NOVEMBER 2023
WORKING TOWARDS A TRULY JUST, HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL WORLD
HEALTH AND WHOLENESS
LET US PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK BY JANICE BIEHN
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COMMUNITY CONNECTION RESTORES INDIGENOUS HEALTH BY JACQUELINE TUCCI
(above) Ishkode sacred fire is shared with elders, ecumenical members and helpers holding space for healing and wellness teachings. (left) A young man shares his message promoting life and offering encouragement, that every voice makes a difference.
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ince the 1960s, the Anamiewigummig Kenora Fellowship Centre in Kenora, Ont., has responded to the needs of Indigenous community members in the Traditional Territory of Treaty 3 with a daily drop-in and other programs. This year it was one of several organizations to receive a $15,000 PWRDF Indigenous Responsive Grant. Indigenous people across the country continue to feel the impacts of colonization, which led to anti-Indigenous government legislation and residential and day schools, the Sixties Scoop, a disproportionate number of Indigenous children in Canada’s child welfare and justice systems, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (as well as girls, boys and two-spirited people). All of these realities have contributed – and continue to contribute – to Indigenous peoples being disconnected from their communities and cultures. The results are seen in poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including high rates of suicide and substance abuse within many communities. In response to these ongoing and tragic realities, PWRDF has partnered with the Anamiewigummig Kenora Fellowship Centre to serve the community, which is 85% Indigenous, including Ojibway, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Métis. “The Fellowship Centre serves as a ‘home base’ for many displaced individuals in the Urban area of Kenora,” said Executive Director, Yvonne Bearbull, who along with 90% of her staff is Indigenous. “The Indigenous community we serve have predominantly been impacted by [government] policy and program failures.” With the PWRDF grant, the Anamiewigummig Kenora Fellowship Centre was able to respond to community needs for an intensive period of four months. Its programs included: • Promoting positive mental health with the help of facilitators who provided appropriate arts and crafts and games; • Cultural support and urban gatherings focusing on the land; • A mentorship program, with on-the-job training to staff.
Other program priorities included addressing food insecurity and building relationships between Indigenous and nonIndigenous communities in Kenora. A social media campaign was designed to raise awareness of intergenerational trauma, which helped build community bridges. “One way we have promoted and modelled belonging and inclusion was the implementation of our urban land-based initiative utilizing the teachings of the sacred fire, also known as Ishkode,” said Bearbull. “Many were not familiar with the teachings and roles and responsibilities. We engaged with elders and sought guidance of elders, held open sharing circles and teachings of prayer offerings, gifting and feasting. The land-based initiative helped strengthen those who took on responsibilities of helpers, firekeepers, and walked with respect [and] encouraged care for the area.” The land-based gatherings and sacred fire offered a source of comfort, genuine care, and connection for those who attended. Bearbull shared that during one circle, a young woman experiencing distress sat at the feet of an elder at the fire and laid her head in their lap. “We asked if she needed us to call for her worker,” said Bearbull. She said ‘No, this is all I need.’ ”
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ften when we pray, we ask God to heal us or our loved ones. To rid us from disease or illness, to make us whole. Indeed, as Jesus began his ministry he miraculously healed many sick people by the mere laying on of hands. Those of us who have experienced injury or illness, or who have nursed a loved one back to health, know how very debilitating poor health can be. PWRDF partners in Canada and around the world know too, but they also know how elusive good health can be in the face of food insecurity, climate change, economic instability, conflict and gender-based violence. Good Health and Wellbeing is #3 on the UN’s list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. But it is inextricably linked to #1 (No Poverty), #2 (Zero Hunger), #4 (Quality Education), #5 (Gender Equality), #6 (Clean Water), #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and #13 (Climate Action). In short, good health is everything. In this issue of Under the Sun, you’ll read about our partners who are working to improve mental health in Indigenous communities in Canada, educate about sexual and reproductive health in Uganda, prevent gender-based violence in Lesotho, restore clean water in the Philippines and provide income opportunities for refugees living along the Thai-Burmese border so that they in turn can be healthier. On our back page, read how Anglicans across Canada are showing they care about the health of our neighbours by raising funds to support PWRDF’s many partners. As you read about the health challenges facing the people in these pages, please add them to your prayers.
2 HEALTH AND WHOLENESS
HEALTH EDUCATION EMPOWERS GIRLS AND WOMEN BY JACQUELINE TUCCI
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n the Wakiso district in central Uganda, children under 18 make up 53% of the population (compared to approximately 20% in Canada). Since 2018, PWRDF has partnered with Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment (ARUWE) on projects to empower young women and adolescents in the region. PWRDF and ARUWE have completed four successful projects to date, tackling teenage pregnancies, early marriages, incidents of sexual and genderbased violence (SGBV) and HIV & STI infections among female adolescents, young women and teenage mothers. ARUWE’s Girls and Women Lead project, supported by PWRDF, began a new phase in May 2023 and will run until April 2026. It aims to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy in Wakiso through education, training and increased access to SRHR services. In Wakiso, COVID-19-related school closures have left upwards of 15 million students out of school. Teenage pregnancy is a major contributing factor in girls leaving school early and never returning, and between March 2020 and June 2021, rates of pregnancy amongst women and girls aged 10-24 in Wakiso
A girl presents to her class at St. Raphael School in Wakiso, Uganda. increased by 22.5%. PWRDF is supporting this new project phase with $210,000 to build on the success of previous ARUWE projects. In 2021, ARUWE implemented the second phase of the Girls and Women Lead project. ARUWE provided sexual and reproductive health education to female students at St. Raphael Senior Secondary School, a co-ed day and boarding school in Wakiso. Many students there come from families experiencing poverty. They are often faced with the decision to either abandon their studies or find somebody who can afford to fund their tuition. Many resort to seeking out men who may pay their tuition in exchange for sexual favours. “We are very troubled as a school to have incidences of students getting pregnant while still young and carrying out [unsafe] abortions,” said St. Raphael’s head teacher. “Recently one of the students who had carried out an unsafe
CHANGING ATTITUDES STARTS WITH LEADERS BY JANICE BIEHN
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t is only possible to change entrenched cultural practices when people at all levels of power are engaged in the process. That credo is at the heart of Help Lesotho’s Safer Communities project, funded by PWRDF since 2021. In Lesotho, the small landlocked country surrounded by South Africa, girls and young women frequently experience gender-based violence (GBV). According to the 2014 Lesotho Gender-Based Violence Indicator Researcher (which is the most recent), 86% of women surveyed have experienced GBV, and 40% of men admit to perpetrating it. GBV seriously threatens girls’ and women’s wellbeing and ignores their right to safety, health and education. It robs them of the power to make their own decisions. In Lesotho, most survivors do not report violence to police, seek medical attention or get legal help. It is still seen as a private matter, shrouded in a culture of silence and stigmatization. Asking girls, who have almost no power, to stand up for their rights can put them at greater risk if others are unwilling to use their power to support them and make a change. The Safer Communities project addresses the urgency for local leaders, health providers, police officers, teachers, boys, men, community members and family members – who should be protecting girls and women – to understand and accept their responsibility and duty to support girls’ mental, emotional and physical health. In the past year, 81 community leaders have been trained in how to recognize GBV and support women and girls who are experiencing it.
“We are very grateful to ARUWE for the sexuality training they offered to us because it equipped us with skills of being assertive, resisting peer pressure and prioritizing our education.” – Nalwanga Shadia, St. Raphael Head Girl
abortion with the aid of a traditional birth attendant was admitted to the hospital as she was bleeding excessively.” In response to incidents like this, ARUWE intervened with an education and empowerment program at the school. Students were equipped with knowledge and skills on the reproductive
system, puberty, body image and sexuality and relationships, assertiveness and self-esteem, coping with emotion, effective communication, problemsolving skills, resisting peer pressure and critical thinking skills. Students were also educated on teen pregnancy, the dangers, and how to prevent it. ARUWE is a non-profit NGO working with marginalized people, especially women and children, in rural Uganda. Their work focuses on adolescent SRHR, reducing gender-based violence and preventing teenage pregnancies.
Malerato Mahapa is a police officer. At the beginning of the training, she admits to being defensive and negative about ending GBV. Yet one day after the three-day training, a woman who was abused by her husband came to the station in tears. “I responded and assisted the victim of GBV with due diligence, making sure that I did not cause any further harm to the survivor,” she says. “That increased the trust to the survivor, that I will take her case seriously as I treated her with respect and dignity. … She thanked me for the good care I offered to her. I feel proud to have put a smile on someone’s face when they were experiencing a traumatic situation.”
Soai Mohasoang is a local chief in Botha-Bothe district. He said emotional abuse was widely accepted and ignored in his community. But after the training, Mohasoang saw things differently. “I learned that GBV and emotional abuse are silent killers to which community members turned a blind eye. In the village, grandmothers are some of the vulnerable people of which perpetrators take advantage. One of the grannies was badly insulted in front of me. … After participating in the training, I felt a sense of urgency to be a leader … hence, for the first time, I took it upon myself to act as a first witness at Khukhune Local court to offer support and increase safety to a granny who was emotionally abused. With that, the perpetrator was fined M1000.00 [$75 Cdn]. I believe that has been a lesson to others, as I no longer hear insults which used to be a norm around the village.”
HEALTH AND WHOLENESS 3
FROM TINY SEEDS GROW MIGHTY TREES BY JACQUELINE TUCCI
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long the border between Thailand and Burma, a new social enterprise project run by DARE (Drug & Alcohol Recovery & Education) Network and supported by PWRDF, is providing a source of hope for refugees and migrant workers in the region. Moringaid is a powdered supplement made from moringa seeds, rich in protein, iron, calcium and vitamin B and C. Growing and processing the seeds into Moringaid, and then selling the product online, is providing a source of income for migrant workers and refugees, empowering them with long-term financial sustainability. The protracted crisis has left thousands of Burmese refugees living in camps with little-to-no economic opportunity. There are currently more than two million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand working in harsh factories and on farms, most often for less than minimum wage. The lack of jobs worsens the plight of those in the camps dealing with addiction, trauma and violence. “Addiction and violence are rife in this population due to the extreme abuse [migrants] have suffered,” says DARE Network founder, Pam Rogers. “Yet, because of continuous security issues it is challenging to provide services to them. Now, thanks to PWRDF, we have a chance.” “Addiction is a family and community problem,” Rogers adds. “Women in migrant worker village communities hold the families together. If the male partner is an addict, then the women are subject to more poverty, stress and domestic violence. Men also undergo severe stress from loss of traditional roles and PTSD from war, including loss of land and disability due to land mines.” PWRDF funds are supporting the cultivation and processing of moringa seeds on a recently purchased plot of land measuring 3,200 square metres (slightly less than an acre). DARE will also be building a house on the property for training addiction workers and treating the migrant population. The moringa is a versatile, fast-growing, and drought-resistant tree, which grows in tropical countries in Asia, Africa and South America. Local people use all parts of the tree – leaves, roots and pods – to enhance their diets and for its many herbal and medicinal properties. For many people in these regions, the moringa tree can be the difference between malnutrition and wellbeing. DARE has always taken a community-focused approach, allowing programs and activities to be led by the local community, for the local community. As a result, DARE Network rehabilitation programs have a 61% non-relapse rate, compared to the average Western rehabilitation program’s rate of 25%, something Rogers credits to listening and learning from local people, and working together to achieve sustainable change. “When you work in a different culture, with many different ways of thinking and languages, it is important to be respectful of local knowledge,” says Rogers. “In order for our program to benefit people on the [Thai-Burmese] border, we needed them to participate with this knowledge and to buy in to the whole process. It has to make sense to them in terms that are important and close to them, not what we think is right or ‘best practices.’ The results speak for themselves.”
A woman holds a tray of cultivated moringa, the seeds of which will be made into Moringaid powder.
Counter-clockwise from top: Community members bring pipe to a build-site of the Barangay Ballayangon water system. Then they connect pipes which will carry water through the system. One of the system’s water tap stands is next to a school.
‘THIS WATER IS LIFE ITSELF’ BY JACQUELINE TUCCI
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n July 2022, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous province of Abra in the Philippines. The quake caused flash flooding which then destroyed buildings, homes and infrastructure in several areas. In the Barangay Ballayangon communities of Pugo, Topap and Agimitan, essential water systems were washed away. The Cordillera Disaster Response & Development Services (CorDis), a long-standing partner of PWRDF, responded with relief to the affected communities through funding from the Canadian Funds for Local Initiative of the Canadian Embassy in Manila and other sources. PWRDF responded to a request from CorDis to fund the rehabilitation of village water systems. With PWRDF’s support of $22,700, CorDis, in collaboration with Timpuyug ti Mannalon iti Kalinga (TMK), the Bangowan Farmers’ Association (BAFA) and local community members, built four water systems in the spring of 2023 to provide clean, running water to Pugo, Topap and Agimitan. BAFA worked with local government representatives to form user groups to implement the project and ensure sustainable management of water systems. Local community members came together to build the system infrastructure due to the urgent need, completing the systems in only a few months despite the busy agricultural season for farming communities. These water systems have provided clean water to 81 families across 63 households, as well as an elementary school and a day care centre. An additional 69
families across 51 households benefitted from the project indirectly for a total of 150 families across 114 households – including 303 women and 259 men. Rosemarie Lingbawan is the chairperson of the BAFA organization of West Ballayangon. “We only have a small source of water but it’s not enough,” she said. “We, the women in the community, were scrambling over the little supply of water. It was laborious for the women to do their laundry and to fetch water. We carried our heavy containers looking for potable water. Now that we have our water system our work has become lighter, so we are very thankful. Now our problem of potable water is solved which is essential for daily life. We searched for the best sources in the mountains. The water is now readily available in our backyards. We are very thankful to CorDis who helped us, because now we have our water system. This water is part of our life, this water is life itself.” “CorDis is a long-standing partner of PWRDF,” said PWRDF Humanitarian Response Coordinator, Naba Gurung. “I had the honour of meeting their Executive Director, Jimmy Khayog, and his colleagues in their office in Baguio back in 2015 and have full confidence in the quality of work that they do with the community-based organizations in the region.”
Scan this QR code with your device to watch how the restoration of clean water made a world of difference in the Philippines.
4 HEALTH AND WHOLENESS
THANKS TO YOU Anglican parishes across Canada are supporting PWRDF and making a world of difference!
PWRDF wants to hear from you!
Please share your fundraising success stories to inspire others and to spread the word about the good work you have done! Email Christine Hills at chills@pwrdf.org and tell us all about it. Many thanks to all of our donors.
BY CHRISTINE HILLS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STEEPLECHASE
PWRDF Public Engagement Program Officer
On June 10, parishes in the Scarborough Deanery (Diocese of Toronto) came together for the Scarborough Steeplechase Scavenger Hunt. Manita Swati, PWRDF Senior Advisor, Planned Giving and Major Gifts, opened the race at Holy Trinity Guildwood. Eight teams completed skill-testing tasks at each church before moving on to the next location, visiting 12 churches in all and ending at St. Timothy, Agincourt. A closing celebration followed and Bishop Andrew Asbil and his wife, Mary, were on hand to hand out prizes. After a close race, the first place finish went to St. Jude, Wexford, while Church of the Holy Wisdom claimed second place and third place went to St. Timothy, Agincourt. In total, the event raised more than $700 for PWRDF projects and programs, and also raised awareness about PWRDF programs.
WHEN WE ASSEMBLE, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN
In June, PWRDF Executive Director Will Postma delivered an interactive presentation to the many generous delegates from the Anglican Church of Canada at Assembly 2023, held in Calgary. Later that day, Dave Toycen, a delegate from the Diocese of Toronto, spoke about the crisis in Sudan and invited delegates to donate to PWRDF’s East Africa appeal, part of the Humanitarian Coalition campaign whose matching period was ending that night. Delegates flooded the PWRDF booth and website eager to answer the call. In total, $4,838.60 was donated and matched by the Government of Canada and will augment PWRDF’s $35,000 allocation to the Act Alliance work in Sudan. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a member of the Humanitarian Coalition, and PWRDF’s membership in the Foodgrains Bank allows donations to PWRDF to be matched.
BANKING ON IT
St. Paul’s Essex donated the proceeds of their ‘Thank You Bank’ for the month of May to support PWRDF projects and programs. Thank you bank contributions were brought to the 183rd Diocese of Huron Provincial Synod in May and were added to the offering at a worship service, during which PWRDF Huron presented to members regarding their ministry and shared how they have seen Christ in their mission through the years. These donations were part of the more than $16,000 collected for PWRDF at that service, which will be used to support PWRDF programs nationally and around the world.
SPIRITED SOULS LEAD BY EXAMPLE
A BABY BLANKET BOOST TO BUY THE WHOLE FARM
For Lent 2023, St. Paul’s Westdale in Hamilton (Diocese of Niagara) enthusiastically chose to support PWRDF’s Buy the Whole Farm initiative. They created special donation envelopes that were sent to all parishioners along with a letter. Weekly eblasts were sent out, PWRDF “Buy the Whole Farm” posters were on display and a diorama of plastic farm animals sat on the Narthex table. As the appeal was coming to a close, a parishioner raffled off three knitted blankets, topping up the funds received. By the end of Lent, the funds received for this project supported the purchase of four farms from PWRDF’s World of Gifts. Said organizers: “We thank God for blessings received!”
JOURNEY THROUGH ADVENT WITH PWRDF AND KARRI MUNN-VENN
Writer, climate activist, wool farmer and friend of PWRDF is writing this year’s Advent resource.
Formerly with Citizens for Public Justice, Munn-Venn brings a wealth of compassion and experience to this series of daily reflections.
Subscribe at pwrdf.org/Advent2023 to receive messages during the season of Advent.
PWRDF Parish Representative Barbara Stewart, and Verger Jane Kirkpatrick of St. George’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Ontario knew they wanted to make a difference, and they sure led with a fine example! Their goal was to raise $1,590, enough to support PWRDF’s World of Gifts “Buy the Whole Farm” three times. One of their creative promotions was a skit starring Barbara and ‘Farmer’ Jane. Barbara asked Jane if she had any goats, pigs or rabbits and ‘Farmer’ Jane said she did not, as she could not afford animals to enrich her farm. After vigorous fundraising, they raised enough money to purchase nearly 10 farms! Congratulations and thank God for these spirited souls!
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To learn more about our work, please visit us at www.pwrdf.org Like us on Facebook @pwrdfcan | Follow us on Twitter @pwrdf Follow us on Instagram @pwrdf_justgeneration Charitable number: 866 434640 RR0001 November-2023
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