Correspondent April 2019

CORRESPONDENT April 2019

Tearfund supports churches to help after shootings pg 8

Mother-of-five, Ana, 42, from Dondo, Mozambique near the city of Beira.

PICTURES Sean Sheridan

Fashion Guide Aotearoa New Zealand 2019

Aerial view of the city of Beira.

2019 Ethical Fashion Guide Aotearoa pg 6

Southern African nations hit by massive cyclone Cyclone Idai has wreaked havoc across the nations of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi with massive destruction, widespread displacement and heavy loss of lives. Idai is one of the worst tropical cyclones to hit the region.

Our Integral Alliance partner is working in the worst-hit city of Beira, Mozambique, home to more than 500,000 people.

By Keith Ramsay The storm brought intense flooding with storm surges estimated at 4m high. In Beira, where Tearfund’s Integral partner is working, an “inland ocean” has been created measuring 128km long by 24km wide.

The day I met my sponsor children pg 11

Military prepare to respond to victims of Mozambique's flooding.

One of those affected was motherof-five, Ana, 42, from Dondo, Mozambique near the city of Beira. Her husband died in 2008, leaving her with very little. She sells bananas to keep herself and her children fed. When the cyclone hit, the banana crop was destroyed, leaving her without an income. As for her home, she says

“The cyclone has brought total devastation to Mozambique. It’s hard to believe—the entire city of Beira is under water and there’s almost nowhere to land.”

Shep Owen, Tearfund’s partner, Food for the Hungry that it was destroyed in the second wave of the cyclone.

“When it hit the second time, the home started to fall down, so we

ran! The entire house collapsed.

We lost everything. All around us, everything was destroyed.

We were afraid for our lives, but mostly I was terrified for my children. When we have food, I prefer to give it to them.

I am hungry.”

WHAT YOUR DONATION CAN HELP US DO You can help Tearfund’s Integral Alliance partner to provide immediate assistance to 11,000 children and families who have been directly affected by Cyclone Idai. Our response will include delivering emergency food, medical necessities, and access to clean water to those who are in desperate need.

Please help us to respond quickly through our partner on the ground by donating today at tearfund.org.nz.

Alternatively, you can fill out the response form on the back page and post your donation or call us on 0800 800 777.

2 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

PICTURE Unsplash

What's in this issue?

By Keith Ramsay Welcome to another issue of the Correspondent. By now many of you will be familiar with our Ethical Fashion guide. Thanks to those who support it, we are seeing the fashion industry responding positively by making strides to reduce exploitation in their supply chains.

This year we are also rating clothing companies on their environmental impacts. You can see how your favourite clothing companies scored on pages 6 and 7.

Inside Out

By Ian McInnes I have been deeply impacted, as I am sure you have, by the horrific shootings at two Christchurch mosques, and by the national outpouring of grief and love that followed. Tearfund is responding in Christchurch through Southwest Baptist Church who had an established refugee resettlement programme with families now tragically impacted. Their groundbreaking neighbourhood ministry model is wonderfully suited to providing wrap-around care to those most affected.

March 15 was a dark day for our nation with the shootings of our fellow New Zealanders at two Christchurch mosques. Many of these people came to Aotearoa seeking peace, but that peace was shattered by an act of violent hatred. You can read on page 8 how you can help reach out to those affected by donating through Tearfund to support the churches on the frontlines of this tragedy.

Another great example of the Church in the midst of a crisis is

How do we respond at such times?

Where is God in the midst of pure evil? Sean du Toit reminds us that on Easter Friday it can be tempting to think that God has forsaken humanity. Jesus openly wondered whether he himself had been forsaken at the Cross. But he was not, and neither are we, and neither is the Muslim community of Christchurch and Aotearoa.

In Kerrie Palma’s reflections from Lebanon, we see how love for our neighbours (many who are Muslims) wins out over fear and a history of violent Syrian occupation in Lebanon.

Unprecedented numbers of Syrian refugees have been ministered to by the Baptist churches of Lebanon for seven years now, despite their initial well-founded fears of their Syrian neighbours. And God is at work in everyone’s hearts there.

Our faith, our common humanity,

the Lebanese Church reaching out to Syrian refugees. Following the Syrian occupation of Lebanon by the Syrian army, many Lebanese people regarded the Syrians as enemies. But Christians have had to overcome their prejudices and are daily sharing the love of Jesus with them. You can read about Kerrie’s visit to Lebanon on page 3.

It is tough to fight poverty on your own—it often becomes a fight for mere survival. But what happens when people join forces for change?

On page 5, we take a look at how people in our Empower Self-help Groups are breaking down the barriers of poverty and negative social issues in their communities.

The results are amazing.

Rachel’s story of her visit to meet her sponsor children on page 11 makes for a good read for all who sponsor children. Her experience is heart-warming and confirmed to her that sponsoring children really makes an impact.

We hope you are encouraged reading about what you have helped to achieve through your support of Tearfund and our partners' work.

friendship and the God of peace is able to cast out all fear, draw all to himself and embolden us to reach across in times of great suffering.

Tearfund is determined to help equip the church of New Zealand for such a task. Our Justice Conference events in Auckland and Christchurch, as well as Helen Manson’s Celebration of Humanity Photography Tour, are just two of the ways you can be touched and equipped as you explore issues of our common humanity and what God might be laying on your heart. Helen is Tearfund’s premier storyteller and photographer, capturing the best and worst of humanity—yet she somehow manages to find that ray of hope as God breaks through and reminds each of us that a new dawn is coming, and we are invited to step into that with Jesus.

PICTURE Helen Manson

3 occupation were devastating for Lebanese people and many lost family members, homes and livelihoods. Only six years after the withdrawal, Syrians started pouring into Lebanon to escape their own civil war, but this time as scared, desperate refugees. Faced with the choice of helping or turning away, the Church in Lebanon has chosen to offer unconditional love and support, despite how it has triggered reminders of their own pain and loss.

This was incredible to witness. I was inspired to see the Church living this out and to see the way God is working through the way they are putting their faith into action. Their unity across denominational lines and total dedication to the Syrian refugees has resulted in thousands of families receiving monthly food packages, extra resources to survive the cold of winter, schooling for their children, child-friendly spaces for pre-schoolers, medical and dental care, hygiene packs, and initial settlement support.

The Lebanese Church shows compassion Kerrie Palma, top right, and Tearfund's Andrew Robinson (front right) with a group of New Zealand pastors visiting a vocational training centre, Lebanon.

The church in action is truly an inspirational thing. When Christian communities unite over a common cause and focus their energy, care and prayers in an outward direction, God moves in power. This is the situation in Lebanon as the local church responds to the Syrian refugee crisis.

By Kerrie Palma After returning from a visit to Tearfund’s partners in Lebanon who are helping to meet the need of Syrian refugees, I was surprised by the impact it had on me. I thought I might have been overwhelmed by the enormity

of the needs, the suffering of the refugees and the poverty of the refugee settlements. After all, there are officially 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon—a country of 23 million people prior to the Syrian conflict. In Syria, there are over 11 million people displaced by the crisis and

The Injustice of the Cross, the Justice of the Resurrection Good Friday? What’s good about that Friday?

In fact, it’s easy to look at the events leading up to the crucifixion, and the crucifixion itself, as a gross injustice. But there’s also much more going on with Good Friday.

By Sean du Toit Luke 23:41: “We have indeed been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Ps 22:1-2: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Several times throughout the gospel of Luke, the concession is made that “there is no basis for an accusation against this man” (23:4).

Pilate declares he hasn’t found Jesus guilty of the charges against him (23:14). The thief on the cross responds to the other criminal: “We have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds but this man has done

PICTURE Supplied

hundreds of thousands of people have been killed. That is a set of very sobering statistics.

But in fact, the opposite was true. I’ve returned to New Zealand full of hope and inspiration. The local church in Lebanon is responding to this crisis with costly, sacrificial love. They have embodied Jesus' words in Matthew 5:44: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

A Syrian military intervention in 1976 during the Lebanese civil war led to the occupation of Lebanon

by Syrian troops which lasted until 2005. That is very recent history.

The civil war and subsequent

Jesus as the king of not only the Jews but Lord of the whole cosmos.

The resurrection of Jesus is the sign of a world restored to the way it’s “supposed to be”. Raising Jesus was an act of justice. The resurrection is the start of God’s work of new creation, of restoring the world to the way “it’s supposed to be”.

nothing wrong” (23:41). There’s a complete failure of justice as Pilate, who has the power to release Jesus, is swayed by certain Jewish leaders and the uncontrollable crowd to release a known criminal and rather crucify Jesus (23:25). What good is there in this? It’s a complete miscarriage of justice by those in power and a betrayal by those closest to Jesus.

That’s why, when Luke tells the story of Jesus and his resurrection, there’s a challenge for us to participate in Jesus’ work of restoration. In Luke 24:4449, we see Jesus showing his disciples how his story is the great fulfilment and climax of the drama of Scripture. The disciples are sent into the world with power from on high to proclaim the message of repentance and forgiveness, so that God’s healing work of restoring the world can continue.

If that’s where the story ended, we would be justified in thinking this a horrible and hopeless situation.

Fortunately, that’s not where the story ends. The injustice is corrected in Jesus’ resurrection, the moment when God overturns the previous criminal verdict and vindicates

There’s so much more going on with that Good Friday, but without the resurrection, there is no Good in that Friday, and because of the good news of the resurrection, we have good news for the world. Hope is alive because of the resurrection of Jesus. We must bring that

While they have been careful to detach their aid efforts from the church in order to amplify a message of unconditional love, the

refugees are so moved by their care that they are hungry to find out about the God who is motivating this work. The stories

of God’s hand at work and the power of the local church to impact the world is shining so clearly out of this dark situation.

If your church would like to hear these stories in more detail, we would love to share them with you. Just contact enquiries@ tearfund.org.nz and I’ll be in touch! We also hope to have another field trip happening in 2019, so please register your interest with us at enquiries@ tearfund.org.nz if you would like to see the work first hand. message of hope to those tempted to think that God has forsaken humanity. The resurrection gives us hope for a just future and an invitation to participate in God’s work of undoing injustice and making the world the way “it’s supposed to be”.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Psalm 22:1-2

4 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

Anil Govind sheltering from the rain during a farm visit in Sri Lanka.

PICTURE Katy Tait

Low-tech dairy paying dividends in Sri Lanka Aucklander, Anil Govind, recently travelled with a group to see Tearfund’s dairy expansion programme in the former war-torn provinces of Sri Lanka. This smallholder dairy farmer project is looking to build on the success of a previous one which saw the average farmer’s income increase by almost 300% over five years and inject NZ $2.9m into the local economy over that period.

By Anil Govind A Sri Lankan farm does not quite match the picture most of us have of what a farm should look like.

Coming from New Zealand, your mind naturally conjures an image of rolling verdant hills, pocked with countless fat piebald cattle grazing serenely.

Stepping onto a village farm in Sri Lanka, you are greeted instead with a dry modest-sized square block.

Sitting just beside the house is a small open shed, sheltering three or four lean cows. You realise quickly that you are half a world away from the typical Kiwi farm, both literally and figuratively.

Some Sri Lankan farmers don’t even own their own grazing land.

Instead, they gather grass from the roadsides for the cattle to eat. By our standards, the cows’ yield is meagre. The cows are simply not nourished well enough as calves to

reach their potential as adults. But the hungry mouths of the calves must be balanced against the ever-present needs of the family for basic income. The constraints of environment and resources in Sri Lanka really make a folly of any comparisons with dairying in New Zealand.

abducted by soldiers during the conflict, never to see him again.

Despite this, she has remained utterly meticulous in her endeavours. Her farm is immaculately kept. She was able to rear one of her calves with the prescribed level of feed so that as a cow, it now yields a remarkable 20 litres a day. This achievement far surpasses those of her peers.

She is learning and thriving under the guidance of Tearfund’s programme.

What became so evident was just how vital this project is in

that regard. These are people looking to rebuild their lives and their communities. The project is simultaneously about building infrastructure in Sri Lanka and creating opportunities for everyday people.

The most humbling aspect of what we witnessed was the attitude of the people. The adversity they have faced has undoubtedly forged their resilience. The farmers we met, though their resources might be meagre, their pride over what they are achieving was abundant. *Name changed for security reasons.

This project is part of our Empower Cause which brings people together to work their way out of poverty. If you want to support other projects like this one, you can donate to our Empower Cause from just $35 a month.

You are acutely aware that this was very recently a war-torn country, with millions of displaced people.

Such was the scope of the conflict that it is difficult to find anybody who hasn’t lost a loved one. You hear their heartbreaking stories and wonder how they are not overwhelmed.

But that’s what was ultimately heartening about the scenes you see and the narrative you begin to discern. Because, alongside this story of loss and struggle, emerges a stronger one of resilience and hope.

We met a farmer named *Jeevitha who witnessed her husband being

Farmers soak up knowledge from a kiwi farmer.

PICTURE Katy Tait

5

You can support our Empower cause from as little as $35 a month. If you would like to learn more, please contact us at enquiries@tearfund.org.nz.

A Self-help Group gathers to encourage one another in Ethiopia.

PICTURE Helen Manson

The power of many When it comes to a fight, the more people you have on your side, the better chance you have of overcoming whatever is standing against you.

Poverty is the common enemy of many. While strides have been made to reduce the numbers of people living in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 a day (now about 10% of the population), nearly half of the world’s population are still struggling to meet their needs on less than $5.50 a day.

By Keith Ramsay Left to face the daily challenge for survival by yourself can be overwhelming for people living in such poverty, but what happens when people band together to overcome the barriers that keep them in poverty? Tearfund’s Empower projects bring people together to tackle the problems that keep them in poverty.

Empower is built on the evidence that people living in poverty are their own agents of change rather than merely recipients of aid.

Our Empower projects promote economic, social and political empowerment, and have a focus on personal development, relationship-building, collective problem-solving, collective action, self-reliance and self-learning. And the results are heartening. Selfhelp Groups (SHGs) are one of the approaches to poverty reduction within our Empower cause.

SHGs promote savings and loans for small business enterprises, but they also bring many social changes through building strong, caring networks in communities.

SHGS, A POWERHOUSE FOR CHANGE In Tearfund’s SHGs in the Horn of Africa, group members are encouraged to become drivers of change in both their lives and their communities. Mutually supportive relationships are key; members often view the groups as sanctuaries where they can discuss their problems and build trusting relationships that support them through personal crises. It is in these relationships and networks that some of the most exciting changes can be seen.

Following a visit to SHGs in Ethiopia, Alex Evans, a senior fellow at the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) at New York University wrote that for SHG members: “The money’s not the point.

They’re evangelical about saving…. but they all say that the thing that’s really changed their lives is the relationships with each other. ‘We’re family now.’ The trust they have in their group, the shift in their relationships with their husbands as they’ve stopped

being dependent and started being income earners; above all, the power to make change happen, rather than have it as something that happens to them.”

Independent research studies show that Tearfund-supported SHGs in the Horn of Africa are an effective means of creating sustainable livelihoods, increasing resilience to shocks and stresses (economic or natural disasters), and alleviating poverty in urban and rural areas.

The economic and social transformation taking place through SHGs are far more than economic. For sure, members are buying cows, starting small enterprises, sending their children to school and improving their housing and incomes, but the change is far more widespread.

For instance, during recent droughts in Ethiopia, SHG families have shown greater resilience than non-members.

Members’ families are also benefiting. The nutritional and health status of the families of SHG members have shown significant improvement over time. For instance, in Wolayta, Ethiopia, four well-established SHGs reported that all of their

members were providing three meals per day to their families, whereas before joining SHGs, they struggled to provide one and were dependent on food aid. In Sidama, Ethiopia, SHG members reported improvements in food quality and variety as well as quantity, and last year the rates of childhood sickness more than halved across the families of SHG

members supported by Tearfund.

Virtually all SHG members were able to buy and/or produce more food and were better able to feed their family than a year earlier, and 88% of survey respondents increased their income over the 2017-2018 year.

All of these achievements are the result of the empowerment that the SHG model fosters among the groups and from the efforts of the participants. So what do Tearfund supporters bring to this transformational process?

Tearfund believes that SHGs are most effective for addressing poverty reduction when they are combined with training and advisory services in disaster risk reduction (DRR), adaptive and diversified agriculture, business development, health and sanitation, advocacy, literacy and other skills.

What Tearfund Empower givers fund is the setting up of the networks and the training and services provided to SHG members to help ensure SHGs are effective in helping to lift people out of poverty. Once the group and the governing groups, and the cluster level and federal level associations reach maturity, they become self-sustaining and new areas are assessed for SHG development.

While the change is not always rapid, it creates a self-sustaining

momentum that is creating ripple effects into communities where SHGs are established.

There are visible signs of community-wide social change as group members lobby local government for services such as water, and the groups band together to tackle local social problems.

6 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

Our planet and millions of people are exploited to give us the clothes we buy.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

It’s easy to walk into a shop and buy clothes, right? But we’re pretty disconnected from the process of making clothes and the people who have made them. Often, the brands that sell the clothes are no different to us—they know very little about what’s gone into making their products. The result of this disconnected system is that people

and the planet are exploited in the process of making our clothes.

Disconnection like this sits at the heart of poverty. When people are disconnected from power, resource and opportunity, this leads to poverty and exploitation.

The fashion industry has made millions of dollars of profit from the exploitation of workers while

A: The environmental management section asks brands the big questions about how they are monitoring and mitigating their environmental impact. It assesses whether a brand has measured its environmental impact throughout the supply chain, the percentage of sustainable materials used, if the brand has collected data on water use and chemical use in its facilities, monitoring systems to improve chemical and water management, and take-back/repair programmes offered to customers.

Q: Why is an environmental management section being included this year?

A: As we all know, fast fashion causes significant environmental degradation, which affects the wellbeing of workers, their community and the natural

environment. Through assessing which materials and facilities they are using, brands can take informed steps to reduce their environmental impact—from the farm, all the way to the final product. And, in turn, consumers can be aware of who’s doing their bit for our planet.

Q: What can I do as a consumer to help companies improve in this space?

A: Use your voice as a consumer to challenge your favourite brands to think about their environmental impact, if they’re not doing so already. Focus on buying sustainable fibres like organic and recycled natural fibres, recycled polyester and nylon, Lenzing TENCEL and Monocel, and responsibly sourced wool and leather. A vote with your wallet is a powerful one, so think about the environmental impact of a garment before you buy.

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failing to pay the price of its environmental impact. In our work of seeking justice and an end to poverty and exploitation, Tearfund wants to encourage companies and consumers to connect with the people who make their clothes.

in their supply chains. When you buy from brands with good grades, you’re supporting fair working conditions and care for the planet.

The Ethical Fashion Guide connects. It connects you with

Get the Ethical Fashion Guide today and connect to create change.

brands that care about workers

What 's new t his year?

Environmental Management Q: What does the environmental management section include?

New Ze Hall of aland Fame

Together, we can change a system of exploitation to one of fairness and sustainability.

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Fashion Guide Aotearoa New Zealand 2019 The guide is a practical tool you can use to reduce worker exploitation and alleviate poverty in developing countries where clothes are manufactured.

It grades brands on ethical practices in their supply chains, giving you the power to shop ethically.

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Each company is assessed on how it performs in five areas (you can see these represented in the circle device above). These areas are assessed at three different stages of the company’s supply chain:

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Raw materials: Farm-level (for example, cotton farms).

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Inputs production: The production of fabric, leather and other products.

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Final stage production: Factories that sew clothes together for distribution.

8 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

Justice Conference brings you a mini event

By Sophie Rice With over 600 attendees, 38 speakers, 19 partners and 17 sessions, The Justice Conference 2018 was a world-class event and an inspiring gathering, equipping Kiwi Christians to engage with justice in Aotearoa and beyond.

And in 2019, we’re back!

The 2018 conference powerfully embodied the kaupapa, ‘whakahoungia’, meaning ‘all things new’ in Māori. We explored the narrative that in the midst of this fractured and crumbling world, we could be forgiven for feeling a sense of failure and hopelessness. But God is writing a different story. Every single moment God is pulling creation towards His intended purposes to restore, and we’re invited to participate; to make all things new.

One attendee said of their experience, “The most significant thing I got out of The Justice Conference was a greater understanding of the issues we are facing as New Zealanders, but also globally. Not in an overwhelming

sense, but with hope and determination to do what God has placed in my hands to do.”

The conference aims to see the New Zealand church equipped to follow Jesus and engage in social justice. As organisers, we at Tearfund were humbled by the overall attendee feedback supporting this.

“The greatest thing I saw happen through The Justice Conference was that whether attendees learnt something new or were inspired to put their faith into action in some way, it shows that the space we created is ultimately enabling New Zealand Christians to engage with God’s heart for justice,” said Claire Hart, Justice Conference producer.

In September 2019, we can’t wait to host our Justice Conference mini event in Auckland and continue to encourage the church for social justice. Attendees will have a chance to interact with and hear from speakers including Jay Ruka, author of Huia Come Home, and Tearfund’s very own theologian, Sean du Toit, as well as

Poet and speaker Joel McKerrow at last year's Justice Conference.

PICTURES Phil Botha

music from Aro’s debut bicultural album, Manu.

Our last event sold out, so if you’d like to join us, head to thejusticeconference.org.nz now to get your ticket.

Justice Conference Mini Event.

Sept 10 and 11, 7pm-9.30pm. $10 tickets including drinks & nibbles.

Crave Cafe Kingsland, Auckland.

Tickets COMING SOON!

churches from different denominations have been doing to provide support to their Muslim community. Tearfund is working with Christchurch’s Southwest Baptist church which has a refugee and migrant resettlement programme.

Southwest Baptist is helping to support refugee families affected by this tragedy by organising meal rotas, hospital visits, trauma support, strengthening refugee and neighbourhood community programmes, liaising with social services, and providing pastoral care for those involved in supporting the families.

Flower tributes for Christchurch shooting victims outside Mt Roskill Mosque.

PICTURE Laura Brookes

Tearfund supports churches to help after shootings

By Keith Ramsay Friday, March 15, is a date few will forget. It will be marked as one of New Zealand’s darkest days, in the wake of the heartless terrorist act which killed 50 people and left many others injured. Many of those affected by this act of hatred

have left their countries to seek peace here, but that peace has been shattered.

As an organisation, Tearfund works alongside people of all ethnicities and religions affected by tragedy and violent conflict overseas. We are devastated that

this act of premeditated evil happened on our own soil.

WHAT WE’RE DOING TO HELP: In response to this tragic event, Tearfund is again supporting the Church in Christchurch to help, as we did following the earthquakes which rocked the city and its people.

Tearfund is committed to finding the best ways to wrap support around those affected and acknowledge the work

We will be partnering with other churches in the region to assess where the greatest needs are and where we can provide assistance. Tearfund also wishes to support churches nationally as they frame a Christian response to issues of violence and tolerance, and ask deep questions about who is my neighbour and how would Christ respond.

You can help support the work Tearfund is doing through Christchurch churches by donating today at tearfund.org.nz.

9

PICTURE Helen Manson

Helen Manson Photography Tour From the bustle of the biggest refugee camps to the intimacy of a newborn’s first kiss; from hospitals in remotest Africa to the gift of clean water; from newlyformed disaster zones to the joy of childhood; these photos depict the moments, heartbreak, and kinship that touch us all. Let Tearfund's gifted humanitarian photographer and storyteller, Helen Manson, take you on a journey behind her lens and onto the front lines of some of our planet’s most challenging places. Be inspired and encouraged

as she shares stories and images about some of the amazing work being done by organisations all over the globe. These powerful images celebrate our deepest emotional connections through A Celebration of Humanity. Helen’s tour is promoting Tearfund’s child sponsorship.

Helen will be travelling to Queenstown, Christchurch, Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland from May 19-26.

Register for your FREE ticket by visiting tearfund.org,nz.

PICTURE Helen Manson

Making your Mother’s Day gift-giving easy

By Laura Brookes Mums the world over are special, so why not bless two mums this Mother’s Day by gifting your mum a Tearfund Gift for Life? From newborn care to coffee plants to women’s literacy training, Tearfund’s Gift for Life catalogue is brimming with ways to honour your mum or loved one.

By giving a Gift for Life, your mum will receive a special card telling her you have donated a life-changing gift on her behalf to a mum in need overseas.

You can help mothers like Asniman from Indonesia, who received vital information on newborn care from someone who purchased Snuggles as a Gift for Life donation.

“I learnt about how to breastfeed and about nutrition. As a result of breastfeeding, my daughter is healthier than my other two children. I love to learn about caring for children and the things I have learnt I keep in my heart.”

Celebrate this Mother’s Day with a gift that’s a little different. She’ll love you for it, and so will the mum who receives it.

With every Gift for Life purchase, you’re helping to make a tangible difference that not only impacts the individual or family but has flow-on effects for the entire community.

Visit giftforlife.org.nz to give a life-changing gift today.

PICTURE Rosie Paterson-Lima

10 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

Celebrating our Poverty Cycle story

By Laura Brookes Wow. What a month! More than 115 of us took up the Poverty Cycle challenge, banding together to reclaim well-worn trafficking routes with exercise and fundraising to help bring freedom to people trapped in slavery.

To every individual, team and supporter— thank you! This always has been and always will be a team effort. It’s your story as much as it is ours, so today we wanted to give voice to one of the amazing Kiwis who took up last month’s challenge—Pip Harrison.

“It’s our family’s first challenge, and we were only dipping our toes in the water really.” Collectively, Pip ’s family covered the distance of a trafficking route into Thailand through a combination of running, cycling and walking. Pip’s husband and one of her sons did a half marathon, her daughter and other son walked and ran, and Pip cycled to work.

“Human trafficking is such an abhorrent thing. It involves some of the worst aspects of human behaviour: the arrogance of thinking oneself better than another, a

PICTURE Alex Carter

lack of imagination to see oneself in another’s position, a lack of compassion for others, the treating of humans as possessions, and lies and betrayal that dash hope.”

“I am so impressed with people

Pip says she is pleased to link her community with what is happening in Thailand by raising money for the Poverty Cycle.

something in an area where it’s all

“It’s still fresh in our memories how the world rallied to save the young team of boys stuck in that Thai cave. There are other dark places that people need saving from too, so I hope we can rally to do that.”

who fight this awful scourge, in the prevention and also in the rescue, rehabilitation and justice-seeking aspects. Our family is keen to do too easy to feel helpless, and hope others will help us to make a decent contribution towards the fight.”

Donations for the Poverty Cycle are open until April 30, 2019. Visit povertycycle.org. nz and donate to the Harrison family’s challenge today!

Solo Atlantic rower joined TONZ to help combat human trafficking The Tour of New Zealand Cycle (TONZ) event attracts riders from around the world, among them is Katie Spotz, an American sports adventurer who in 2010 became the youngest person to row the Atlantic solo.

By Keith Ramsay Katie is very passionate about injustice in the world and slipped on the Tearfund’s cycling jersey to join 29 other riders to raise funds to help Tearfund’s partners combat human trafficking and exploitation in Southeast Asia.

The tour started near Queenstown on Saturday, April 6 and finished in Wellington on Saturday, April 13, after cyclists had ridden 630kms.

The tour took riders through picturesque Central Otago before they were flown to Rotorua for the North Island stage, which headed south through the scenic volcanic

plateau, finishing in Wellington with circuits around the Beehive.

Katie is no stranger to demanding sporting events, along with being the youngest person to row the Atlantic solo, she was the first person to swim the (523 km) length of the Allegheny River, which runs between New York state and Pennsylvania. She has also competed in numerous marathon and Iron Man events.

Katie says, “Cycling the Tour of New Zealand was an undeniably incredible experience. I had the chance to see the country in a way few people do. Even more than just a race or ride, this was an opportunity to put meaning behind the distance. It’s hard to fathom what’s happening in our world today with human trafficking. It’s a cause and injustice worthy of our attention and support.”

Katie says she was excited to support Tearfund’s work to fight for the freedom and restoration of so many people caught up in modern-day slavery. It is appalling and this is one way I could do something about it.”

More about Katie Spotz Katie is an author, marathon runner and long-distance swimmer swapping her running shoes for pedal power to ride the 2019 tour. Through most of her events, she raises funds for access to clean water. Katie was voted American female achiever of the year in 2014 and interviewed by all the main American networks along with Forbes Magazine. Katie shared some fascinating life stories at one of the nightly peloton parties on tour.

PICTURE Supplied

11

New Zealander, Rachel Jenkins, holds Joy, her sponsor child in Kampala, Uganda. Her sponsor child’s brother waves to the camera beside them.

The day I met my sponsor children

By Rachel Jenkins

My sponsorship journey began in July last year after I had the opportunity to travel around New Zealand with the Mwangaza Children’s Choir from Uganda as part of my job at Tearfund. Spending time with the children and their leaders definitely placed on my heart the country of Uganda and the idea of sponsoring a child.

Enter into my life Joy and Leticia— my two beautiful girls from Uganda, and the beginning of an amazing and humbling sponsorship journey!

Little did I know that just a few months later I would be embarking on a whirlwind trip to Uganda, along with my friend Anna, to visit my very good friends from the choir and also my sponsor children. I was able to spend a day with each of my sponsor girls who live on opposite sides of Uganda’s bustling capital city, Kampala.

Here is a little glimpse from those two days:

HELLO When I arrived at the first Compassion project, I was greeted by an understandably cautious and shy young Joy. After all, she is only six! Leticia, on the other hand, has just turned 16, so at her project, I was greeted by an older (still cautious and shy) young lady!

But it didn’t stop them both from welcoming me with the sweetest, most sincere hugs.

THE COMPASSION PROJECT As Joy and Leticia live in different regions of Uganda, I had the opportunity to visit two different Compassion projects. And while the location and surrounding neighbourhoods differed, with a different group of children at each, the two projects were very much the same in terms of mission, purpose, outcomes and genuine investment in their children.

For young Joy, Saturday is when she and the other children at the project come together to spend time at the centre. This is a day of singing, dancing, games, learning, devotions, time with friends, and sharing lunch together. This is also when they write letters and celebrate together the arrival of letters from their sponsors.

For Leticia, since she is older, she attends the project mainly during the school holidays. At this age, Compassion also teaches the children practical skills such as jewellery or shoemaking, flower

Rachel stands with her arm around Leticia, her teenage sponsor child in Kampala, Uganda.

arranging, cooking, and how to play a musical instrument. This means that by the time they graduate the programme, they leave with practical life skills on top of their school education. This helps set them up for the next stage of their life and also provides greater opportunities to generate income.

I also had the opportunity to look through the personal folders of both my sponsor children. Each child in the project has one. It contains all of their school report cards to date, detailed notes from their yearly medical check-ups, dental records, all the letters that they have written to their sponsors over their time in the project and much more! Being the older one of the two, Leticia’s folder was larger, and it was amazing to see how she had developed and grown over the years. I felt like I could catch up on her life even though I have only been sponsoring her for a few months!

VISITING THEIR HOMES The next portion of the day granted us the opportunity to visit the homes of both of my sponsor children. As we travelled to their respective homes, I felt a mix of nerves and anticipation. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was so encouraged and humbled by the warmth and hospitality of both families. From being offered the only chair in the room, to watching a family dance because they were so happy to meet me and being proudly shown the folder that contains all my letters to date; to the many, many hugs,

photos, smiles and expressions of gratitude. It was an incredible privilege.

Leticia’s 16th birthday was a couple of days before my visit, so I arranged for a birthday cake that we could share together with her family. It was a beautiful celebration, and the cake was shared by everyone in the immediate area around her house.

Before leaving, both my sponsor children and their families presented me with a gift. They said it was not much, but that they wanted to thank me for coming to visit and also to thank me for loving and valuing their child and providing her with opportunity and hope for the future. This was so incredibly special!

FINAL REFLECTIONS It’s hard to put into words the mixture of emotions I felt during these two days. My two sponsor children are at different life stages and growing up in differing circumstances. Different to one another, and different to myself.

But despite the ups and downs that Joy, Leticia and their families have endured in this journey we call life, I felt so encouraged and humbled by their faith, hope, joy and commitment to each other. It was also encouraging seeing that Compassion is on this life journey with them. They are partnering with the children, their families and their community, encouraging them, empowering them and providing opportunities for them to learn, grow and flourish.

12 | CORRESPONDENT – April 2019

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Africa

Fetehu

16 Years, from Ethiopia

Luis

12 Years, from El Salvador

Francis

13 Years, from Philippines

DOB 8/07/02

DOB 3/05/06

DOB 30/10/05

Fetehu lives in Ethiopia with his mother and father.

Luis lives in El Salvador with his mother and father.

Francis lives in Philippines with his mother and father.

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Nshimiyimana

Asia

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Joe

5 Years, from Ghana

7 Years, from Haiti

DOB 7/11/13

DOB 13/07/11

9 Years, from Rwanda DOB 3/06/09

Joe lives in Ghana with his mother.

Ervadson lives in Haiti with his mother and father.

Nshimiyimana lives in Rwanda with his mother and father.

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Maria

11 Years, from Colombia

Jennifer

14 Years, from Ghana

DOB 23/11/09

DOB 23/10/07

DOB 23/11/04

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Maria lives in Colombia with her mother.

Jennifer lives in Ghana with her guardian.

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Maria

15 Years, from Kenya

Vivi

3 Years, from Togo

DOB 23/04/03

DOB 14/08/15

DOB 27/02/11

Maria lives in Kenya with her mother and father.

Vivi lives in Togo with her guardian.

Anagrace lives in Tanzania with her mother and father.

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OUR PURPOSE

PUBLICATION DETAILS

Motivated by Jesus, we encourage Kiwis to act for justice and relieve poverty among the world’s most vulnerable people.

Editor: Keith Ramsay.

Contributors: Ian McInnes, Laura Brookes, Sophie Rice,

0800 800 777 | tearfund.org.nz enquiries@tearfund.org.nz

Anagrace

8 Years, from Tanzania

Sean du Toit, Rachel Jenkins, Kerrie Palma, Anil Govind.

Art Direction and Design: Alex Carter, Simone Cashmore.

Printing: PMP Print.