Global Link Spring 2023

GLOBALLINK

“GOD HAD SAVED US”

InOctober2022,Iconducteda monitoringvisittooursponsorship projectsinZimbabweandZambia,my firstinternationaltripsincemanagingthe BrighterFuturesChildren’sSponsorship Program

AftermorethantwoyearsofCOVID-19, everythingIknewabouttheseprojectscame throughregularreportsthatIwasreading However,steppingontothesoilofAfrica,I wasabletowitnessfirst-handhowlivesare beingchangedbythegenerosityofpeople whogiveonaregularbasistoBrighter Futures ThewordsIhadbeenreadingon papercametolifeandtherealitystartedto comeintofocus

Ivisitedseveralschoolsandwasableto walkthroughclassroomsandseewherethe childrensateveryday,learning,playingand growingunderthecareoftheirdedicated teachers.Ilistenedtotheirstoriesofthankfulnessandheardoftheirdreams

AyoungstudentinGrade6toldmeshe wantstobeajudgewhenshegrowsupsothat shewillhaveenoughmoneytohelpher

By Major Heather Matondo

familyandorphans,justasshehasreceived helpfromTheSalvationArmy.

InZambia,wewereabletovisitRichard,a recipientofsponsorshipfundsthathelpedpay forhisschoolfees,uniformandschool supplies Healsoreceivedtwogoats,which willprovidemilk,foodandincomeforhis familyforyearstocome

WhenRichard’suniformpackagearrived, atatimewhentherewasnomoneyleft, Richard’sfathersaid,“Godhassavedus”

Whilewemaynotalwaysseethelivesthat arebeingchangedfirst-hand,Iamblessed thatIwasabletomeetjustafewandwalk awayknowingtheimpactisgreatandlifechangingforsomanychildren

Yoursupportmakesareal,tangibleand practicaldifferenceforsomanychildrenand youtharoundtheworld

Dedicated teachers and students at Kawama Primary School in Zambia.

TERRITORIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IN CANADA AND BERMUDA

OnFebruary6,a7.8magni-

tudeearthquakestruckparts ofTurkeyandSyria,violently shakingthegroundanddestroying thousandsofbuildings.AsofFebruary 10,itwasreportedthatmorethan 22,000peoplehaddiedandthousands morehadbeeninjured.Suchtragicloss impactstheveryheartandsoulof communities.

Naturaldisasters,drought,warand politicalunrestnegativelyimpactan individual’sagencyandwell-being.The SalvationArmyrespondsthrough emergencydisasterandrapidresponse projectsand,dependingontheextent ofthesituation,developslonger-term support Thesehumanitarianreliefand developmentprojectsarelocally developedandled,ensuringtheneeds ofthemostvulnerableareaddressed.

Inthisissueof Global Link,youwill learnhowTheSalvationArmyis respondingtothedroughtcrisisinthe TurkanaregionofKenya,howweare supportingrefugeechildrenlandingin BulgariaandGeorgia,howtherepair ofaschoolbuildinginChilehelps childrenstayinschool,aswellasother storiesofinterest

Ihopeasyoureadthearticles,you willsensetheincrediblesupportyou areprovidingwhenyougiveto internationaldevelopment.Every dollarmakessuchadifferenceinthe livesofindividuals.Thankyoufor “GivingHopeToday”

Sincerely,

Lt-Colonel Brenda Murray

Director of International Development

FOOD RELIEF AMIDST DROUGHT

By Kathy Nguyen

“Unfortunately, we have not yet seen the worst of this crisis. If you think 2022 is bad, beware of what is coming in 2023. What that means, is that we need to continue to engage. We cannot give up on the needs of the population in the Horn of Africa.”

— MichaelDunford, United Nation’s World Food Programme Regional Director for Eastern Africa

TheSalvationArmyinCanadaandBermudarespondstonaturaldisastersinevery corneroftheworld,andwithyourhelp,weprovidedsupportto59schoolsacross Turkana,Kenya.

Asaresultofthisdrought,Kenyais sufferingoneoftheworstfoodcrises indecades.That'swhythelocal SalvationArmyisprovidingeach schoolwithfoodrelief,including water,maize,beans,rice,cookingoil, sugar,andmore

Recently,Kenyahasexperiencedtheworstdroughtthey'veseenin40years,with foursuccessivefailedrainyseasons.Thisextremeweathercrisiserupteda humanitariancrisis,leavingmillionsthirsty,malnourishedandimpoverished Morethan12,000students, alongsidetheteachingfacultyand staff,willbenefitfromnutritious meals

TheSalvationArmyinCanada andBermuda,inpartnershipwith TheSalvationArmyinKenyaWest, theUnitedKingdomandRepublic ofIreland,Switzerland,Austriaand Hungary,andNorway,Icelandand theFæroes,hascombinedefforts andfundstocovertheexpensesof foodforthenextthreemonths,ensuringthateverystudent receivesnutritiousmealsfivetimesaday(threemainmealsandtwosnacks).

Nostudentdeservestogotoschoolhungry.Andbecauseyoucare,studentsacross Turkanawon'thaveto.Thankyou!

A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD

TheSalvationArmyhasbeenadvocatingforqualityeducation worldwideformorethan150years Recognizingthatholistic careispivotalintheeducationsector,we’veimplemented multi-prongedprojectstotacklevariousmatters.We’venotonly providedschoolswithnewbooks,buttrainingandprofessional developmentforteachers We’venotonlyprovidedstudentswith paidtuitionfees,butwithlivestocksothattheirfamiliescouldearn anincome

That’swhywhenaschoolinLasAcacias,Chile,neededanew rooftoprotecttheclassroomsduringrainyseasonandbeyond,The SalvationArmyinCanadaandBermudaresponded

TheLasAcaciasKindergartenisasmallbutmightykindergarten andpre-kindergartenschoolthatprovideslearningandnutritious mealstomorethan80children,agestwotofive

Whenheavyrainscauseddamageandwaterleakagetotheroof, Canadianshelpedprovidethefundstohavetheroofreplacedwitha newandstablerooftoensureasafeplacetolearnandplay.

“TheSalvationArmy’smissionistoprovidequalityeducation withouttheriskofanydisaster,”saysNoeliaPintos,territorial projectssecretaryforTheSalvationArmyinSouthAmericaWest. “Forthisreason,wearegratefulfortheopportunitytoimprovethe conditionsforabettereducationforourchildren”

Toensureagreatlearningexperience,weneedtofirstensurea safelearningexperience

Withyoursupport,wecandothatforstudentsbeyondour borders.Thankyou!

UKRAINE CRISIS RESPONSE: BACK TO SCHOOL

By Kathy Nguyen

By Robyn Goodyear

NearlyayearsincethecrisisinUkraine

beganinFebruary2022,millionsof familieshavefledtheirhomestoseek safetyinsurroundingcountries Astheunrest continues,refugeechildrendisplacedbythecrisis mustregisterforschoolintheirnew communitiestoavoidfurthermajordisruptions totheireducation

Havingleftmostoftheirbelongingsbehindin Ukraine,childrenarefacedwithstartingschool inanewcountrywithoutthebackpacks,basic clothingandschoolsuppliestheyneed.

Aspartofourongoingresponsetothe Ukrainecrisis,we’vepartneredwithThe SalvationArmyinEasternEuropetoaddressthis direneed.

WithyoursupporttotheUkrainecrisis,we’re providingessentialschoolsupplies,including backpacksandclothing,for500refugeechildren inGeorgiaand1,000refugeechildrenin Bulgaria

Leavingeverythingyouknowasachildand youthcanbeascaryanddauntingexperience Withyoursupport,familieswhocomefrom crisiscanrestalittleeasierknowingtheyare betterpreparedfortheschoolyear.

Photo:StuartThomas/PA,UK

By Robyn Goodyear

Foodinsecuritycontinuestobearisingconcern aroundtheworld Withwidespreadpolitical instabilityinHaiticombinedwithdebtandnatural hazards,manychildrenaregoingtoschoolhungry.Not onlydoesthiscausehealthissues,buthungermakesit hardertoconcentrateinschool.

TheSalvationArmy’sRossignolSchoolinHaiti,the oldestandmostrespectedschoolinitscommunity,is providingqualityeducationandsupportto44children andtheirfamilies.

WithfundingfromTheSalvationArmy’sBrighter FuturesChildren’sSponsorshipProgram,we’reproviding studentswithhotmealseveryschoolday,preparedby caringvolunteers.Thecommunityaroundtheschoolrunsa gardenattheschool,growingcropsandcultivatingseeds Thisensuresnutritiousfoodisavailableattheschoolinthe shorttermbutalsopreparesforthefuture.Theprogramalso equipschildrenwithtextbooksandschoolsupplies

ThisprojectispartofTheSalvationArmy’slong-term strategyforbreakingthecycleofpovertythroughchildren’s nutritionandeducation.Thankstoyourgeneroussupport, childreninHaiticanreceiveawell-roundededucationinthe absenceofhunger,givingthemthetoolsandhopefora brighterfuture