November is Will Aid month. Book now with a participating solicitor to make or update your Will, while supporting charities including Christian Aid. Visit willaid.org.uk/ ChristianAid or call 0300 0309 558.
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5 Gaza
Watch a moving personal account from Bahaa Zaqout, an aid worker with one of our incredible partners.
6–7 Honduras
Learn why bees have become inspiring business partners for Juanita.
8–9 South Sudan
Your preview of our upcoming Christmas Appeal to bring lifesaving support to families like Amani and Rashed’s who are seeking refuge from conflict.
11 Faith Will
Discover how, through partnership, we’re encouraging people to let their faith live on.
12–13 Campaigning
Read how we’re amplifying your voice on the most important issues we face together.
14–15 Burundi
Meet Speciose, an entrepreneur who’s working in partnership to safeguard her children’s future.
16–19 Supporter news
Enjoy a roundup of the fantastic fundraising you’ve undertaken during Christian Aid Week.
20 Last word
Daniel Auyen, one of our partners in South Sudan, shares his personal reflections on working with refugee communities.
Christian Aid magazine Issue 20: Autumn/Winter 2024
Editor in chief: Claire Wood
Sub editor: Rachel Addis
Senior art editor: Claire Gaukgrove
Art editor: Sofia Lloyd
Published by Christian Aid 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL 020 7620 4444 info@christian-aid.org caid.org.uk
Cox; page 5 Christian Aid/United Nations Office; page 6
Sheppey; page 8
Welcome. I’m James, writing from Juba in South Sudan.
The theme of partnership runs through this edition of Christian Aid magazine. Here in South Sudan, partnerships are the lifeblood of our work. Whether we’re collaborating with organisations or connecting with communities, much more becomes possible when we pool our expertise, learn from one another, listen to the challenges people face, and understand what they need to escape poverty. And despite the distance between my office and your home, I know this network of togetherness includes you.
Thank you so much for generously supporting Christian Aid. Your gifts, actions and prayers really are making a difference across the world. You’re supporting us and our partners to be there for people when they need us most – offering business start-up support in Burundi (pages 14–15), introducing bee-keeping in Honduras (pages 6–7), and providing food and water in Gaza (page 5). Moreover, regular gifts
enable us to plan and budget to support our partners to stay for as long as they’re needed. If you don’t currently give regularly to Christian Aid, but feel now is the right time to start, you can make this special commitment today at caid.org.uk/Gift
Together, we can end poverty and injustice for good.
With huge thanks,
James Wani Country Director, South Sudan
PS This year’s Christmas Appeal features people we’re working with here in South Sudan. To help you share these important stories with your community, we’ve created a range of festive resources, including sermon notes and prayers. All available to download at caid.org.uk/ChristmasWorship
‘We will not abandon our responsibilities. We will not abandon our people. We will continue working until this war ends.’
Bahaa Zaqout
In this short film, Bahaa Zaqout, a humanitarian responder with our partner, the Agricultural Development Association (PARC), explains how he’s supporting people who’ve been displaced and are now living in temporary shelters in central Gaza. Despite losing his own home and loved ones, Bahaa is determined to ensure that others have access to food and clean water.
Your support can help to provide lifesaving supplies to innocent civilians caught up in this conflict. A gift from you will show our neighbours in Gaza that they’re not alone, and that we really care. Save lives. Give hope.
Bees are precious – they provide a harvest, healing and hope. As one of the first commercial female bee-keepers in Honduras, Juanita shares why she holds such a deep respect for her pollinating partners.
Every morning, Juanita speaks gentle words to her bees. She kindly and patiently tends to them with a real sense of awe and respect: ‘I can see God’s marvels, because the bees are so small but so hard working, so they teach me how to work,’ she tells us. ‘I really enjoy seeing them entering the beehives, full of pollen with their little yellow feet.’
Thanks to your donations, our partner, Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral de Honduras (OCDIH), supported Juanita
to become a commercial bee-keeper. She knows how valuable bees are. Through harvesting honey, Juanita’s been able to earn a good income and support her two children.
The bees have helped Juanita in other ways too: ‘I had an illness in my stomach and was healed with honey. That’s why I fell in love with bees and put all my effort into this. For me, bees mean life.’
Juanita’s heart is full of gratitude for all the bees have given her. Now, she’s teaching her family how to care for them too: ‘You need to respect their needs, and create a beautiful, calm environment. That helped me personally, to remain calm with positive vibes. My husband and I speak with them, and it helps us manage any negative feelings. If you have bad energy when you harvest them, they all die. If you have good vibes, they remain and survive. I remind my children and husband that we need to live peacefully and get along together – because of the bees.’
The bees are an antidote to the injustices that Juanita is witnessing in her community. The climate crisis is making it harder to harvest coffee, which the majority of her neighbours rely on to make a living. In 2020, Juanita watched in horror as Hurricane Iota tore down trees outside her home, and floods devastated her farm.
Juanita’s also seen how violence against women has devastated local families. That’s why she also took up training with OCDIH to learn how to support women who are surviving domestic violence to access the justice system.
Juanita: ‘When I pass away, I hope this legacy continues, and more people join the bee-keeping movement. I dream my children are left with this legacy, so they can take care and make sure the bees remain and survive.’
‘The children were afraid’
When Amani’s family came under attack in Sudan, she, her husband, and their five children fled the horrors of war to seek refuge in South Sudan.
Three-year-old Badu is the youngest. Every day in this refugee settlement, he mimics the sound of gunfire, trying to make sense of the brutality he’s grown up with.
He sits next to his oldest sister Marwa, huddling close to her side. Marwa speaks bravely about the toll this conflict has taken on her family: ‘Before the war, we were happy and could do whatever we wanted, we did not suffer from anything. After the war, everything changed.’
Their father, Rashed, had been a sergeant in the army. Retired for nearly a decade, he’d built a new career as an architecture engineer. But one day, their lives were torn apart when a paramilitary
group made him a target. Amani told us: ‘My children and I were attacked at home while my husband was away. When they failed to find my husband, they said they would return the next day. I told him on the phone not to return home again.’
With deadly missiles falling in their street, Amani didn’t hesitate to leave the very same day. She and her children hurriedly gathered their belongings and left to reunite with Rashed.
The terrifying journey by truck to Wedweil Refugee Settlement took seven days. Masked thieves riding motorcycles frightened the children and stole some of the family’s money.
On arrival to Wedweil, the family were welcomed by organisations including Christian Aid’s partner, Smile Again Africa Development Organisation (SAADO).
SAADO offered the family financial support, which Amani used to open a restaurant. Its success has since enabled her to rent a plot of agricultural land. This farm now feeds the family, supplies the restaurant, and generates produce to sell. Rashed says: ‘May God bless SAADO. Their steps are very beautiful. They let us enter into a new life.’
It took time, talent and a little support for Amani and Rashed to build a sustainable income while they wait for the end of war. But for the thousands of families who’ve only just arrived at Wedweil, it’s a daily challenge to fend off hunger and malnutrition.
Every day, the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan deepens. With so many people having left everything behind to survive, it’s vital that we support more families to buy food and emergency supplies.
This Christmas, please give, act and pray for families seeking refuge in South Sudan. To donate now, visit caid.org.uk/Gift
Download Christmas worship resources
Find sermon notes, prayers, a nativity play and more at caid.org.uk/ChristmasWorship Worship with Christian Aid this Christmas.
The new UK Parliament offers a fresh opportunity to build or renew your relationship with your MP –and urge them to act on poverty.
At Christian Aid, we’re not party political, but we know that poverty and its causes are political. Earlier this year, we called on parliamentary candidates to make commitments that would result in a more just and sustainable world.
We believe the new UK Government must now take up its place on the world stage to urgently get the debts of lower
income countries cancelled, tackle climate injustice, and promote peace. Building a relationship with your MP is key to making sure this happens. Why not begin by inviting your newly elected MP to break bread with you? Just like Jesus broke bread as a symbol of love, unity and solidarity. Your meeting could be the start of a poverty-busting partnership that lasts for years to come. Read more about taking this action in an article written by our Chair, The Rt Revd Sarah Mullally the Bishop of London.
Download our free guide to breaking bread with your MP at caid.org.uk/BreakBreadMP
In 2007, supporter Margaret Robinson witnessed extreme poverty in Kawangware, Kenya: ‘The injustice stayed with me. It’s simply not right that so many live in poverty, while a powerful minority enjoy so much wealth – that is not God’s plan. You don’t have to be an expert to speak to your local MP. I’ve been contacting mine about poverty, and although daunting at first, it’s been effective in bringing about change. So don’t think you can’t talk to your MP, because you can!’
We are gravely concerned by the conflict raging in the Middle East. With your support, we’ve been demanding that the UK Government takes three decisive actions for the people of Gaza:
1. Call for an immediate ceasefire
2. Stop all arms sales to Israel
3. Secure access to aid
More than 8,000 people signed our petition to support these demands.
Many of you called on your MP to direct these demands to the UK Foreign Office. We projected these demands onto the Houses of Parliament.
We placed letters in The Times newspaper. We led pilgrims to pray outside the offices of companies that supply arms to Israel.
We created downloadable resources that explore the context of the war.
We secured a license for supporters to download and screen the acclaimed and thought-provoking film The Tinderbox. Download our film screening guide at caid.org.uk/Tinderbox
‘When people say that religion and politics don’t mix, I wonder which Bible it is they are reading.’ Archbishop Desmond Tutu
In May 2024, Christian Aid Week told the inspirational story of Aline Nibogora, who transformed her family’s life through building a small business. Back in Burundi, we’re now meeting Speciose Nibaruta.
Speciose sits upright, clutching a pencil in her hand. She writes her day’s profits in her trusty notepad. She looks proud, determined and confident. But Speciose hasn’t always felt so secure:
Speciose heard that her local church had started running adult literacy classes. She felt this was a chance to turn her life around, so put herself forward and learned to read and write.
Speciose then identified the opportunity to join a Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA). These small community-led groups mean people can save for their future and borrow money – making small businesses possible. We worked in partnership with the interfaith Network of Religious Confessions for the Promotion of Health and Integral Wellbeing of the Family (RCBIF) to support Speciose’s community to set up and maintain their VSLA so its members could escape poverty on their terms.
Over time, Speciose had saved enough money to open a small shop. Her hard work was really paying off, but then tragedy struck: ‘My husband’s health deteriorated so I had to help him. My shop went bankrupt. He was desperately sick. Then he sadly passed away.’ Suddenly losing her husband placed Speciose in a very precarious position, but she refused to give up hope. She bought a run-down house and rebuilt it brick by brick. Now she rents the rooms out as a bakery, boutique and café. She also sells sweet potatoes, courgettes and beans at market. She says: ‘The VSLA has opened many doors for me. I can proudly say that my life has changed for the better.’
By giving, acting and praying this Christian Aid Week, you supported people like Speciose and Aline to push back against the inhumanity of poverty and build better futures. Thank you for using those seven special days in May to help make lasting change possible.
This May, you had seven days and so many ways to give, act and pray – and you didn’t disappoint! You walked, jogged, cycled, danced, praised, quizzed, delivered, collected, brewed, baked and much more to raise a grand total of £4.6m to date!
We wish we could share every story from this incredible week, but there are just too many. Instead, we hope you’ll enjoy this selection, along with our heartfelt thanks for your creativity, compassion and commitment to end poverty and injustice.
Elsie took 70km in her stride: £908
Elsie Peel, a former teacher from Bolton, clocked up 70km by walking around her local area. She told us: ‘I had an extra challenge of undergoing chemotherapy, but was advised to get exercise, and this was a good way to do it. I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me.’
Churches Together in Groby litter-picked a whopping 70km. Mary Pringle said: ‘We want to help more people push back against poverty. As a bonus we’re helping to keep our village litter-free!’
Four-legged-fundraisers walked cathedral-to-cathedral: £3,020 Scout, a Collie, and Kit, a miniature Jack Russell, along with their human companions Clare Slator from York, and Dorothy Gray from Ripon, walked 26 miles together, from York Minister to Ripon Cathedral.
Triathlon tested triumphant Sue: £1,210
Sue Isherwood of Peebles cycled 26 miles, swam 50 lengths, and walked 8 miles around St Mary’s Loch. A feat made more impressive because 21 years ago, Sue crushed her ankle and broke her leg while walking a Munro mountain. As a result, Sue developed osteoarthritis and endured numerous surgeries, including two ankle replacements.
Truro trio hosted coffee and crafts: £920
Sue and Barry Pettit and Jenny Kwee from the Truro Christian Aid group hosted their annual coffee morning. Guests enjoyed coffee while browsing a range of crafts, local produce and plants. This active group are recruiting new members, to get involved email dhart@christian-aid.org
Brian pedalled 70km against poverty: £1,002
Brian Ridsdale from Chandler’s Ford told us: ‘I’m taking up this challenge with a week of cycling to churches around Hampshire in places like Winchester, Southampton and Swanmore, which support Christian Aid. I hope to encourage them in their fundraising and hope they will encourage me!’
Fundraisers kept everyone guessing: £300
Young people and friends in the village of Llanbedr-y-Cennin added ever-popular guess-to-win games to their coffee morning, including Guess the ewe’s name and Guess the cake’s weight. In case ‘ewe’ were wondering, the name of the knitted fundraiser was Gwenyn.
Your efforts this Christian Aid Week mean people like Aline Nibogora in Burundi are now pushing back against poverty.
‘We feel we are not alone ... we can be free from poverty.’
Aline Nibogora, Makamba Province, Burundi
In 2025, we celebrate Christian Aid’s 80th anniversary. In recognition, we’d love to look back and share some of your stories from the last 80 years.
• Did you meet your best friend fundraising?
• Do you treasure a memory of volunteering?
• Does Christian Aid hold a special significance in your family?
From the heart-warming to the tear-jerking, please send us your best stories and copies* of any photos to hello@christian-aid.org We’ll do our best to share as many of them as we can across our print and digital media during 2025.
*Please don’t send original photos as we can’t return them.
• Meet other supporters.
• Get inspired for Christian Aid Week.
• Discover the difference your gifts and prayers are making around the world.
• Learn about our exciting community engagement activities in the UK.
us in person at St. John’s Waterloo, London, attend a regional watch party, or watch online. Learn more.
Scotland Supporter Gathering returns online Tuesday 25 February 2025. Request to join by emailing edinburgh@christian-aid.org
‘No one chooses to be a refugee.’
Daniel Auyen, SAADO
Daniel Auyen is the Food Security and Livelihoods Programme Manager for Smile Again Africa Development Organisation (SAADO), our partner in Wedweil Refugee Settlement, South Sudan.
What motivates you to work for a humanitarian organisation?
I was born and raised in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. I really understand what the people I work with are going through. I’ve lived their problems. I received help from people I never met – I don’t even know their names. But their support helped me to become who I am today.
I feel a duty to give back now and share my story. Because people like me who receive support, will go on to repay it by working to make the world a better place.
What would you like to tell the world about being a refugee?
No one chooses to be a refugee. You’re only a refugee by virtue of the situation you find yourself in. Refugees are wonderful, talented people who, given
a chance, can contribute to the change we’re all yearning for.
How do your personal experiences inform your work?
They help me to connect with people traumatised by the conflict in Sudan – people who’ve lost loved ones and livelihoods. My story helps them to understand that there is a tomorrow for us all, because being a refugee is not a permanent situation.
What difference does working in partnership make?
When communities take the lead in identifying local solutions to local problems, the change that’s needed comes more quickly, and it’s more sustainable. Christian Aid takes this approach, and I can attest that it has an outstanding impact. Together, we’re offering lifesaving emergency support and the hope of peace. Your support is helping us to transition South Sudan out of crisis to become the stable nation we all dream of.
Christian Aid Scotland proudly presents:
Newtown Church, Edinburgh Wednesday 11 December at 6.30pm
With a theme of peace, this special service will include numerous carols led by Siskin Green and Fischy Music. Our keynote address will be delivered by the Rev John L. Bell – hymn writer, broadcaster and activist.
Plus, you can hear from our partners in South Sudan.
To register your interest to attend in person, or to receive a link to join us online, visit caid.org.uk/CarolService24
Christian Aid is releasing a single!
We’ve teamed up with singer-songwriter Jords to produce a powerful track that will build hope in a world filled with conflict.
Stream or buy the single Hold on to hope from all major music platforms from 13 November. All proceeds go to Christian Aid. caid.org.uk/HoldOnToHope
We hope you enjoyed reading about how your support is helping people across the world to transform their own lives. If you’d like to change the way you hear from us, or stop hearing from us altogether, please call our Supporter care team on 020 7523 2493 or email info@christianaid.org Please remember to include your full name and address so we can identify you. We promise never to share your details with any other organisation for marketing purposes. For more information, please visit caid.org.uk/Privacy