Christian Aid Ireland Spring/ Summer 2017
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Rosamond Bennett, CEO of Christian Aid Ireland, visits an informal school in a Muslim community in Myanmar.
Reaching people made homeless by conflict
“Tell the people where you live to forget about my identity, forget about my religion and just think of me as a human being. I’m struggling and I need help.” I was incredibly moved when an elderly Muslim woman said these words to me during my visit to Myanmar last October. In some areas of the country there were Christians, forced from their land by fighting between military and rebel groups. In other parts, were Muslim and Buddhist communities driven from their villages by conflict between these communities. I met families struggling to survive, to get enough food, and with no 2
means of earning money. Christian Aid Ireland carries the hopes of these people through our work in conflict-torn areas. Last November, we launched ‘Tackling Violence, Building Peace’, a programme to support people who face conflict and violence. Helping people fleeing war is in our DNA. Christian Aid Week turns 60 this year and was started as a house to house collection to fundraise for aid the Churches of
Britain and Ireland were giving to refugees in Europe. This Christian Aid Week, I will remember people who live with conflict, but survive each day in the hope that peace will come. Thanks to you, their calls will not go unanswered.
Rosamond Bennett CEO Christian Aid Ireland
Christian Aid Week takes place from Sunday 14th to Saturday 20th May 2017 This year’s Christian Aid Week highlights the plight of refugees worldwide. Nejebar fled Afghanistan with her family after the Taliban threatened to kill her husband, Noor, who was a teacher. They had already blinded, then murdered, another family member. “When I went to work I didn’t know if my family would be alive when I got back,” said Noor. The family now live in a cramped tent in a Greek refugee camp. There’s no school for their children. Five-year-old Sudai, their youngest, is ill, but they don’t know what’s wrong with him. “We only want a peaceful life,” says Nejebar. We want our children to go to school. The most important thing is our children.”
Sixty Years of Christian Aid Week Nejebar with her son, Sudai, in a Greek refugee camp
Christian Aid is providing refugees in Serbia and Greece with meals, water, washing facilities and legal support. Christian Aid Week has been supporting people in severe need for sixty years. To get involved this year, donate to your local house to house collection, run a Big Brekkie or coffee morning fundraiser, or donate to our appeal. To find out more visit caweek.org (Northern Ireland) or caweek.ie (Republic of Ireland). 3
Aluel and her family get vital support in famine-stricken South Sudan “Before Christian Aid helped me, life had become very difficult,” said Aluel, a mother of two from South Sudan.
Aluel Ring and her child.
“On the worst days, we would eat nothing at all, or maybe just a handful of leaves. As a family, we urgently needed help. Christian Aid gave us vouchers to buy more food. Now we eat three meals every day and I see the health of my children improve before my eyes.” A catastrophic food crisis has hit East Africa and famine has been declared in South Sudan. We are providing vouchers for people to buy food and other needs, seeds, tools and fishing gear. We have repaired community water points, built latrines and distributed hygiene supplies. Nick Guttman, Head of Humanitarian Programmes, 4
said: “The people here say thank you to the people of Ireland, for supporting Christian Aid’s appeal. It’s making a huge difference.” We are also very grateful to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal, which launched special appeals for East Africa and to Irish Aid for supporting our response.
To make a donation visit christianaid.ie or call us on 01 4967040 (Republic of Ireland) or 02890 648133 (Northern Ireland).
South Sudan:
Eyewitness Account Claire Devlin, our tackling violence, building peace specialist, recently visited South Sudan, where conflict and famine is devastating villages.
Nyabora Tap Hoth, 1 years old, held by his mother, Nyaluak Gai Gorey, 33, at a nutrition centre at a health clinic run by Christian Aid partner, UNIDO, in Duong, South Sudan. Nyabora Tap Hoth suffers from severe malnutrition.
South Sudan, at six years old, is the world’s youngest nation, but its people have been living through a violent civil war. Unity State, where the famine has hit, has been the worst affected by the conflict. Bahr el Ghazal, where I visited is also critical, but aid efforts are staving off famine. I spoke with people who, while weary of war and hunger, showed incredible resilience. But they’re now at breaking point. Children are out of school and babies are malnourished. Christian Aid Ireland is responding to the urgent food crisis, but we’re also making sure that longer-term work to build peace continues. A little can do a lot. Just €68/£58 provides a month’s clean drinking water for two families. Water-borne disease, which can be fatal for people weakened by hunger, can be prevented. Thanks to you we will be there for people in South Sudan through this emergency and into the future.
“In February, I travelled to South Sudan, where parts of the country have been hit by famine. It doesn’t get any worse than a famine declaration – when this happens, people are already dying of starvation.” Claire Devlin, Christian Aid Ireland 5
Focus on Myanmar Myanmar, formerly Burma, in southeast Asia, is one of the most troubled countries in which Christian Aid Ireland works. The nation is emerging from years of military dictatorship after Aung San Suu Kyi came to power as State Counsellor. Despite initial hope, a new peace process exists side by side with conflict between the government and rebel groups. The country’s Muslim minority faces violent persecution and many have fled into camps. Our Myanmar programme works to build peace. One of our partners is the Myanmar Gender Development Institute, which has trained 70 courageous volunteers to document human rights violations in their villages. They negotiate between the army and armed groups and if there is conflict between ethnic groups, they mediate between religious leaders or elders. They also provide protection - in one case they helped 136 people trapped in armed clashes to safety. These inspiring individuals are true peacemakers, creating a safe place to call home for their neighbours and creating a more peaceful society. 6
Myanmar
A family in a camp in Kachin State, Myanmar, where Christian Aid works with our local partner, Kachin Baptist Convention, to support people forced from home by conflict.
Our Latest Campaigns
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#ShowTheLove
It’s time to leave fossil fuels behind We all want to save for a rainy day, but what if our money is causing a storm? The biggest banks are financing the growth of the fossil fuel industry, fuelling climate change and putting all our futures at risk. This money could be building a brighter, cleaner, fossil-fuel-free world. We’re asking you to write to Ulster Bank, the largest bank in Northern Ireland, to ask them to stop investing in fossil fuels. See the enclosed postcard and tell Ulster Bank to make the big shift.
Grace and Rose Thomas from Belfast hold a green heart at the Giant’s Causeway for Valentine’s Day as part of the #showthelove climate change campaign. Activists across Ireland and the UK asked governments to protect the people and places we love from damaging climate change. Photos: Alistair Hamill.
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In February, Sorley McCaughey, Christian Aid Ireland’s Head of Advocacy and Policy, was a panelist at a high-level tax Conference organised by An Taoiseach, entitled ‘Corporation Tax: Fairness, Transparency and Leadership’. Tax dodging by rich multinationals robs funds for vital social services at home and overseas. We’re calling on the Irish Government to house the issue of tax transparency in a state body with responsibility for corporate taxation, transparency and fairness and to view taxation as an investment in local communities and not a cost to be erased to zero. 7
Join our Events Cycle in stunning Strangford Join us on Saturday 7th October for our annual Strangford Sportive cycle. Starting at Delamont Country Park you have a choice of cycle routes around the beautiful Co. Down countryside. Email eventsireland@christian-aid.org to find out more. Join our mini marathon team The VHI Women’s Mini Marathon will takes place in Dublin on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th June. Why not inspire family or friends to run, jog or walk the 10km distance in aid of Christian Aid Ireland? We will provide a race pack including a t-shirt and sponsorship forms. Call 01 496 7040, email dublin@christian-aid.org or log onto www.christianaid.ie/running The Sheep’s Head and Slieve Bloom Hikes Join our Sheep’s Head Hike on Saturday 2nd September. This fun, family-friendly day in West Cork offers two routes for different levels. The Poet’s Way hill route is 14km (4.5 hours) and the Farranamanagh Loop walk is a flat 6.3km route (2.5 hours). Local guides will help you to explore the unique flora and fauna in this magical part of Ireland. The Slieve Bloom Hike takes place on Saturday 27th May trekking across one of the most scenic parts of Laois/Offaly. We have two routes on offer. A 5km (2.5 hour) hike and a 13km trek. The hike will be led by local environmentalist, Richard Jack, who has deep knowledge for the area’s history and wildlife.
Cyclists getting ready for the Strangford Sportive 8
Visit christianaid.ie/trekking, email cork@christian-aid.org or call 023 8841468
In your church
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Thank you to churches across the island for your tremendous support, encouragement and warm welcomes each year. Here are some wonderful events that recently took place.
Left to right (front row): Melanie Drea, Fairtrade Ireland, Deborah Doherty, Christian Aid, Heydi Mairena, from Christian Aid Nicaraguan partner, Soppexcca Co-operative, Dr. Christopher Stange, Chair of Fairtrade, Belfast, Ricarda Steinhans, and Rev. Paul Jamieson, Chair of the Lisburn Christian Aid Committee at a soup and cheese lunch in 1st Lisburn Presbyterian Church.
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TV and radio personality, George Jones presents a cheque for £30,000 to Deborah Doherty raised by the annual Black Santa sit out, at the Good Samaritan Service in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast.
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Jane Burns, Church and Community Officer in Dublin is welcomed by Rev Canon David Hutton Bury to speak at the Church of Ireland Harvest Service in Geashill, Co Kildare.
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Rachel McCormick describes opening Christian Aid Ireland’s first charity shop and going on a fact-finding trip to India. I have always said each year brings changes. When we decided to move to Garvagh following my husband’s retirement from the ministry, I also retired from nursing. But how would I spend each day? On 5th February 2016, I opened Christian Aid’s very first charity shop: ‘The Changing Room’.
I met a lady from the lowest or ‘scheduled’ caste, a widow of a murder victim. Because of her place in society, she has been assaulted and tortured, her property set on fire. Christian Aid and its partners are giving her legal support.
I realised we all can’t be in India, or wherever the need is great, but we can allow the Spirit to use us where we are. If I use what time and energy I have, even in a small town like Garvagh, God can do amazing things. (Taken from the Presbyterian Herald April 2017)
It has been a memorable year – getting to know the customers, sharing in good times and bad. Then in February 2017, I was given the chance to go to India with Christian Aid. India is a fascinating country – the vast number of people, the noise and the colour. It’s also a land of contrasts. Near a school, we passed tables of colourful fruit, expertly displayed for sale, but across the street stood cows in piles of waste. The children’s parents sift through the rubbish looking for items to sell. 10
Jane Burns from Christian Aid Ireland, Rachel McCormick and local woman, Razia, at a women’s project in India.
Children at play in a child-friendly space run by Christian Aid partner, Lutheran World Federation, in the Ajuong Thok refugee camp in South Sudan. Photo: Act Alliance/Paul Jeffrey
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Contact us: Belfast: Linden House, Beechill Business Park, 96 Beechill Road, Belfast BT8 7QN Tel: (028) 9064 8133 Email: belfast@christian-aid.org Dublin: Canal House, Canal Road, Dublin 6 Tel: (01) 496 7040 Cork: Hill View, Bandon, Cork Tel: (023) 88 41468 Email: cork@christian-aid.org Join us: www.christianaid.ie christianaidireland
Cover: A woman sits in a camp for displaced people in Myanmar.
@christianaidirl @christianaidirl NI Registered Charity no. NIC101631 NI Company no. NI059154 ROI Registered Charity no. 20014162 ROI Company no. 426928 Christian Aid Ireland is the official relief and development agency of the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Moravian Church, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), the Salvation Army, and the Irish Council of Churches It is a member of ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together), the worldwide ecumenical network for emergency relief.