December 2011

Supporter Magazine December 2011 Melissa Doyle shares her story of meeting mothers and children in droughtstricken East Africa

Shanta in Bangladesh feeds her family’s ducks. Read Shanta’s story on page 22.

A reflection on survival and renewal As I flew over the vast arid plains of Eastern Kenya a few months ago, I was struck by how similar it was to flying over much of inland Australia: red dirt, scattered bushes and dry for miles. Yet in the midst of it sat a massive refugee camp, Dadaab, the biggest in the world, to which people were walking for days or even weeks as their best chance of survival.

Here were farmers and their families struggling with drought, something we know well.

There are many reasons why their struggles are very different from the farmers’ in Australia, but ultimately in Dadaab I saw people simply wanting to keep their children alive, and give them a chance at a better future. It is always humbling to leave a place like that, knowing that we are so privileged in Australia to have the chances and choices we enjoy.

Sunrise presenter Melissa Doyle joined me on the visit, and together we marvelled at the patience and resolve of the mothers and fathers, sitting and waiting for registration and rations, but especially at the way children could still be children

in such trying circumstances. They laughed and played around us despite the heat and dust and their long journeys.

I am grateful to the many Australians who have already donated to help in this desperate situation.

World Vision’s work in responding to this drought – the worst in 60 years – is not just about life-saving water and food. It is also about long-term work to help farmers protect their herds and create better agriculture with irrigation and new seeds and techniques. Above all it is about education, which provides families with new ways to combat these harsh conditions.

Here in Australia we are thinking of Christmas and getting together with our own families. It is a time which I find brings great renewal after a busy year, and a time for reflection on the bountiful place we call home, for our freedom and our holidays! I thank God that you, our World Vision supporters and sponsors, have been able to share some of your lives with your sponsored children, through your letters and support.

Shalom, Tim Costello

Tim Costello met children and families fleeing hunger and drought at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

“ Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” - Bob Pierce, Founder, World Vision International 2

© 2011 World Vision Australia. World Vision Australia ABN 28 004 778 081 is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Ref # 6679

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A reflection on survival and renewal: Tim Costello

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Linking Hands: Indigenous literacy made fun

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Transforming children’s lives: the sponsorship journey

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Meet the children of Shambarai - and their supporters 8-10 The warm heart of Africa: Ben Wallis in Malawi

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Supporter visit: Meeting little Paru in Jumla, Nepal

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Hope and hunger: Melissa Doyle in East Africa

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Hunger is once again devastating East Africa but why?

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What’s on

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A running start: Team World Vision

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Former sponsored child: Drawing a smile on children’s faces

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A Day in the Life of Shanta in Bangladesh

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Forests bring new life to Humbo, Ethiopia

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Child Rescue: Child health and nutrition in Papua New Guinea

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What’s in your stocking?

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World Vision Gifts: Gifts that mean more

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Marlkirdi, a pre-school teacher in the Northern Territory’s Indigenous Warlpiri community, says, “All Warlpiri communities speak the same language. Because we’re all Warlpiri we are like family. We want little ones to learn culture.”

Supporters of World Vision’s Linking Hands program are helping the Warlpiri community to develop and preserve their traditional language through the creation of children’s picture books. The books, written in Warlpiri and English, help build early childhood literacy skills for Indigenous children in Australia, and help children to connect with their culture.

“Education is very important,” says Marlkirdi. For many community members, Warlpiri is their first language, and they believe it is important for the children to grow up speaking and reading both Warlpiri and English.

“We’ve talked about putting bilingual back on the agenda,” she says. “Helps kids learn to read.”

Many Warlpiri mothers are getting involved in creating the picture books for their children. They take photographs to use in the book, load the photographs onto the computer, write a story and then print the pages onto stickers that they paste onto premade boards to form a picture book.

One mother, Anita, was looking forward to reading her book to her son Simeon. She created a book about Simeon, labelling parts of his body like his nose, eyes, feet and teeth.

Robyn, the World Vision project facilitator, helps with the production of the books and checks grammar and spelling.

Robyn used to work in the local crèche before joining World Vision, and her expertise in early childhood learning is valued by the community.

This is one of many projects that supporters of Linking Hands are helping to fund in the Warlpiri community, and includes providing equipment, arranging a suitable learning space, teaching mothers the skills they need and promoting the activities within the community.

“World Vision is our partner in early childhood,” Marlkirdi says. “They are doing a really good job.”

Four-year-old Simeon is one of many children in the Warlpiri community who love the educational activities that Linking Hands supports.

Where do World Vision funds go?

This chart demonstrates how World Vision Australia spent total funds in 2010. See pages 117-124 of our Annual Report 2010 for more info worldvision.com.au/AboutUs/AnnualReportsAndReviews.aspx

Funds to programs helping children and communities in need in overseas countries (75%)

Fundraising (11%) Administration (9%) Domestic programs (1%) Community education (1%) Program support costs (3%)

If you wish to receive World Vision News Online, please subscribe at worldvision.com.au/news/newsonline © World Vision Australia. World Vision Australia ABN 28 004 778 081 is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Send all correspondence to World Vision News, GPO Box 399, Melbourne 3001 © 2011 All material contained in this magazine is subject to copyright owned by or licensed to World Vision Australia.

All rights reserved.

AC F I D

World Vision Australia is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and is a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct. The Code requires members to meet high standards of corporate governance, public accountability and financial management.

This magazine includes references to organisations, products and initiatives which are not official endorsements by World Vision Australia.

Acknowledgements Cover: Melissa Doyle with a group of refugee children at a water distribution point in Dadaab, Kenya.

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Editor: Rose Hartley Design and layout: Petrina Griffin Image Resources: Suzy Sainovski Project Manager: Andrew Chien, Melissa Lau, Julia Cameron

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By helping a community to become self-sufficient, World Vision’s supporters help families to ensure the wellbeing of their children in the long term.

When you start your sponsorship journey, you build a connection with your sponsored child, seeing them grow with a new photo each year, and perhaps exchanging letters to gain an insight into their world. But did you know that your sponsored child is the face of their community, a community which you are helping to undergo a transformation from poverty to self-sufficiency?

Stage 1 Jean, aged 36, works in a World Vision Area Development Program in Rwanda. He lives in the community and was among the first to register children for sponsorship.

The community where your sponsored child lives is located in a particular geographical area where World Vision works, which we call an Area Development Program. Over a period of 10-15 years, the Area Development Program will go through several stages:

Planning Before a single child is sponsored, World Vision spends at least a year in the community to find out what they need to make sure their children have the best opportunities for the future, and what goals they would like to achieve. We build trust and relationships within the community. The community then chooses children to be sponsored by supporters in Australia.

These children are the human face of a larger struggle: to help all children and communities in the area experience life in all its fullness.

Stage one (years 1-4) Individual projects begin, with the aim of building skills and confidence in the community. Children now begin to be sponsored by Australians like you. These projects can include water and sanitation, health and hygiene, food and agriculture, education and children’s rights, livelihoods and economic development and advocacy. Local people take on leadership roles within the projects to drive their own change.

Stage 2 An important part of this Area Development Program in Bangladesh is educational assistance for children and training for teachers. Some of the children in this class are from the Garo Indigenous tribe.

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Stage two (years 5-9) This stage aims to build self-worth and dignity within the community. The results of the first projects are evaluated, and the projects are redesigned if needed to ensure continued success.

Having been part of early success, locals can see that change is possible and build momentum in transforming their lives.

Stage three (years 10-13) Children experience hope and new opportunities because of your support. The community continues to act to secure a better future for their children and break the cycle of poverty.

Transition stage (years 14-15) It’s time to celebrate!

Through the support of sponsors like you, long-term goals are achieved and communities have the skills and confidence to maintain the change they have created and develop their vision for the future.

World Vision and child sponsors begin to transition out of the area and into another area in need, in order to break the cycle of poverty for other children.

At this stage, it’s time for sponsors in Australia to say goodbye to their sponsored children. While this can be an emotional time, it is also a time to celebrate everything that has been achieved through your support. Supporters will then have the opportunity to sponsor a child in another community in need and bring hope and new opportunities for other children.

Stage 3 This community in Bolivia has built greenhouses to improve food production and incomes. Ruben, aged 10, holds vegetables that his family grew in their greenhouse.

Stage 4 Students in Cambodia send a message of thanks to their sponsors.

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Left Six-year-old Stephano presents Katie with a necklace. Stephano is sponsored by Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop Camp. He wants to become a pilot and one day visit Australia.

Earlier this year, Katie Maynes from the World Vision media team visited the Area Development Program in Shambarai, Tanzania, which reached completion this September.

Before her journey, Katie connected with a number of World Vision supporters who sponsored children in Shambarai. Some gave her photos and small gifts to pass onto their sponsored children. With the program now successfully finished, the community of Shambarai is selfsufficient and children no longer need sponsors, so many of these supporters now sponsor children in other communities in Tanzania where the need is still great.

Katie met some incredible people on her journey, not just in Tanzania but also from Australia. She penned a diary of her experience.

Wednesday 20 April Today I visited the home of World Vision supporter Edith.

Edith is 97 years old and has been sponsoring children for nearly 40 years. Her current sponsored child, Jackline, lives in Shambarai, the community I will be visiting.

Edith gave me a letter and a small gift to pass on to Jackline and we filmed a short message from her to Jackline which I plan to take over with me.

As I left her house, Edith wished me a safe trip and asked me to pass on her best wishes to Jackline. “Wish it was me going!” she chuckled.

The community is over an hour’s drive from where we are staying, and along the journey I took in every scene, from the colourful Masai women gracefully balancing buckets of water on their heads while they walked, to school children in uniform holding hands as they made their way to school. Some children walk to school holding a five litre jerry can, so that on their way home they can collect water for their family.

Right Naomi (right) holds a letter from her Australian sponsor, Sophia.

Her classmate Sarah (left) is sponsored by Sophia’s sister, Julia.

Shambarai is dry and barren. Before the arrival of World Vision in 1996, access to clean water was a major problem. Driving through the area 15 years later it is heartening to now see wells and community water taps in the area.

Wednesday 4 May Today I met Edith’s sponsored child Jackline. Her family had been provided with five chickens by World Vision four years ago and since then they have expanded that number to 50.

They are now selling eggs and chickens to make money.

Jackline one day wants to be a secondary school teacher, and since World Vision has been in the area her parents have witnessed big improvements to the schools and attitudes towards education.

I showed Jackline the video message from Edith and she was delighted to watch it, commenting how strange it was to see somebody of that age. Her mother said it felt as if Edith was there with them in their home.

When I left, they offered me a chicken and an egg to take home for Edith. I had to kindly decline but promised I would pass on their thanks to her on my return.

Friday 29 April As I wait for my flight to Tanzania, fellow passengers excitedly clamber to catch a glimpse of the royal wedding on the small airport television. I take a look but I can’t focus on the fanfare as my mind is full of the trip ahead.

My bag is heavy. It is packed with the small gifts, letters and photos that supporters here in Australia have given me to pass on to their sponsored children. I’m filled with a mixture of emotions, mainly excitement and nervous anticipation.

I know that the supporters who I’m carrying the gifts for would do anything to be in my shoes and meet their sponsored children and visit the community that they support.

Monday 2 May Today was our first day in Shambarai. I was blown away by the experience and even if I left tomorrow I’d be satisfied because of the people that I met and the stories that I heard.

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Thursday 5 May As I sat in the modest two-room home of eight-year-old Fatuma, I had a flashback to how only a week before I’d been sitting in the living room of her sponsor family: Sarah, John and their children Hugo and Manon, in suburban Melbourne.

Despite the two families living worlds apart and over 10,000 kilometres away from each other, I felt a connection between the two experiences. I felt extremely welcome in both homes and it was lovely to be able to unite the two families.

Before World Vision’s involvement, Fatuma’s family used to make a four-hour round trip on foot to access clean water.

They now have a water tap 20 metres from their home.

While I was there I also discovered that her older sister Juliana was sponsored by a family from Sydney. Juliana had a letter her supporters had sent her so I took a photo of her with the letter and promised I would contact them when I returned to Australia.

Friday 6 May Today was our last day in Shambarai. It was sad saying good bye but pleasing to see how well the community was going.

World Vision’s projects typically run in a community for 10-15 years. Work started in Shambarai in 1996, and the project will come to an end later this year. The people of Shambarai are now empowered to continue the work themselves, and having had the rare opportunity to see this for myself I feel confident in telling supporters back home that the community is ready for this transition.

With the help of World Vision supporters, the community of Shambarai has been part of positive change. Changes include things like better access to clean water, improvements in education and health services, including the building of a health clinic in the area, improvements in child immunisation

Fatuma and Katie in Fatuma’s home, with a birthday card from her sponsor family in Melbourne.

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rates and a reduction in HIV/AIDs rates. I’m looking forward to sharing this with the supporters in Australia.

Wednesday 18 May I’ve only been home a week yet I’m already missing Tanzania.

As I write up the interviews from the trip and file thousands of photos, I’m having time to reflect on what a personal journey it was.

Today I was in touch with Kylie and her family in Sydney who sponsor Fatuma’s sister Juliana. Kylie was thrilled to hear I’d met Juliana and was keen for me to send through the photo I had taken. When I did she quickly called me and expressed her amazement that the letter Juliana was holding in the photo was sent by them over six years earlier!

Kylie was sad that her sponsorship of Juliana would soon be ending but happy to hear that both Juliana and the Shambarai community were doing well.

Monday 23 May Before I left Tanzania, I was given a letter from Jackline to pass onto Edith which today I hand delivered. Edith was so pleased I had made contact and was overjoyed to see how well both Jackline and her community were doing. In the letter Jackline explained how she’d tried to give Edith an egg but was told the Australian government wouldn’t allow it into the country!

My experience in Tanzania is one I will never forget. I was so fortunate to be able to see firsthand how a community can become self-sufficient with the help of Australians and World Vision, and then be able to share this with supporters here in Australia who have been such a vital part of the process.

Warda, aged 11, has kept a photo of her former sponsors in Queensland.

Warda says that access to water is much better since World Vision has been working in the community.

Two years ago my first daughter Lacey was born. Having Lacey changed everything; from my ability to bear offensively smelly nappies through to the way I view my work for World Vision.

Recently this work took me to Malawi in southern Africa. As part of our partnership with Planetshakers (a church ministry based in Melbourne) I visited communities that are part of an Area Development Program (ADP) which is being supported through this church partnership.

Talking and playing with the children in Malawi made me realise how much children are alike, regardless of where they live. Not only that, but their parents’ hopes and dreams for their children are the same as I have for Lacey; fullness of life.

Malawi is an incredibly beautiful place. Every Malawian I met told me, “We are the warm heart of Africa”, and greeted me with a warm smile and a firm handshake. However, this area in Malawi, with 25,000 people, is facing incredible challenges, including lack of access to clean water, crops failing due to ongoing droughts, and high rates of HIV infection. In this area alone there are 1,200 orphans largely due to the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

World Vision has only recently begun work in this area, and we are in the first stage of activity.

I met one family who struck me with their resilience despite their difficult circumstances. Edna is 10 years old and lives with her mum, dad and two siblings. She had another sister who died six months ago, aged only 12 months. Edna’s parents do not grow enough crops to sustain them, so each

Edna, aged 10, with the bucket that she uses to collect water from the local river, which the family uses for drinking, cooking, and washing.

day they work for other farmers to earn enough money to buy one to two meals a day.

One of Edna’s main chores is to collect water from the nearby dirty river, the only water source. This takes her approximately one hour, and she does this 4 to 5 times a day.

Edna and her family are regularly struck down by waterborne diseases. And the amount of time and energy it takes to collect water means she often doesn’t go to school. These are things I take for granted for Lacey.

Although it’s early days, World Vision’s work in Edna’s village and others like it is bringing change. Take Raphael and his wife Aida, for example. They have six children, two of their own and four orphans whom they have adopted. Two of their children are sponsored through World Vision. Raphael has embraced change and taken advantage of new opportunities.

His farm now employs others; he has diversified his crops and is rearing chickens, goats and pigs. He can now ensure that all his children go to school. A new village well and water purification tablets help to protect his family from diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases.

Becoming a parent has produced an even greater urgency in me to continue our work to improve the lives of millions of children just like Edna. What a privilege it is as a World Vision child sponsor and staff member to see hope become reality as children, families and communities are transformed.

Ben Wallis with Edna in Malawi.

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One of the most heart-warming and best parts of my experience was being included in the Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Clinic. My immediate impression was how eager and willing these mothers were to learn the information to allow them to have the tools and skills to better feed their young children.

Earlier this year, World Vision staff member and child sponsor Braden funded his own trip to visit the Jumla Area Development Program in Nepal. He shared his experience of visiting several villages in Jumla and meeting his sponsored child.

I had the opportunity to meet my sponsored child and spend a few days within the World Vision Area Development Program in Jumla, Nepal. What an amazing experience it was!

My first day was nothing short of sensational. It started with an introduction to a mother’s group on the outskirts of Jumla that through World Vision had set up a greenhouse. This greenhouse has allowed 23 families to go from not having enough food to sustain their families to having an excess of

Braden with his sponsored child Paru (right) and her family in Jumla, Nepal. They are gathered on the roof of a traditional house.

food that they on-sell to save a little money. The mothers then use this money to pay for their children’s school costs.

One of the members of the mother’s group was the recipient of a goat from World Vision. Shiva, the livelihood expert, explained to me that World Vision provides a goat to a family, who then breed the goat and return one baby goat to World Vision. This goat is then given to another member of the community and the cycle starts again.

The second day was the reason I had travelled to Jumla, the day I was to meet my sponsored child, Paru. When we arrived at the house I was greeted by the whole community!

There were people everywhere!

I loved the fact that the community were excited and had turned up to see me. It showed me how much the support that I and other sponsors give means to them, and I really enjoyed the experience of talking with the family and community about daily life and their children.

I had the opportunity to visit the school that Paru attends. I really enjoyed this experience. Seeing the school outlined the problems that Jumla has with its education and why World Vision focuses on this area heavily.

In speaking with Paru’s teacher I found out that Paru is a shy little girl, but has started to slowly make friends with her classmates. She loves school and the best part is that as a result of her learning at school she wants to be clean and washed all the time and eat good food. This was something that I took great heart in.

Braden’s sponsored child, Paru. She was very serious!

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During my visit to Jumla, I had met a little girl playing in the street, covered in dirt. After speaking with members of the World Vision team I found out that her name was Sangita, and her family was in particular need and was part of the child sponsorship program. I knew that I needed to help her community, and promised myself that I would sponsor Sangita when I got back to Australia. How could I not sponsor such an adorable child from a village that I will always remember?

And so, as soon as I got back to Australia, I sponsored Sangita. Now that I am home, working away and sponsoring my (now) two children, part of me will always remember the people of Jumla.

It was such an amazing experience from start to finish, and something that I would recommend to all child sponsors.

Visiting the community that you are helping and meeting your sponsored child takes your sponsorship to a whole new level and certainly reinforces the great work that World Vision does all over the world.

If you would like to enquire about visiting your sponsored child, email sponsorvisits@worldvision.com.au or call 1300 303 440.

A house in the traditional style in Jumla.

Made of mud and wood, the houses are very basic, however the flat roofs offer a communal gathering point and Braden attended a nutrition seminar on one.

Mothers’ groups meet in greenhouses, which allow new vegetables to be grown as an added source of nutrition and income.

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I was welcomed into their home and treated as a guest of honour. The floor was strewn with eucalyptus leaves that gave off a sweet and familiar perfume as we walked. We ate seeds, a porridge made of barley and milk and drank fresh, strong coffee.

Neighbourhood kids crammed their faces through the window to watch. Local women served our food and fussed over us.

World Vision Ambassador Melissa Doyle from Channel Seven’s Sunrise talks about her recent experiences visiting her sponsored child in Ethiopia and the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

A tidy home, a proud mother and freshly roasted coffee … our families are in many ways so similar, yet so very different.

the roads sticky and impassable by car so we had to leave the vehicle and walk the last few kilometres on foot.

Eliyas is 15. He lives at home in Chencha, Ethiopia, with his parents and siblings. I have been sponsoring him through World Vision for most of his life and last month I finally met him.

I was excited and nervous as we made our way over the final crest. The vast majority of his village had gathered to welcome us, crowding around Eliyas and singing as we made our way into his home. Dressed in his cleanest clothes and holding a bunch of fresh flowers he greeted me with the warm but shy hug of a teenage boy.

His photos are on our fridge. I have watched him grow up, followed his progress through years of correspondence. He’d become a familiar part of our family, but to actually meet him was both emotional and overwhelming.

We travelled for the best part of two days to reach his remote mountaintop village in Ethiopia. The wet season had rendered

But it was meeting Eliyas’s mum that affected me the most.

Sista embraced me with such warmth and looked into my eyes with gratitude and kindness. From one mother to another I knew what she was saying. It didn’t matter that we didn’t share a language.

I have never felt so deeply rewarded, humbled and proud.

Despite their long journeys and the harsh conditions, children in the Dadaab refugee camp are still children – excited and curious.

Eliyas showed me around his home, a series of small huts that housed different family members, the food preparation area and a rest area. He was proud of his home. Sista kept it immaculate. Eliyas’ siblings ran around happily, chooks scratched around our feet, the vegetable patch was thriving.

Ethiopia surprised me. It was lush, green and bountiful, far from the pictures I remembered of the 1984 famine. Back then it was barren and dry.

It looked as Dadaab does today.

Dadaab is the small remote town in the north east of Kenya, in the Horn of Africa. It is home to the world’s biggest refugee camp. It’s an enormous, dry, dusty expanse of tents, children and uprooted lives. The equivalent of the population of Canberra, homeless and queuing for food, water and basic household items.

It’s a desperate, hostile place. 1500 people are pouring into the camp every day, the majority of them women and children.

Most have walked from Somalia, well over 100 kilometres away.

They arrive at the pre-registration tent exhausted, give their details and collect their first food ration, a bag of maize, oil, flour, beans and BP 5, a high energy nutritional biscuit. This is to last them for three weeks or until they are moved formally into the camp to join 440,000 other people.

I see women worn out, babies crying and toddlers tired and hungry. Between 40 and 50 percent of all children are acutely malnourished.

Melissa with her sponsored child, Eliyas (blue jacket) and enthusiastic children from his village.

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But they are the lucky ones.

I speak to one mother who tells me she made the journey with her four children and is now so grateful to be in Dadaab. She says it is better than what she left behind.

We hear of families who have endured unbelievable heartache with many children not surviving the long walk.

But they tell me the camp is better than what they left behind.

And for that reason most people we encounter are surprisingly orderly and patient. As the aid workers explain, at least here they know they will be fed.

Can you imagine walking away from everything you had because you could no longer feed your family?

Simply walking away in search of a future.

Over 3.5 million people have been affected by this drought in Kenya.

Villages are empty, huts abandoned and nearly half of all livestock has died since January. Their carcasses lie everywhere. Those that live are skin and bones.

The scenes are shocking and so very sad, but the world is now responding. About 50 aid agencies are working in Dadaab, including World Vision. But to put it bluntly, they need our help. They need money to truck in water and food; they need more tents, basic items such a tarpaulins, jerry cans and mosquito nets to prevent malaria.

And they need rain. This is the fifth drought in the last seven years. And these families dream of going home.

Meanwhile, Eliyas dreams of finishing school and becoming a doctor.

He wants to work in Chencha and help his own village, and I feel so honoured that I’ve been able to play a small part in helping him get there.

Eliyas is a shy but warm teenager.

Melissa walked the last few kilometres to meet Eliyas in Chencha on foot, accompanied by some of the villagers.

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Aregash holds Kume in her orchard in Ethiopia, one of the long-term solutions to withstanding food crises. Despite the spiralling price of food due to the drought, Aregash is generating a good income to support her family.

Twenty-six years after images of starving children, Bob Geldof and the Live Aid concert flashed across our TV screens, it’s hard to believe hunger is once again threatening the lives of millions of people in East Africa.

Yet it is happening again. There have been reports of families losing their entire herds of livestock – their only source of income and food – to drought; of mothers watching their children suffer from disease and starvation; and of families burying their loved ones along the roadside as they flee conflict and hunger. Thousands of people have already died and some 13 million people in the region are currently affected by drought and food shortages.

But why are people still dying from hunger in 2011?

Drought Like in 1984, drought is once again ravaging the region.

Scientists have described this year as the driest period in the Horn of Africa in the past 60 years. Rains sometimes fail in the region due to natural cycles, but not for decades has it gone on so long with a drought this deep. This means crop yields are down and large numbers of livestock have died. For many farmers and poor families, if their crops fail and their animals die, they often do not have any food to eat or a source of income to help them through the hard times.

Food prices However, drought alone cannot be blamed for the current disaster. Many of the causes of the 2008 food crisis are still present and are making the situation in East Africa worse.

For example, prices for essential food items have increased dramatically in the region. The price of the principal food item in Somalia, red sorghum, has increased by 240 percent.

For us in Australia, that’s like bread increasing from $3 a loaf to more than $10 a loaf. The increase in oil prices and the rise in demand for biofuels are partly responsible for higher food prices because traditional food crops, such as corn, are now being grown for biofuels. Poor communities are hardest hit by higher food prices because a majority of their income goes towards food and they cannot cope with increased costs.

Conflict The civil war in Somalia has worsened the crisis on many levels. It has been difficult for aid groups to access communities affected by drought and food shortages, which means it has been almost impossible to provide assistance.

Conflict in Somalia has also exposed some communities to violence and prevented them leaving Somalia in search of food, water and safety. A lack of a stable government also means there has not been an adequate response to the crisis from the country’s leaders.

The solution While there is no silver bullet to such a complex crisis, aid agencies are working on a number of approaches to help people in need. World Vision has launched an emergency response to help as many people as possible with activities like feeding programs for children and providing clean water and health services to limit the spread of disease.

World Vision also works with communities on long-term projects in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Through these projects we help farmers develop better ways of growing crops in dry conditions; teach mothers how to keep their children healthy; and provide opportunities for families to develop more diverse and secure sources of income so that if crops fail, they have something to fall back on.

In addition to our program work on the ground, World Vision also advocates for changes to systems and government policies to try to prevent these disasters from happening again. We are currently advocating for African governments to work together to find ways to prevent food crises in future, and for access to affected communities in Somalia.

More broadly, World Vision is also advocating for governments in wealthy countries to contribute more to improving child health and nutrition in poor nations.

In drought-stricken Kenya, children with malnutrition are given highly nutritious Plumpy’nut.

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Visit worldvision.com.au or call 13 32 40 if you would like to help children and families affected by the hunger crisis in East Africa.

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2004

WorLd Vision Presents

Girls Night Out Girls Night Out is an evening that understands women.

An evening of sharing and laughter.

We would like to invite you and your church to come onboard and experience this fantastic event with your community. Girls Night Out events include a singer, speaker and information about how World Vision child sponsorship impacts communities.

Interested in hosting a Girls Night Out at your church?

Email church@worldvision.com.au for more details, bookings or enquiries.

2004

Find a Girls Night Out being hosted near you: visit worldvision.com.au/events

Share Christmas with your sponsored child

<Child_given_name> <Child_surname> <Child_ID_Disp> <Supporter_ID_Disp>

This Christmas, let your sponsored child know that they are in your thoughts by signing and returning their Christmas card.

Please return the card that you were sent in the mail as soon as possible, so that we can deliver it to your sponsored child.

© 2011 World Vision Australia. World Vision Australia ABN 28 004 778 081 is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Ref # 6632

It will bring them great joy and excitement to hear from you!

Parachute Music

July and were amazed at how much their involvement helped educate their young daughters. Helen said, “I told my girls about it and they understood what we were doing and one of my daughters came to me with 85c to donate.”

Through this partnership, the funds raised through Team World Vision will provide up to $1.2 million of food aid and relief essentials – a truly outstanding result that will support thousands of people in need.

Whatever your passion, Team World Vision has something for everyone. Keep an eye on worldvision.com.au/teamworldvision for upcoming events and more exciting opportunities.

A number of TV and sporting personalities have also joined Team World Vision this year to help raise awareness, with Tim Maddren from Hi5 running the Gold Coast Marathon, Hayden Quinn from MasterChef running in Sydney’s City2Surf and cricketer Peter George taking part in Adelaide’s City to Bay. We hope more supporters like you will be inspired by their efforts and join the team next year!

Many participants signed up initially as a way to get fit but have found the experience to offer so much more. Helen and Frank Gribi from Victoria took part in Run Melbourne in May your home be filled with peace and your hearts filled with joy this Christmas.

Your ongoing support is helping <Child_first_ name>/<your sponsored children> and other children in <his/her/their> <community>/<communities> enjoy good health and education, be cared for, protected and able to participate in making their community a better place to live. For this we are profoundly grateful.

Thank you for partnering with us in 2011 to make a world of difference for children, families and communities living in extreme poverty.

A brighter future – that’s exactly what you’re helping to create for <Child_full_name>/<your sponsored children> and <his/her/their> entire <community>/<communities>.

Dear <Supporter_Name>

Parachute Music is one of the largest music festivals in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a platform for local and international Christian artists. This year, the festival will feature World Vision artist associates Casting Crowns, who help to raise money for World Vision projects through their performances.

Parachute Music is coming to Australia: Melbourne: 24 January 2012, Palais Theatre, tickets through ticketmaster.com.au Brisbane: 25 January 2012, Hillsong Convention Centre, tickets through koorong.com.au/tickets Sydney: 26 January 2012, Citipointe Main Auditorium, tickets through koorong.com.au/tickets

Since the launch of World Vision’s new sport initiative earlier this year, over 500 Team World Vision runners have participated in races all around Australia.

Team World Vision supporters have raised $120,000 so far for the Multiplying Gift Appeal, which supports World Vision’s partnership with the World Food Programme.

Tim Costello / World Vision Australia Chief Executive

For more information please visit worldvision.com.au/events

Cricketer Peter George (centre) ran the Adelaide City Bay Fun Run for Team World Vision.

The Faith Effect: a new way to engage with global poverty World Vision is excited to announce a new DVD series, The Faith Effect, an interactive study about Christian social engagement and global poverty.

Designed for small groups and churches, The Faith Effect helps Christians to become more informed and engaged in global poverty and social justice from a biblical perspective. The DVD pack includes a leader’s guide and extended interviews with leading social reformers, theologians and practitioners.

“God’s love in the world is realised as we put faith into action. This practical resource will help equip you and your church with the tools to become agents of change in your community.”

Rev. Tim Costello (CEO, World Vision Australia) Visit worldvision.com.au/ourwork/FaithInAction/TheFaithEffect.aspx for more information or email church@worldvision.com.au to register your interest.

THE

FAITH EFFECT God’s love in the world

A stay at Best Western can help communities in need Best Western, The World’s Biggest Hotel Family, is supporting World Vision’s food and nutrition program in Timor Leste this year. The poorest country in Asia, malnutrition affects almost half of the child population and unreliable access to food is one of Timor Leste’s most pressing challenges. Best Western’s sponsorship will help villages in Timor Leste grow more food, improve food storage and increase their household incomes.

For more information or to make a reservation, call 131 779 or visit http://www.bestwestern.com.au/ 18

thefaitheffect.com.au

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During long night shifts at the hospital as an emergency room nurse, Rita, aged 22, takes comfort in a smile from a patient or a simple “thank you.” She lives in East Sidon, Lebanon, in the same remote village where she was born.

“I’m giving part of my heart and myself to save a life; it is a blessing,” she says of her occupation.

Rita was one of the first sponsored children through World Vision’s Area Development Program in East Sidon.

Her father, Hekmat, and her mother, Jamile, are farmers.

They have been growing tomatoes in their village together for more than 30 years.

Rita’s parents, and many other farmers in the area, benefited from agriculture initiatives, exper t guidance and seed distribution programs that World Vision offered. This, along

with water pipelines for irrigation and training on water management, helped Rita’s parents increase their tomato yield and put Rita through school and university.

“We were in dire need,” says Hekmat.

“And World Vision stood by my family and other farmers.”

“I still remember the reaction among the villagers when they heard that an organisation is here to help; they came up with ideas, but more importantly, were motivated to stay in the village,” says Rita.

“Even though I didn’t receive a lot of letters from my sponsor, I knew that he was behind those changes and helped make my village a better place for me and other children. If it weren’t for sponsorship, there would not have been any enthusiasm among children, or anything to hope for,” she says.

World Vision has been working in East Sidon since 1999, building bridges between communities following the Lebanese war. The programs have helped to refurbish and equip dozens of children’s and youth centres and support evening studies to reduce the school dropout rate. Rita remembers how World Vision refurbished the playground in her village, which she says was the “only safe haven” where children could play.

“This playground meant a lot to me; later, as a volunteer with World Vision, I was determined to make it better so that other children enjoy learning and communicating,” she says.

Throughout her time volunteering with World Vision, Rita attended training sessions that built her leadership skills and helped her make important life decisions. “Those training sessions gave me self-confidence, and planted in me the love of sharing. I learned to take responsibility and give back to the community,” she says.

“Sponsors should know that what they are doing is serving a community and drawing a smile on children’s faces,” says Rita.

Left Rita in the emergency department of the hospital where she works in Lebanon. Growing up, “Her name was always on the school honorary board,” says her mother Jamile.

Right Rita examines a patient in the hospital. “I considered other professions, but I knew I wanted to be a nurse and help to save people’s lives,” Rita says.

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At just eight years old, Shanta already knows what she wants to be in the future.

“I want to become a doctor,” she says, “because doctors can save human lives.”

Shanta is a remarkably well-spoken and calm child. She lives with her parents in a tiny house made of tin, and is sponsored through the World Vision Area Development Program of Sherpur, north of the capital of Bangladesh.

“I wake up at 6am every morning,” she says. “Then I wash my face and get ready to attend a private tutor by 6:30am.”

After returning home at 8am, she helps her mother around the house for half an hour. She then plays with her friends for a while, until school starts at 11am.

Shanta’s favourite subject at school is Bangla, her native language. Her teachers have already singled Shanta out as an outstanding student and have high hopes for her future. “She is attentive in the class and very punctual. She can simply be distinguished from any child due to her individuality,” says one of her teachers, Halima.

Shanta and her mother regularly take part in World Vision’s Child Forums, which promote and discuss child wellbeing.

Issues like the importance of education, the disadvantages of early marriage and dowries, the threat of child trafficking, child rights and healthcare feature prominently.

World Vision is putting effort into encouraging families to prioritise the education of girls and their participation in the community. Shanta’s mother says, “We never thought about a girl child’s education. But now we are ready to face any difficulties to make her dream [of becoming a doctor] true.”

Her brother, Saddam, says Shanta loves to draw pictures with coloured pencils and dance. Every day after school, Shanta returns home to play with her friends. “I usually play skipping and dolls with my friends at our home-yard,” Shanta says.

In many developing countries around the world, poverty, hunger and demand for land have driven desperate communities to overexploit local natural resources. In Southern Ethiopia, forests surrounding the town of Humbo had all but disappeared by the late 1960s.

For a community already impoverished and reliant on the land for income, the environmental degradation including flooding and soil erosion that came with the loss of forest was particularly devastating.

Creative thinking was needed to address the problem. And in 2004, World Vision partnered with the Humbo community to investigate how carbon trading could be used to stimulate development.

In 2009, Humbo became Ethiopia’s first Clean Development Mechanism project and Africa’s first large-scale reforestation project registered under the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change, whereby developing countries are encouraged to engage in clean development and sell carbon credits to developed nations.

In Humbo, farmers re-planted trees in the forest and “re-grew” stumps of trees which had been previously cleared using a technique known as ‘Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration’.

Community members organised themselves into cooperatives and received training in forest management; pruning and caring for living tree stumps and using tree nurseries to raise seedlings for new trees.

So far the community has received two carbon credit payments.

These payments will continue over the next ten years, bringing much-needed income into the area. The community has met to decide how to best use these payments to benefit everyone in Humbo, and initial plans include building a grain bank, brick-works and flour mill, providing employment opportunities for both men and women.

The benefits from the Humbo Project have been widespread, including the return of wildlife like antelopes, wild goats and birds to the forest. In addition, better soil quality means plants are sturdier and ground water sources are protected. Women and children no longer have to walk for hours to fetch firewood or fodder for livestock, meaning children have more time for schooling. Children are also benefiting from extra nourishment that the forest provides in the form of wild fruit.

The Humbo Project has set a precedent for impoverished communities worldwide; showing that environmental restoration and economic development can journey side by side.

The village representative (left) and project coordinator (right) proudly show off the forest regeneration work in Humbo.

After participating in World Vision’s programs, Shanta’s mother says, “We have realised the importance of educating girl children.”

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Shanta’s teacher Halima says, “We want to see her in such professions by which she can contribute a lot to people of the nation. Particularly we want to see her either as a doctor or as a teacher.”

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“I know that he’s well now, so what I am thinking is I must look after him properly. [I must] feed him good, and complete the supply [of medicine] that they gave, not to miss out the days from the medicine he’s taking.

“When he was sick, he was weak, didn’t feel good. When you talk to him he was not happy, laughing, giggling or whatnot.

Child Rescue supporters are familiar with World Vision’s anti-trafficking projects that help children and families escape, prevent or recover from the experience of human trafficking.

But did you know that Child Rescue supporters also fund other projects that help vulnerable children?

In Papua New Guinea, one of Australia’s nearest neighbours, families are highly vulnerable to diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, and there are few adequate health services available. In addition, mothers living in poverty often lack the knowledge or means to feed their children adequately to maintain their health. A World Vision program, funded by Child Rescue supporters, is helping improve the wellbeing of vulnerable children through health, sanitation and nutrition initiatives.

Kila’s story

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“When I gave birth to him [Ringo], he was underweight.

He was admitted for three weeks at Port Moresby General Hospital,” Kila says.

At a World Vision immunisation program, World Vision officer Agnes noticed that Ringo was sick and underweight, and encouraged Kila to seek medical treatment.

“World Vision...found out that the baby was underweight,” Kila says. “They gave me egg, milk and oil for the child to gain weight.”

Ringo was treated for malaria and malnutrition and Kila was admitted to hospital for tuberculosis. Both Ringo and Kila have since recovered.

“For five months, going to six months I was sick. And at the same time he was sick too. [While in hospital] I was telling mum to bring him [to World Vision] so they’ll check him.

Kila lives in Papua New Guinea with her three children in a house shared with 28 of her husband’s relatives. Her eldest daughter, Nancy, died in 2003 from severe malaria. Last year, her youngest son, Ringo, was treated for malnutrition. We talked to Kila about her experiences with the World Vision vulnerable children program.

I was worried about him. I didn’t want him to die. Because his life is, that’s my child. I knew that World Vision will help the child,” she says.

Before: Ringo in 2010, when he was malnourished. He lay quietly in his mother’s lap and watched without much interest.

After: After receiving treatment, Ringo has put on weight, is happy and active as his brother watches him eat.

“Now through World Vision we have those medicines.

They’ve made a very big difference. And now I can see that he’s happy. He’s put on weight. He’s active,” Kila says.

Agnes’ story Agnes is a World Vision officer in charge of maternal and child health in the Port Moresby vulnerable children program in Papua New Guinea, funded by Child Rescue supporters.

When children are immunised, Agnes identifies any children (such as Ringo) that are sick or underweight.

She keeps track of the children who are underweight, informs the mothers about nutrition, and follows up later to check on the children’s health. She talked to us about the work she conducts with mothers to improve the health of their children.

“We conduct immunisation programs. For the mothers, it’s family planning, education, antenatal [care]. We conduct nutrition programs as well. And I also conduct exclusive breastfeeding classes for mothers.

We do public health education, like personal hygiene, infectious diseases,” Agnes says.

Traditionally, mothers in Papua New Guinea believe that colostrum, or the first breast milk, is harmful to babies and discard it without feeding it to the child. Agnes spends time talking to mothers about the natural health benefits and protection from disease that colostrum offers infants.

“I let them know that it [colostrum] is good. It also smoothes the intestinal linings for digestion. Actually, I really have to convince them. It’s a belief. They believe that colostrum is not good for babies. But I tell them that some of the antibodies we find in there will never be replaced, we can’t get it anywhere,” she says.

On complementary feeding, Agnes says, “I show them how to mash the food, when to give it to the child. Some of the mothers that I’ve monitored since antenatal, I’ve followed up with them and make sure that they go with exclusive breastfeeding.”

Child Rescue supporters help us reach vulnerable children like Ringo who are in high risk situations. For more information on how you can protect children from suffering, danger and abuse, visit worldvision.com.au/childrescue or call 13 32 40.

Find out more about how you can help promote action on maternal and child health through the Child Health Now campaign. Visit childhealthnow.com.au

Kila with her children at their home in Papua New Guinea. Her family has benefited from World Vision’s Child Rescue program.

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Christmas is a time of great joy and celebrations for many people. But what if the gifts and good times we share come at a cost for others?

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As carers of orphaned children, Edward and Loveness in Zambia were chosen by their community to receive two cows funded through World Vision Gifts.

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“If you have a source [of income] like animals, it can be easier for us,” he says. multiplied to ten. They build a house, pay school

fees and buy school uniforms for their children. Their six remaining cows provide manure, which they use on their vegetable garden. They sell the excess vegetables they grow for extra income.

“Cattle make me smile, income makes me smile, and manure makes me smile!”

Edward says. “The family, we are happy.”

World Vision is training their community in agriculture and farming techniques, and in the future, Edward and Loveness plan to train two bulls to plough their land.

To watch Edward and Loveness’ video, go to worldvision.com.au/gifts

© 2011 World Vision Austra Christian relief, development lia. World Vision Austra lia ABN 28 004 778 081 is a childre n, familie s and comm and advocacy organisation dedicated to workin unities to overco me povert g with y and injustice. Ref #6639

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What a

Gifts This Christmas, you can give your family and friends gifts that mean more with World Vision Gifts. Our new look website contains 42 gift ideas to make a world of difference to children, families and communities in need. $10 A chicken & chicken feed A chicken and chicken feed can help give a family nutritious eggs to eat.

Four-year-old Nafi in Senegal loves to look after her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chicks.

To order, return the coupon attached, order online at worldvision.com.au/gifts or call our Supporter Service Team 1300 303 440 (local call cost).

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