ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:14 PM
Page 1
Spring 2013
Following the Boxing Day Tsumani, Nurzman searched for a week through mud and rubble for the bodies of his family. with hundreds of others, searched. Countless bodies were pulled from the mud and rubble, but none were faces he called his own. Then, news came that his five-year old son, the only surviving member of his family, was living with his grandmother.
“I kissed them one by one while saying good-bye. They waved as I left… I did not know it was the last time I would see them.”
T
hat day Nurzman, a father of four, left his rural village of Lamno for Aceh, Indonesia in search of work. Twenty days later a deadly tsunami struck the coast. “I thought it was impossible that the sea could come up so far,” he said. “The big wave came chasing people like a hungry lion, eating buildings, cars and houses.” “I thought it was the end of the world. All I wanted was to go home and see my family.” The tsunami, one of the world’s most deadly natural disasters, swept hundreds of kilometres of coastline out to sea.
While he longed for home and cried for his family but Nurzman was left stranded. “I prayed and asked God that what had happened here did not happen at home. I asked God to save them.” Two days later Nurzman negotiated his way onto the first boat to bring aid to Lamno. Before the men had finished mooring, Nurzman was running to the hastily established evacuation centre. Sadly, there was no sign, or news, of them. “So I searched for their bodies.” For one agonizing week Nurzman, along
“He cried when he saw me, and kept asking for his mother and siblings. He asked why they hadn’t come to see him – I didn’t know what to say. All I could do was cry.” “I didn’t have a home, I didn’t have any money. It was just my son and I. But then we met an ADRA.” ADRA’s response following the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami stretched from hardest hit Indonesia around the rim of the Indian Ocean into Africa. Emergency food, water and shelter formed the initial phases of the response, saving thousands of lives. This response and others like it around the world are only possible because of people like you. When disasters strike, ADRA Australia is able to respond within 48 as a result of your generosity. Without it there would be deadly delays in providing aid.
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY AUSTRALIA
Continued page 4
The final good-bye
“The big wave came chasing people like a hungry lion, eating buildings, cars and houses.”
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:14 PM
Page 2
Network
Message from the CEO
The ADRA network has a presence in 125 countries. Recent projects implemented by other ADRA offices within the network include:
A special thanks to those who support our Hope Nation program each month – the consistency of your gifts enables us to plan ahead and use the money effectively. Your generosity provides some predictability in an unpredictable world. As I write I am reminded of the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 11:1-2, “Be generous: Invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others...”
News
ADRA Malawi Almost 300 ADRA trained community family planning volunteers are helping to increase the accessibility and usage of modern family planning methods in rural Malawi. In doing so, they are helping to reduce the spread of poverty and disease, and ensure families can support their children.
ADRA Fiji The growing of drugs, primarily marijuana, is an increasing problem in Fiji. ADRA is assisting farmers to grow economically viable crops and start a honey industry to add incentives to avoiding the drug business. In addition, the project is helping to improve the access to clean water and hygiene and sanitation in remote communities.
Firstly, thank you. I have just passed six months of serving as the CEO of ADRA Australia, and the generosity and commitment of ADRA's supporters continues to impress and inspire me.
One of the ways ADRA invests your donations in the lives of the poor is by implementing disaster risk reduction activities (see page 4 for more details). These might be as simple as a group savings program to put aside funds to support families affected by an unusually bad flood. Or they might be bigger undertakings, such as replanting forests or developing a community irrigation system to enable farmers to get by during an extra dry year. Many of us take out health insurance to guard against unexpected expenses in the case of a serious illness or accident. But the reality for many living in poverty is that they simply don’t have access to this kind of insurance - in a profit driven world they are seen as too much of a risk. ADRA doesn't view people that way, and I don’t believe God does either. For those of us who have some extra wealth to share a small investment in the future of others can yield a high return. Kind regards,
Mark Webster Chief Executive Officer ADRA Australia
ADRA Madagascar As part of a large project helping to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Madagascar, ADRA recently hosted a Sports Against AIDS event to publically transmit positive health messages. In particular the project works to fight the spread of HIV/AIDs among the Malagasy military, a high-risk population.
ADRA Somalia A focus on improving the enrolment and completion rates of literacy classes by women from poor communities in Puntland, Somalia, is seeing communities completely transformed. In addition, women are learning vocational skills including tie making and tailoring to help them gain formal employment or become selfsufficient.
Contact Us:
PO Box 129 (146 Fox Valley Road) Wahroonga NSW 2076 Australia
T: 02 9489 5488 E: adra.info@adra.org.au www.adra.org.au 1800 24 ADRA (2372)
www.facebook.com/ADRAAustralia Editor Braden Blyde | Contributors Mark Webster / Kristen Salazar | Senior Management Chief Executive Officer Mark Webster / Chief Financial Officer Melville Simonsz / Director of International Program Chris Jensen / Director of National Programs Rita Karraz / Director of Public and Supporter Relations Janelle Muller | Board of Directors Chester Stanley (chair) / Mark Webster (secretary) / Eveline Cornell-Tapp / Julie Praestiin / Ken Vogel / Kingsley Wood / Liliana Munoz / Michael Peach / Peter Truscott / Wilf Rath / John Bagnall
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 3
Progress Overseas - International Program Promoting Sustainable Practice “We used collect wood every day for our fires. But now we use much less. We have more time and the environment is much happier.” Lizi proudly shows us the ‘rocket stove’ she made, and explains how just a few sticks is enough to cook her family’s meal thanks to its highly efficient design. Communities in Salima District, Malawi are have been taught by ADRA to make, use and sell these simple clay stoves as part of a larger development project in the area.
Helping the Church make change By utilising strong links with even the most remote communities in Papua New Guinea, the Seventh-day Adventist Church can play an important role in empowering communities in what is one of the world’s least developed nations. Recognising this, ADRA’s Church Partnership Program funds numerous church run development activities across the country. These include:
“We are better off. The environment is better. We are all winners,” she smiles. Sustainable development ensures the work we do isn’t just a band-aid solution – but that the life-saving changes are addressing poverty in the long-term. In the last 12 months we’ve started four new projects that directly address sustainability by equipping communities to address the challenges of changing climates and the potential for increased rates of poverty and vulnerability to disasters. Lizi and thousands like her have more certainty about the future thanks to your support. Thank you!
• Providing free voluntary HIV/AIDs testing and support in Lae and Morobe. • Funding teacher training for more than 200 elementary teachers in order to gain national accreditation. • Engaging Adventist Women’s Ministries’ in advocacy programs against violence against women. • Providing economic and vocational training for the poor across the country. • Running youth training programs that promote responsibility and self-reliance.
• Leading community health promotion and training including volunteer birth attendants, communicable and noncommunicable diseases and life-style choices.
• Improving Church administration and project management processes.
• Holding multi-region health summits organised through the Adventist Church’s Health Department.
The program recently entered its 10th year, with its impact felt across all of PNG’s 22 provinces. The total number of
Emergency Response
• Establishing counselling services in all primary, junior and secondary schools.
beneficiaries now totals tens of thousands. And, with plans for at least another 3 years of the program much more is going to be done. The Church Partnership Program is a clear example that by working together can we make a massive difference. Thank you for being part of this life-changing ministry.
Myanmar – In response to violent communal clashes in Myanmar, ADRA is providing emergency water and hygiene kits to more than 8,000 internally displaced people. A local dispute between Buddhist and Muslim groups in Mandalay resulted in 44 fatalities and more than 12,000 people being displaced. Syria – In addition to its work supporting Syrian refugees on the Jordanian border, ADRA is helping to provide medical assistance on the Lebanese border, including gynaecological and obstetrical care, a mobile health clinic and the distribution of antenatal vitamins for female refugees. India – ADRA is continuing its response to India’s worst natural disaster since the 2004 tsunami through the distribution of mosquito nets, blankets, tarpaulins and other essential items to more than 7,500 people. Monsoonal rains caused widespread flooding and 5,700 deaths in the Northern State of Uttarakhand.
think
about it
Over 95 per cent of the people killed by disasters live in middle and low-income countries - United Nations
All of this is because of you! Thank you. For more information about these and other responses, visit www.adra.org.au
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 4
Feature Continued from page 1
But ADRA’s work didn’t stop there. Helping families reconstruct and reclaim livelihoods through vocational training, savings programs and strengthening community These bamboo groynes are helping to connectedness and governance mechanisms rebuild the beach and provide protection continued in the months to the vulnerable Indonesian community. and years following the tsunami. If the communities were to ever recover and move beyond systemic poverty these steps weren’t just important, but vital. And now, almost a decade on ADRA continues to work with communities such as Nurzman’s to not only respond to, but prepare for and reduce the risks associated with natural disasters.
Their precarious situation presents the very real risk that a more serious event, such as the Boxing Day Tsunami, will simply wipe them out. As late as last year Cemarajaya Village, Indonesia, would often flood at high tide - the roads, homes and businesses that fringed the coast would hang precariously over the eroded beach. As a result of changing climates Indonesia has experienced increased temperatures and rainfall, more frequent and destructive tropical storms and rising sea-levels. The result is more and more people at risk of losing their lives and their livelihoods.
But why…? Disaster Risk Reduction: Saving Money – Saving Lives Want to save $7? Take a dollar and invest it in helping communities prepare for, and reduce their risks from disasters. Or, invest it in Australia and save $10. Disaster Risk Reduction is about preparing communities for disasters through prepositioning supplies including water purification and hygiene kits, capacity building through emergency simulations and training, and community strengthening by helping them to identify risks and vulnerabilities and develop appropriate emergency proceedures. In an environment with increasing numbers and intensity of disasters, putting money towards disaster mitigation and risk reduction is a wise investment. The UN calls it ‘a triple win’, with a recent report stating, disaster risk reduction ‘helps reduce the impact of hazards, decreases poverty and allows communities to adapt to climate change’.
Today things are different in Cemarajaya. If you were to visit you’d be hard pressed to miss the bamboo groynes (break walls) stretching from the coastline out to the sea, and the sand that has already began to build beside them.
Each year 500 natural disasters cost government and society more than $2.4 billion globally – they also kill 70,000 and affect more than 200 million people. Clearly, putting money towards disasters before they occur doesn’t just save money – it saves lives. The majority of which are poor.
Forced to live on the vulnerable coast line as a result of their poverty, the community face the constant and creeping effects of erosion. Plus, their precarious situation presents the very real risk that a more serious event will simply wipe them out.
Poor people are far more likely to occupy dangerous and disaster prone locations – flood plains, river banks, steep sloped and reclaimed land – because it is cheaper.
In the three months since the bamboo groynes were installed by the community as part of ADRA’s disaster risk reduction project (See ‘But Why...?’ at right for more) the beach has grown 5 metres. It’s created a virtual insurance policy for the community against the effects of the changing climate and the risk of future disasters.
They are also the ones who suffer the greatest long-term consequences of disasters – they have no insurance and no savings to invest in recovery, and they often lose their homes, jobs and livelihoods. Not only are they poorer following a disaster, they are made more vulnerable to the next one.
Every year disasters kill about 70,000 and affect more than 200 million people across the globe—the majority of whom live in poverty. By investing in activities that reduce people’s vulnerability to disasters we can reduce the heartache people like Nurzman have feel and by ensuring we have the funds available to respond quickly we have the ability to save lives. By committing just 50c from every $100 you earn towards Hope Nation before October 30 you can help ADRA prepare for and respond to disasters—giving hope to others just like Nurzman. Simply complete the included Hope Nation form and return it to ADRA Australia, call 1800 242 or visit www.adra.org.au
But by working with them to understand their risks and prepare for future emergencies we have the opportunity to save lives – that’s why Disaster Risk Reduction is a wise investment and a core part of ADRA Australia’s work.
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 5
Progress At Home – National Program Soil, plant, vegetables Recent research has confirmed that Community gardens are more than just an opportunity for green-thumbs to ply their trade in public. A University of New South Wales paper published earlier this year concluded that ‘community gardens can play a significant role in enhancing the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being necessary to build healthy and socially sustainable communities’. Blacktown Adventist Church is one of the first groups to bring ADRA’s Community Gardens program to their community, launching the initiative with ‘the first dig’ last month.
“It’s particularly exciting to see some of these gardens popping up in urban areas such as Blacktown,” said Rita Karraz, National Programs Director. In addition to Blacktown leaders from Mile End, Grafton and Bowral (NSW), Springwood (QLD) and Carington and Darby (WA) recently returned from ADRA’s training to their communities to improve social connectedness and increase healthy living and eating through their gardens. Are you interested in joining or starting an ADRA Community Garden? Let us know at adra.info@adra.org.au!
Committed to health
empowered to make better choices for their lives and that they impact their families and the people they share it with.”
Connie Toga is committed to health – but not just her own. During August, Connie, a student of the Indigenous Lifestyle Health Promotion course offered at Mamarapha College, WA, in partnership with ADRA Australia, ran a series of community education programs in the Perth suburb of Bassendean.
The course, which sees community trainers like Connie returning to remote communities across Australia, has doubled its enrolment in the last 12 months. “Indigenous health is a significant national issue,” says Rita Karraz, ADRA’s National Programs Director. “Empowering people like Connie with the information and skills they need to transform their community is effectively reaching people otherwise missed as a result of their remote locations and other factors.”
“After the program people want to make positive health choices. They want to change,” Connie said of all 40 participants. “In many cases they were not aware of why they needed to exercise or have good nutrition. Now they can intelligently make a decision about doing it themselves.”
Connie and others just like her are changing lives thanks to your support!
“It’s a joy knowing people are being
New Territory for Emergency Management In the past ADRA’s domestic emergency management program has only reached as far as NSW, WA, QLD and the ACT. But exciting developments with government in both Victoria and South Australia has seen our emergency management program formally extend into new territory. In Victoria, we are working at local and regional levels to provide and support disaster recovery services through the Council Collaboration Recovery Project. In response to the royal commission into the Black Saturday Fires, ADRA has been invited to contribute as a result of the our widely respected capacity and expertise. Arrangements are still being finalised, but it is likely ADRA will be involved in the management and
think
about it
training of volunteers across the north and west metro areas. In South Australia, the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion has requested ADRA assist in a new program to help provide and manage spontaneous volunteers following a disaster. Working with other agencies ADRA staff are currently preparing a list of available volunteers and participating in training on the use of an online registration package. If you would like to be an Emergency Management volunteer please contact your Conference’s Director of ADRA Services or visit www.adra.org.au to register your interest.
In 2012 alone, the total economic cost of natural disasters in Australia is estimated to have exceeded $6 billion – this is expected to double by 2030 - Deloitte Access Economics.
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 6
You Did It!
Thanks for Getting Involved Running through the Night “The runners were fit and we’d been practicing this style of running before-hand,” said coordinator Norm Hammond. “Running down a dark highway with only escort vehicles around, music resounding through the night and lights flashing creates an eerie, and memorable, effect.”
It took 15 runners just six hours to cover 111km as part of what must be one of the craziest fundraisers ADRA supporters have completed this year. The Run through the Night, which raised funds for a local ADRA Connections trip to Nepal (and Doctors Without Borders), saw participants leaping from a moving bus to push an aerodynamic wheel-barrow at a sprint for 15 seconds, before smoothly transitioning to the next runner.
Appealing Impact Maybe you knocked, maybe you didn’t. But the impact of the ADRA Appeal has been felt across the globe in the last 12 months. Here’s what you helped achieve by taking part in the 2012 ADRA Appeal: • 374 churches raised just over $1million • The average was $15 per member, with one church averaged $950 per member! • ADRA Appeal funds helped start projects including: - A Refugee Settlement Program in South Australia that is now being rolled out across the country
To all the runners – and others out there – raising funds to support our work, thank you! Watch a recap of The Run Through the Night on our blog at www.adra.org.au
- Two new community meals programs in Australia - A sustainable agriculture project in Cambodia ensuring secure food sources for thousands - An education program in Vietnam that is teaching ethnic minority women to read and write for the first time. This year we want to do more. That’s why we’re challenging everyone to raise $40 during the ADRA Appeal in October. Just knocking on doors or collecting in a public place for 1 hour will help us to assist an extra 13,000 people in the coming year.
For more ADRA Appeal information and resources visit www.adra.org.au/adrappeal or follow #knocktober on Facebook and Twitter
Turning Consumerism into Charity Grade 4 students at Hills Adventist College, Sydney, spent second term learning about consumerism – budgets, the provisions of goods, advertising and consumer rights and responsibilities. All pretty heavy stuff for nine-year-olds. But the unit culminated in the students starting small businesses to turn what they’d learned into action that made a positive difference – all profits were used to purchase items from our Grant-a-Wish Gift catalogue.
“The unit helped them understand that in Australia we are lucky, that all our needs and most of our wants are met, and that in other countries there are children whose needs are not met. So they decided to help some of those children,” said teacher, Julie Sutton. “The students made $187, so we were able to purchase fruit trees, a greenhouse, a chicken business and sports pack online. Thank you Hills Adventist College students! Your decision to make a difference is inspiring.
think
about it
Natural disasters have cost the global economy $2.5 trillion since 2000 - United Nations
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 7
Micah Challenge On September 7 we will all be heading to the polls. As Christians committed to justice and compassion, a new Government will bring with it new challenges and new opportunities. Scripture reminds us that speaking up for the poor and needy is part of our Christian responsibility (see Proverbs 31:8 for one example). Your vote is important, but it is only one way to use your voice. Join us in helping to ensure our politicians remain focused on tackling global poverty when elected into Parliament. Between now and election day join thousands calling for justice by: 1) Emailing your candidates asking them to be champions of a generous and effective aid program. 2) Use social media to engage your candidates in a conversation about Australia’s role in helping to tackle global poverty. Visit Micah Challenge’s election campaign page (www.micahchallenge.org.au/ take-action) to download the Election Action Guide developed specifically for your electorate. The vast majority of Australians support a generous and effective aid program. However, there is an ever-present danger that both sides of politics will waver in their commitments to increase aid and also ensure it is targeted towards tackling the worst aspects of poverty. As we approach the election, please do what you can to raise your voice for and with the world’s poorest people by asking election candidates to be champions for aid. Micah Challenge’s guide provides you with contact details for candidates in your electorate, and all the information you need to engage your candidates through email and social media. Aside from voting, it’s probably the most significant thing you can do to ensure that Australia’s politicians help to tackle global poverty. For more resources, find us at www.facebook.com/ADRAAustralia and Twitter @ADRAAustralia Thank you for being a voice for justice. ADRA Australia is a member of the Micah Challenge – a coalition of Christian aid agencies which advocates for the world’s poor.
An opportunity to serve ‘in the best possible way’ Anna Robertson’s successful career in the finance and insurance industries proved a strong foundation when she took over as volunteer manager of the ADRA Op Shop in Wadonga (Vic). With support from a team of volunteers she has turned the shop into a second-hand boutique, helping to raise funds for ADRA’s work here in Australia and overseas. “I love doing what I do as a volunteer,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to help in the best possible way and to make ADRA’s presence known in the community.” A daily 4km walk, time at the gym and a generous heart keeps Anna, who is in her early 70s, young. Thank you Anna and the team at the ADRA Op Shop in Wadonga for your selfless service. Want to read more about ADRA volunteers across the country? Tune in to our blog at www.adra.org.au
Do you want to serve in 2014? Get your friends, family, school or church group together and book an ADRA Connections trip now. Trips across the Pacific, Asia and Africa are filling fast, so get in quick. Visit www.adra.org.au/connections for more information.
Events to Join I Spring Cycle
Want to pedal for a purpose? Events across the country provide a great challenge and an awesome opportunity to raise funds to help change lives around the world. NSW - October 20 (springcycle.com.au)
I Noosa Multi-sport Festival QLD – November 3 (usmevents.com.au) I Great Ocean Road Ride
VIC – 9-11 February (25000spins.com)
I Bobin Head Classic
NSW – March 23 (bobinheadcycleclassic.com.au)
Share your ADRA story We would love to hear from people involved with ADRA in any way. Why not share a few lines telling us what you are doing? Send 200 words, a picture* of your activities and your contact details to news@adra.org.au. We’d love to share your ideas with others!
*Digital photos should be a minimum of 3 megapixels. By sending photos to ADRA Australia, you give permission for photos to be published at the discretion of ADRA Australia.
ADRAnews-0813
20/8/13
5:15 PM
Page 8
l
s d i k A R D A
Hi Young Aussies! Nurzman, and thousands of other Indonesians lost everything and everyone when the Boxing Day Tsunami struck in 2004 (see page 1). Around the world millions of people are affected by disasters every year – they destroy homes, farms, business and schools. Those that are already poor are always the most seriously affected. But there are things that we can do to help. The bamboo groynes shown on page three are just one example. These simple structures are helping protect communities like Nurzman's from erosion and the disastrous effects of changing climate. Before you join the dots, can you guess what the picture is? Here’s a clue… Just like the bamboo groynes, you put this on to prepare for and protect against disaster - and it saves lives!
For the Armchair Traveller… A common sight across Asia and Africa are men, women and children seemingly stomping repeatedly in the middle of green fields. This, the treadle pump, is the cause. Treadle pumps are a simple, locally made, low-cost technology that allow families to move water for irrigation from damns, creeks and other water sources across a much wider area than traditional methods allow. The result? More food to eat and the ability to earn an income from the land.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia Ltd 146 Fox Valley Road (PO Box 129) Wahroonga NSW 2076 1800 24 ADRA | adra.info@adra.org.au | www.adra.org.au