Christian Aid magazine for supporters
Autumn/Winter 2020
Love knows no distance One global community united in hope
Gift of Love Love unites us all – and with a gift in your Will, your love can live forever. In these challenging times, with the message to love our neighbours as ourselves, we reach out a hand of friendship towards those most in need.
Photo: Christian Aid/Adam Finch
Making a Will is a promise of love and care for your family and friends. By including a gift to Christian Aid, you can extend this love to your global family.
Write your Will with Will Aid This November, you can write or update your Will with Will Aid. Rather than charge their fee, participating solicitors will write your Will for a suggested charitable donation shared by nine charities, including Christian Aid. Visit willaid.org.uk or call 0300 0309 558.
Charity Christmas Cards SEE THE FULL RANGE ONLINE!
T R A I D C R A F T S H O P. C O . U K
Love never fails Who could have imagined that 2020 – Christian Aid’s 75th year – would see such tumultuous events? For the first time in our history, we have seen a health crisis emerge that impacts us at the same time as the communities we work with. Coronavirus continues to have devastating effects across the world. Therefore, let me thank you for responding so generously to our coronavirus emergency appeal and to Christian Aid Week in May. We’ve been inspired and humbled by your creativity and generosity. You continue to joyfully give and fundraise in innovative ways to help some of the poorest and most marginalised communities, despite the challenges you yourself have faced. We are immensely grateful for every one of you. You have really shown that love unites us all and that this love extends to neighbours near and far.
Christian Aid Magazine Issue 15: Autumn/Winter 2020 Editor: Laura Oakley Sub-editor: Natasha Fiala Art editor: Rachel Irwin Design: Rachel Irwin, Rebecca Gray Coordination: John Lamb Published by Christian Aid 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL 020 7620 4444 info@christian-aid.org caid.org.uk
Christian Aid magazine for supporters
Autumn/Winter 2020
Love knows no distance
Cover story Angela and her daughter Johaira are part of a strong community in Nicaragua working together to overcome the climate crisis.
One global community united in hope
Photos: Cover Christian Aid; pages 4-5 iStockphoto; pages 6-7 Christian Aid; pages 8-9 Christian Aid/Jerry Clinton, Christian Aid; pages 10-11 Christian Aid; pages 12-13 Christian Aid/Elizabeth Dalziel; page 14 Vanessa Desmet, Getty Images; page 15 Robert Beckford
My prayer is that you will show the same support, creativity and generosity as we continue to stand with our neighbours facing crisis, spreading hope to push back the darkness. I also pray that you keep yourself and your loved ones well and safe. This year has shown that we need each other more than ever.
Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, Chief Executive
Contents 4-5 A renewed fight for justice As Christian Aid marks its 75th year, we reflect on our journey together and the urgent need to continue tackling injustice, discrimination and exclusion everywhere.
6-7 A virtual Christian Aid Week to be proud of Even in a global pandemic, you still found ways to celebrate a vibrant and virtual Christian Aid Week. See what you helped to achieve.
12-13 Love builds hope this Christmas Be inspired by the communities we work with in Ethiopia and get geared up for our Christmas Appeal.
8-9 Coronavirus: a global response
14 Campaign update and events
Find out more about Christian Aid’s response to coronavirus around the world thanks to your support.
Read about the latest campaign actions, and upcoming events.
10-11 Love unites us all
We caught up with Robert Beckford, theologian, activist and award-winning filmmaker, to talk about faith and racial justice.
Neighbourly love is powerful. Read about Angela’s farming community in Nicaragua and how they are overcoming the climate crisis together.
15 Last Word
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Editorial
Together we can continue to extend the hand of friendship to our global neighbours.
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A renewed e c i t s u j r o f t h fig It’s been a tumultuous year. But if the year’s events show us anything, it is of the pressing need to step-up the fight against injustice, discrimination and exclusion everywhere.
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ere in Britain, coronavirus has disproportionately ripped through black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. Across the Atlantic in the US, the shocking manner and circumstances of the death of George Floyd remind us that the long-fought battles for racial justice are far from over. And around the world, the climate crisis, crippling debt and lack of healthcare provision are being felt most intensely by black and brown people. As our Chief Executive Amanda Mukwashi said: ‘The face of a person in poverty usually belongs to a black person.’ Christian Aid has a 75-year history rooted in tackling poverty and pursuing social justice, backed by you. Together, we’ve stood firm in solidarity with marginalised communities, including those excluded because of their skin colour. But there is more – so much more – to do. Any struggle against poverty, inequality and injustice that does not recognise the role of race will fall short. As we mark Black History Month this October in Christian Aid’s 75th year, it is time to reflect, renew and ready ourselves for the journey ahead. Radical change doesn’t come easily, but it is far from impossible – we’ve seen it happen before.
Christian Aid supporters like you stood with the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. You helped us create the Southern African Coalition to demand an end to apartheid in the 1980s. And you were part of the movement for Fairtrade products in the 1990s. You are part of a movement that matters. And together, we won’t rest until everyone has equal treatment and opportunities; until the social and economic barriers that hold so many back are broken. Just as we have stood with those pursuing social justice throughout our 75-year history, today we continue to stand with people of peace. People who are committed to bringing about desperately needed systemic change in every society worldwide where communities are marginalised. Christian Aid was founded by British and Irish churches to reach out a hand of friendship to those left homeless, hungry and destitute by the Second World War. Together, we will continue this legacy of extending our hand of friendship to our global neighbours. We will do so whatever their race or religion, so that they too can experience dignity, equality and justice. Please keep supporting us: we can’t do it without you. To learn more about our history, go to caid.org.uk/history
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Christian Aid Week 2020
A virtual Christian Aid Week to be proud of We have something very important to say to you: thank you.
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ven in a global pandemic, you still found ways to celebrate Christian Aid Week this May and reach out to your neighbours near and far. There may not have been any house-to-house collections, Big Brekkies or gatherings in your church. But there was one unwavering element – you. From online quizzes to socially-distanced plant sales, you helped build a virtual and vibrant Christian Aid Week to be proud of. Together, you kept alive the spirit of a week that’s been running since 1957.
Chris Nudds decorated her home in Glossopdale.
300,000 steps
Karen Brzezicki out on her 300,000 step challenge.
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Karen Brzezicki of St John the Baptist Church in Wiltshire took on the challenge of a sponsored 300,000 steps. She said: ‘I saw this idea and thought, well I can walk – why don’t I do that? A friend at a neighbouring parish also took on the challenge, setting up a healthy fundraising rivalry! Both parishes ended up raising more money than usual, with Karen’s parish bringing in £1,785 and their neighbouring parish over £2,000.
Red is the colour The splash of red which usually fills the front pews on Christian Aid Sunday at St Mary’s Motherwell was just as colourful online this year. The congregation and junior church raised over £3,500 with a stream of red-themed challenges all could enjoy, from virtual energetic workouts dressed in red, to making beautifully creative hand print decorations. St Mary’s Motherwell congregation all donned red to celebrate Christian Aid Week.
Head-shaving aplenty Many of you raised funds through sponsored head shaves this year including Justin Brierley, presenter on Premier Christian Radio and husband of Woking United Reformed Church’s minister Lucy Brierley. Justin said: ‘Everyone who saw me was very surprised at the drastic change in my appearance, so it also acted as a great opportunity to tell people about the work of Christian Aid.’ Getting the chop boosted the church’s fundraising to a whopping £8,000 – their highest ever Christian Aid Week total!
‘I have enjoyed the feeling of my shaved head, though my hair has grown back surprisingly quickly!’ – Justin
At a glance 525+ E-Envelope a hit The trusty envelope is an emblem for Christian Aid Week, and this year was no different. We launched a new e-Envelope for you to share with friends and family which raised almost £250,000.
joined online for the Quiztian Aid event
7,670
signatures for the Cancel the Debt petition
3,802
e-Envelopes shared
643
local fundraising pages created
Nearly £4m raised Thank you for your incredible gifts this Christian Aid Week.
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Coronavirus: a global response
Coronavirus: a global response A s coronavirus spread across the world this year, love rose up in response. You reached out to your neighbours near and far to show them they’re not alone. From collecting food for those shielding, to donating to Christian Aid’s emergency appeal. As lockdown measures shift in Britain, coronavirus remains a threat to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. But your support is helping. Together we are providing simple measures that can make a big difference – such as soap, clean water and frontline medical supplies. Thank you for the compassion you have shown your global neighbours. Coronavirus impacts all of us, but love unites us all.
Vulnerable households in Nigeria form a socially distanced queue to receive support during the coronavirus pandemic.
Latin America
Latin America became the epicentre of Covid-19 in early summer, taking its toll on health services, livelihoods and safety. In Guatemala, your support meant we could help women at increased risk of domestic violence during lockdown, with online counselling and transport to safe houses.
Africa Our focus in Africa has been on helping vulnerable communities stay well to prevent Covid-19 from taking hold. With your support, we distributed food packages to 48,550 women, men and children in lockdown in a camp in Nigeria. We continue to deliver life-saving food there every month.
‘My soap was insufficient’
Asia Across Asia, many families have fled violence and hunger from places suffering war or instability. They often live in overcrowded camps without access to water, making them very vulnerable to Covid-19. Your support has helped build handwashing stations in Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees, and distribute hygiene kits with soap to 1,400 people in Afghanistan.
There’s more to do These are just some of the ways we’ve been responding to coronavirus with your support. Our work continues in earnest as people living in poverty face the knock-on effects of the pandemic, particularly in relation to their livelihoods. Explore more with our interactive map at caid.org.uk/covidmap
The impact of lockdown in Nigeria has been felt deeply by families like Imote’s. ‘There is no movement,’ 21-year-old Imote explained. ‘I have six brothers and three sisters. My father died in 2015 and my mother died in 2013. Since then, I am the one taking care of my family. ‘My father left us a farm of oranges to sell and feed ourselves. We also work for people on their farms. Five of us are going to school. ‘This coronavirus problem affects me in many ways. We are no longer going to school and there is no one to buy the oranges I sell to take care of my siblings.’ Your support meant Christian Aid could give Imote’s family a basic hygiene kit and a cash grant. ‘The gift from Christian Aid helps me a lot because my soap was insufficient,’ Imote said. ‘This money will really help me because I will use it to buy provisions, pay school fees or help if one of us is unwell.’
Autumn Appeal
Love unites us all Neighbourly love is powerful. It’s helped us through coronavirus and it’s helping communities fight the climate crisis – like Angela’s community in Nicaragua.
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ngela’s coffee farm used to provide a good living for her family. But now the changing climate means her coffee harvests are shrinking every year. ‘The sun has scorched the coffee beans,’ Angela explained. ‘We cannot sell them and we’re losing more every year because of climate change.’ Coffee farmers like Angela used to lose only 5% of their crop. Now it is 30%. At the same time, coffee prices have fallen globally. Angela is worried: ‘It will be a total disaster and failure for us because as farmers, growing crops is how we survive. Where will we get our incomes?’ Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America and one of the countries most affected by climate change. Some 80% of the population depend on agriculture for survival. Many grow coffee as their main source of income. But there is hope. With your support, Angela’s community is coming together as a local cooperative, sharing resources and knowledge to urgently protect their livelihoods. Angela said: ‘I feel proud to be part of a cooperative and we have the opportunity to share ideas and learn from each other.’
Supported by Christian Aid’s local partner, Soppexcca, Angela’s community is shifting from coffee production to climate-resistant cocoa. Angela’s cocoa plants will be ready to harvest next year. She said: ‘The income from the cocoa crop is very important. It means we can buy clothes, medicine and food.’ While trained technicians show farmers how to improve their farms, youth promoters visit the farmers to record their progress and share know-how. It’s helped build trust between the generations. One of the youth promoters is Angela’s daughter Johaira. She said: ‘Sometimes I feel nervous about telling farmers what they need to do, but as a promoter I feel good and I am always learning more.’ When ordinary neighbours come together, they can create lasting change. Just as you have in response to coronavirus. Just like Angela’s community have in response to climate change.
This autumn, will you reach out to your global neighbours and help more communities overcome crisis together?
Angela with her daughters Johaira (left) and Ariana (middle).
Give Give a gift to your global neighbours at caid.org.uk/neighbours
Act Help more communities overcome crisis. Ask the UK Chancellor to champion debt cancellation for the world’s poorest countries at caid.org.uk/debtpetition
Pray Download prayers for your global neighbours at caid.org.uk/autumnpray
Christmas Appeal
Our global neighbours like Mekonnen are battling the effects of the climate crisis. Will you stand with them this Christmas?
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Love builds hope this Christmas Hope for a better future is the greatest gift we can give this season.
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ekonnen kneels in the dry sand of the riverbed in Ethiopia, digging with his hands in search of water: ‘We pray for rain,’ he says, ‘but when there is no rain we have to dig.’ Mekonnen is thirsty and desperate with the dry hole more than a metre deep. He knows that if he does not strike water today, even more of his livestock may die. His way of life as a pastoralist herdsman will not last much longer in these conditions. We don’t want to tell you another story about crisis. We want to look towards Christmas and the new year with hope. But in Ethiopia, and around the world, our neighbours face another devastating crisis that we simply can’t ignore – the climate crisis. The effects of climate change are real for Mekonnen and his family. The rains have stopped, drought has dried the rivers, and crops no longer produce a harvest. Even the honey bees have disappeared. This year we learned that we can face a global crisis together. Now, we need to stand united with our global neighbours battling the effects of the climate crisis. With your support, we can bring hope this Christmas to communities like Mekonnen’s. Your gifts can help build resilience through reliable water sources and seeds that grow in drought. Our traditions may look different in this year of social distance, yet love is never distant. Give hope this Christmas and help a community like Mekonnen’s fight the climate crisis.
Stand in solidarity and hope with neighbours like Mekonnen this Christmas. Go to caid.org.uk/christmas to donate and find out more.
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Building a world with justice at its heart
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he coronavirus pandemic has brought untold pain. Hundreds of thousands of our global neighbours have died. Economic, financial and health systems are stretched to the brink. Every single one of us has faced new struggles and uncertainty. But the pandemic has also brought a renewed sense that things must change. The virus has highlighted deep failures in how our world is ordered: a world characterised by overconsumption, inequality and environmental destruction. In this world, our poorest and
most marginalised neighbours continue to suffer the most. Their governments are squeezed between falling revenues, rising debts and spiralling social needs. We cannot continue like this. We have the chance to reimagine a future that truly recognises the worth and dignity of every individual. Will you be part of it? As governments look to lay the foundations for recovery postcoronavirus, we need to chart a path for a world that is more equal, just and green – where everyone can thrive. Together, over the past few months, you’ve brought your
energy and compassion to ensure this happens. Thousands of you emailed the UK Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, calling on him to champion debt relief at a global level. Hundreds more of you met with MPs in the first ever virtual lobby of Parliament to help ensure the UK Government’s recovery plan is fair, just and green. Over the coming months, we will continue to campaign alongside you for a fairer world. Discern with us what it will take using our new resources and discussion guide at caid.org.uk/build
‘ Seeking fairness and economic equity for all is one of the ways we can express God’s love. Participating in the virtual lobby allowed me to do just that in a way that could effect positive change for us all’ Vanessa Desmet, vicar at St Mary’s in Walthamstow.
Coming soon… From Darkness to Light: an online service of reflection 5.30pm on Wednesday 4 November 2020 You are warmly invited to a special online service of reflection, featuring Amanda Mukwashi, our Chief Executive, and Dr Rowan Williams.
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We’ve all been through enormous change and loss during the coronavirus pandemic, especially those who have lost a loved one. This service is a time to come together to grieve, remember and reflect. For more details, go to caid.org.uk/reflection
To find more socially distanced or virtual Christian Aid events happening near you over the coming months, please visit caid.org.uk/local
Last Word
Robert Beckford is a theologian, activist and award-winning filmmaker. He’s also one of the leaders from Christian Aid’s blackmajority church climate change group. We caught up with him to talk about faith and justice.
‘ I am concerned with how all of the most pressing issues of the day coalesce on the bodies of black and brown women’ How did you get involved with Christian Aid? I’ve had an association with Christian Aid for some time. Back in 2007, you supported a film I made for Channel 4 called, ‘The Great African Scandal.’ I also served for a short time as a board member. Currently, I am involved with Christian Aid’s black-majority church climate change group as a theological advisor.
What do you think are the most pressing issues of justice right now? I am concerned with how all of the most pressing issues of the day – environmental justice, racial justice, gender justice and poverty alleviation – coalesce on the bodies of black and brown women. Therefore, it would seem to me that any struggle against injustice that does not foreground the bodies of black and brown women, is missing the mark.
Christian Aid is marking its 75th anniversary this year. What should we remember from our history as we partner with our global neighbours for the challenges ahead? If Dutch historian Rutger Bregman is correct, there is much to celebrate regarding the fight against global poverty over the past 75 years. Christian Aid should positively reflect on its role in this battle. If sociologist Kehinde Andrews is also correct, then the fight against racism, and its intersections with structural impoverishment and environmental degradation, make the eradication of racism a focal point for Christian Aid and its partners for the next decade.
How does your faith sustain you in your work? I believe in a God of liberation, who is present in the struggle of oppressed peoples. Commitment
to this image of God sustains me as a black liberation theologian living and working in Britain.
What gives you hope? Black Lives Matter’s ability to galvanise and mobilise disparate groups of people, based on a mandate of radical inclusivity and direct action.
Who inspires you? Robert Beckford, the Christian slave who fought against the British in 1831 in Jamaica to emancipate enslaved Africans from the tyranny of slavery in the West Indies. He was captured, tortured and eventually given a prison sentence of 200 years (yes, disproportionate sentencing of black men goes way back). I keep my slave name, ‘Beckford’, to write and give voice to his struggle – that is the continued resistance and re-existence in response to race, class, and gender oppression.
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