs more than 500 food parcels each week.

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Thank-You

Bega Begins with a Bang The ADRA Appeal started early in Bega, NSW with Nola and Barry Hergenhan opening their 100-year-old heritage cottage and gardens to the public for the first time.

The picturesque property is a working Angus beef and Merino sheep farm and boasts a large orchard, raised vegetable garden, roses, camellias and an array of natives.

Hundreds of visitors were invited to enjoy the

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We have thousands of wonderful volunteers.

Here’s a shout-out to just a few!

garden through widespread advertising within the local community. They were treated to relaxing music and locally made jams, relishes, cakes, sandwiches, curries and plants provided by the Bega Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The event was successful for a number of reasons: it allowed our church members to use their talents to contribute what they could; it enabled the community to get to know the Adventist church in a relaxed setting; and it also helped to raise more than $4,400 for the work of ADRA,� says Janet Kieltyka, ADRA leader in Bega.

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Serving with a Purpose “We wanted to do something fun, that was purposeful,” said Roy Kim of Melbourne City Adventist Church.

“Our church is made up of young professionals passionate about bringing awareness to the needs of the world,” says Roy. “And, with the attention that homelessness has been getting, we thought it would be a good chance for our church to do something about it.”

The idea of raising funds through a table tennis tournament came about as a number of youth decided to use their hobby to get their friends and other like-minded people to support this cause.

A local table tennis club generously provided the venue and donated prizes for the competition— enabling the funds raised through entry and refreshment sales to be donated to ADRA’s community meals project in Victoria.

Growing Affinity Once a year, the front lawns of Mossman Seventh-day Adventist church in far-north Queensland turn into a community market as the church holds an annual Plant and Jumble Sale to fundraise for the ADRA Appeal.

“Throughout the year, church members are asked to donate goods they no longer need, while Estrella Wightman—an avid green thumb— propagates plants to sell,” says ADRA leader Judy Blain.

The sale is a great opportunity for the small church to engage with the local community. “We often have people ask us about who we are and what we believe. It’s a chance for them to work out who Adventists are,” Judy says.

In total, the church raised $2,155 through the event and through door-knocking.

Thank you to everyone who raised funds during October for the ADRA Appeal.

We’re so grateful for your generosity!

Share Your Story We love our volunteers and want to profile your stories.

Do you have one to share? Email news@adra.org.au ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA

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t n a r g n a c u Yo

! s e h s i W s a m t Chris

$10 Water Filter

$20 Chickens

to provide clean drinking water for families in Cambodia.

to provide eggs for food and income

Register now to help your church, school or organisation run a Christmas tree fundraiser!

adra.org.au/christmaswishes