All The World (April 2013)

Starting work in GREENLAND AUSTRALIA – flood and fire Could you be a SALVONISTA? FILIPINO disaster response

PICTURES OF HOPE IN TANZANIA

APRIL–JUNE 2013

VOL 51 NO 2

Photo by Kit Oates/kitoates.com

Safe and secure

CONTENTS

APRIL–JUNE 2013

Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld

03

UPFRONT From the Editor

04

SWAZILAND Health services are a literal lifeline

06

THE PHILIPPINES Emergency workers give their all

08

HOME AND AWAY Reflections from here and there

10

FACTFILE Vital statistics from Tanzania

11

TANZANIA A photographer’s journey

16

AUSTRALIA Flood and fire Salvationism

18

ENTERPRISE Second-hand not second-rate

22

SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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FR O M T H E E DIT O R

Picture imperfect Kevin Sims, Editor

TODAY’S fast-paced world, with its rapidly expanding social media and electronic communication, can be a very impersonal place. So I was delighted earlier this year to find someone who took steps to make the impersonal personal.

I had been corresponding by email with Mrs Enoka Fernando, at The Salvation Army’s Sri Lanka Territorial Headquarters. Enoka had written the report of the General’s visit to Sri Lanka, which I was preparing to send out as a news release, and she had been very helpful in providing photos and answering questions.

When the report was published she sent me a photo of her meeting the General so that, she explained, I could see who I had been communicating with. She said: ‘Seeing pictures of people we work with [via email] is as good as knowing them personally.’

There’s some truth to this because when I think of Enoka now, her face comes to mind. Her act of reaching out somehow created a relationship that didn’t exist when I had no idea what she looked like. Before I knew her name but now, even in a small way, I know her.

As Christians we need to go beyond the impersonal in demonstrating love, forming relationships and being God’s representatives – even when we communicate electronically. Enoka’s approach has made me think again about how I do that.

One thing that makes forming ‘longdistance-but-still-personal’ relationships difficult on a wider scale is that many people don’t like having their photo taken. The camera may never lie, as the saying goes, but many of us wish it

would be a little less brutal in its honesty!

I rarely find a photo of myself that I like. In fact, I took a lot of persuading to have a photo with my editorial – and I still don’t really like having it there!

For some reason, photos of me look absolutely nothing like George Clooney or Brad Pitt – they all seem to show a tired-looking, greying, bug-eyed, bigcraggy-faced middle-aged man. Surely, I think, I don’t look that bad?!

Even worse is when I see a picture that I think looks really terrible but which so-called friends tell me is ‘really lovely’. (A word to the wise – if you see a friend’s photo, find out his or her thoughts on it before you say how much you like it. Otherwise, in effect, you end up telling your soon-to-be-ex-friend that what they think is a horror show actually shows them in a good light – in other words, as bad as the photo seems to your friend, you obviously think he or she looks far worse normally!)

Photos can work for good, though.

In All the World, photos serve a variety of purposes. They make articles look more interesting and readable, they give the reader an idea of what life is like in various parts of the world and – importantly – they bring a sense of reality to people we would never meet.

Take, for instance, the wonderful images captured by Kit Oates in

Tanzania, which are featured in this issue. He writes movingly about witnessing the joy of children and women who have hope for the future thanks to The Salvation Army. Yet even the most beautifully worded description could not have the same impact as seeing the light of hope in the eyes of the people he met.

‘Someone I’ve seen’ is a lot easier to relate to and be moved by than ‘Something I’ve read about’.

Incidentally, I returned Enoka’s thoughtful gesture by sending her a link to the online version of All the World, where she could see the photo above this column. She replied that I looked like ‘a mischievous, fun-loving but goodnatured person’.

You know – suddenly I don’t mind that photo so much after all!

‘As Christians we need to go beyond the impersonal in demonstrating love’

Editor Kevin Sims

Founder William Booth

design and Artwork Berni Georges

General Linda Bond

Editorial Office The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom

Editor-in-Chief Major Sandra Welch

© The General of The Salvation Army 2013

Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101; fax: [44] (0)20 7332 8079

Published by Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army

Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

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HEALTH

SWAZILAND

M

sunduza Clinic in Swaziland was opened in 1987 when Major Hilda Sigley, an Australian Eastern Territory officer-nurse, was appointed to start the medical work in Msunduza, a township on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Mbabane. Major Sigley was recognised for her service in 2004 when she was admitted to the Order of the Founder – The Salvation Army’s highest honour.

Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in southern Africa. It shares borders with Mozambique and South Africa. Salvation Army work in Swaziland started in 1974 and it is now part of the Southern Africa Territory.

Since Msunduza Clinic’s early days its work has expanded greatly. The main clinic is still located in Msunduza but it also acts as a base to three satellite clinics and mobile clinics which operate in communities that surround the township.

The satellite and mobile clinics provide important access to health care for community members although sometimes

Growing influences

by Captain Elizabeth Garland

patients have to travel for many hours to get to the clinics (even to the mobile clinic sites) for basic health care services.

The main clinic operates an outpatients service for the sick who come for medical treatment and monitoring of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, tuberculosis and HIV/Aids. The staff conduct daily devotions with the patients as well as staff members.

Maternal and child health are important aspects of the provision. These include the care of pregnant women (both pre- and post- birth), family planning, vaccinations, weighing and growthmonitoring of children. These ‘Through the home-based care services are carried out by the different clinics – programme, people’s lives have all particularly important for the women and children in rural been changed for the better’ 4 | ALL THE WORLD |

APRIL–JUN E 2013

Above: a patient’s relative waits for a visit from a Salvation Army team member

areas who would otherwise struggle to go to the city for health care.

According to a 2012 report by UNAIDS – the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids – the HIV/Aids rate in Swaziland is just over a quarter of the adult population. There are also 750,000 orphans in the country due to HIV/Aids.

The programme at Msunduza reflects the prevalence of HIV/Aids. Counselling and testing take place at the main clinic.

Recently the service has been further enhanced by the registration of the clinic to provide anti-retroviral medication for patients who are HIV positive. This provides continuation of care for the

SWAZILAND

The health ministry includes practical care (left) as well as prevention through teaching and awarenessraising (below)

patients from counselling to testing and then treatment.

There are also programmes that have been developed for children who are infected or affected by HIV/Aids. Some of the orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) are provided with sponsorship for schooling. Camps are held during school holidays that provide psycho-social support and fun activities for children.

These children would not normally have had an opportunity to interact with other children with similar experiences.

The main clinic also operates a feeding scheme for the elderly where men and

women from the community go to the clinic for a nutritious meal. While there they can take part in other activities such as singing, devotions and a time for sharing which provides encouragement and support for those who attend. One woman who went to the clinic for the feeding programme became a Christian and is now an adherent member of Msunduza Corps (church).

A home-based care programme reaches many different communities that surround all the different clinics and provides valuable care and assistance for people who suffer chronic illnesses. Salvation

Army carers provide services such as cooking, cleaning and monitoring of diseases, working in conjunction with the clinic nursing staff.

If there is a health issue, the patient is either brought to the closest satellite clinic or a nurse will do a home visit to evaluate the situation to see what care is required.

There are many stories of how The Salvation Army has impacted the lives of people as a result of Msunduza Clinic.

One young man, for instance, was an alcoholic and drug addict who had no hope for his life. He came into contact with The Salvation Army through youth outreach activities and, through the care of Salvation Army workers, he gave up drinking. He is now studying at university and is a leader in his community.

Through the home-based care programme, people’s lives have been changed for the better. There are many stories of people who were very ill, bed-ridden and with no hope. Some were simply waiting to die.

With access to health treatment, better nutrition and through the assistance of the home-based carers who prepare meals, clean homes and make regular visits, some of these patients are now living active lives in their community.

A number have even returned to work.

The Salvation Army’s Msunduza Clinic provides essential health care but it also provides spiritual input into people’s lives. The mission to provide transformation in people’s lives and communities is happening. Thank God for the influence of The Salvation Army in and around Msunduza.

Captain Elizabeth Garland is Social Programme Development Officer and Assistant Extension Training Officer in The Salvation Army’s Southern Africa Territory A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

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EMERGENCY

THE PHILIPPINES

Beyond

the call of duty

A

LTHOUGH typhoons are not an unusual occurrence in The Philippines, Typhoon Bopha, which made landfall as a category five super typhoon, was one of the strongest ever experienced in the country. Creating winds of up to 160 miles an hour, the monstrous storm left a trail of devastation on Mindanao Island which resulted in up to 600 deaths and thousands of people being made homeless. In addition, the storm destroyed huge swathes of cultivated coconut trees, hence taking away an important means of livelihood for many citizens.

Salvationists in The Philippines were quick to respond to the disaster and – supported by International Emergency Services and USA-based SAWSO (Salvation Army World Services Office) – put together a project to bring relief supplies to one of the worst-affected communities.

Following consultation with the civic authorities, 1,820 families in the town of Baganga were identified as 6 | ALL THE WORLD |

APRIL–JUN E 2013

by Major Ray Brown

being in particular need. A registration scheme was put in place, after which a distribution took place of packages that consisted of food stuffs such as rice, noodles, sardines, and corned beef in addition to sleeping mats, blankets, buckets and water dippers.

The relief operation was led by divisional leaders Majors Joel and Susan Ceneciro. Major Susan grew up in the area, and had relatives who were affected by the disaster. Despite their own plight these family members opened their badly damaged home as a base for the distribution of goods.

The whole relief operation took place in very poor weather conditions which

included heavy rains caused by a further, but less strong, typhoon – Typhoon Cocoy.

At the commencement of the relief operation the team had known in advance of the collapse of a bridge close to Baganga, but had pre-arranged to cross the river by canoe and continue the journey by public transport (including motorbike taxis). At that time the river was shallow enough to allow dumper trucks to negotiate the waters so the relief supplies were able to be delivered.

The plans had not anticipated the heavy rains brought in by Typhoon Cocoy, however, and a second bridge was swept away, stranding the Salvation Army vehicle between the broken bridges and swollen rivers – making the return journey for any vehicle impossible. The team – including me! – was Above: an emergency services team member, exhausted after a busy day; left: the partially damaged bridge that was the only way across the swollen river

THE PHILIPPINES

Left: a family at their temporary shelter on the outskirts of Baganga; below left: Major Ray Brown with the emergency services team from The Philippines; below: beneficiaries take their packs of essentials; bottom: the registration team ensures that things take place in an orderly fashion

therefore temporarily trapped in Baganga.

After two days of waiting, a northern route via Cattel to Davao City was declared passable with care, and the team, abandoning its vehicle and hiring an alternative, was able to set off.

The drama did not end there, though.

Even on this circuitous northern route the team faced hazardous conditions.

In order to return to the base in General Santos City the vehicle had to negotiate a badly damaged bridge, where loose metal sheets had been placed to bridge the gap over a raging river. It was also necessary to drive through many kilometres of flooded road and countryside.

Such is the way the response has had to work in The Philippines, with relief workers enduring the most challenging

conditions in order to distribute vital aid to people who had lost everything.

Working during the day in almost constant rain, in the evening most slept on the floors, using buckets to catch rainwater as it poured in through a damaged roof.

Despite these hindrances the relief operation was ‘The team – including me! – was conducted efficiently and temporarily trapped in Baganga’ with an irrepressible good

spirit. These people are determined to go beyond what would be expected to show God’s love in action despite hardship and personal danger. They are a living example of the motto: ‘Where there is need, there is The Salvation Army.’

Major Ray Brown is The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services Coordinator, based at International Headquarters A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

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HO U MN E TARNYDOARWTAHYE M E C

A series looking at the thoughts and experiences of people working for The Salvation Army in their country of birth and others giving service abroad

Scott Simpson Australia

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I’m the Managing Editor of The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory’s Editorial Department. We produce three internal magazines: Pipeline (monthly), Women in Touch (quarterly) and Creative Ministry (quarterly).

What would be your typical day?

I’m not sure if such a thing as a typical day exists! There’s usually a variety of tasks, from assigning jobs to our teams of writers, editors, photographer and designer, following up on story/article ideas, discussing themes for upcoming magazines, meetings and liaising with printers.

HOME

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I was born into a Salvation Army family. On one side of my family the involvement with the Army apparently goes back five generations.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

Working in the media for more than 25 years has allowed me to meet a number of ‘famous’ people, from prime ministers to celebrities from the entertainment world and sports stars.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

There are way too many to mention! There have been a number of godly people – personal friends – whose influence has been foundational in my own faith. I look upon these people as ‘heroes’. Also, at the moment I’m reading the book Bonhoeffer, the life story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

It’s a powerful story of one man’s complete submission to God in taking a stand against the horrors of the Nazi regime in Germany. I guess he’s my latest ‘hero of the faith’.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Again, way too many to mention! I’ve spent time recently reflecting on Micah 6:8, ‘And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (New International Version).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I can’t go past the Founder’s Song, ‘O Boundless Salvation!’ – all seven verses of it!

How do you think that working in Australia differs from working elsewhere?

I used to think that there was a more relaxed approach, that getting the work/life balance right was a priority for many people. More recently, however, that has changed.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in Australia?

One of the things I enjoy about international travel is the opportunity to be exposed to different cultures for the first time. Australia has its own unique culture and I’m quite happy not to tamper with that.

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APRIL–JUN A PRIL–JU NEE 2013 2013

What do you like most about Australia?

I like the freedom to be able to organise events weeks in advance in the knowledge that the weather is probably going to be fine. I lived in the UK for 11 years and it was hard to organise something for later in the day with any certainty of good weather, let alone weeks in advance!

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

Being General of The Salvation Army is a huge responsibility and I’m sure any thoughts I currently have about how the job should be done would be somewhat different if I was actually in the job!

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

The world is a fascinating place and I’d be quite happy to stick a pin in a map and let that decide. In recent years I’ve had the opportunity to go to Papua New Guinea on a couple of occasions and it is a place that has had a big impact on me.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Reading, writing, editing and managing.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

I would love the opportunity to develop the limited photographic skills I have.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I love its ‘Christianity with its sleeves rolled up’ mentality. It goes into the dark places where many others are reluctant to tread, to shine the light of Jesus. The Australia Eastern Territory’s recently established mission to asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru is a wonderful example of this.

&

away

Chris Priest Chris Priest was born and brought up in the United Kingdom, where he played an active role in the life of The Salvation Army, particularly as a musician. He and his family moved to the USA in the 1990s and he now works for The Salvation Army’s USA Southern Territory, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Director of Communications for the USA Southern Territory. My responsibilities are communicating all types of information both in and outside the Army, development of websites and other web-based initiatives, and the management of a full media production studio where we produce four regular TV Internet programmes that go out across the world. This we call New Media.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My parents were corps officers (ministers) in the UK. I am a fifthgeneration Salvationist on my mother’s side with family links to the very early days of the Army.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

I have been so blessed with many opportunities throughout my 28 years of Salvation Army employment. Some of these blessings have been involved in producing the first CD of Salvation Army music, first Salvation Army video on DVD, the Salvation Army resources website (Ministry Toolkit – www.tsamtk.org), and most recently the first regular weekly news magazine (Salvation Army Today – www.youtube.com/ salvationarmytoday) on the Internet.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

My father, Brigadier Joseph Priest, stood out for me as a man of God in all that he did – tirelessly working for the Army, loving his congregation.

Also, Major Leslie Condon played a significant part in my development as a Salvationist musician, and was a role model of Salvationism and Christian commitment. He was especially influential during my teenage years.

&AWAY

What is your favourite Bible verse?

I hate to pick a ‘favourite’ because I have so many! Romans 8:37-39 is inspiring: ‘In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love – not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!’

(Contemporary Bible).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

A single ‘favourite’ is difficult to isolate, but ‘He Giveth More Grace’ by Annie Johnson Flint is one. The text adds a dimension that we cannot figure as humans, yet it speaks clearly to the individual.

How does working in the USA differ from your experience in the UK? The Army in the USA is incredibly blessed with resources which allowed me to develop a new market for Salvation Army music publications and recordings around the world. Of course it is best known for its work in any given community: disaster relief, homeless shelters, rehabilitation centres. In my present position I am constantly learning what we do and am amazed at the diversity of our expertise, and so blessed to hear testimonies from the millions that we help each year.

What do you miss most about your home country?

This is an easy one – family and friends, although we get an opportunity every few years to spend some time ‘back home’. Also, we initially missed certain home comforts, for instance certain British foods (I am still in search of a good pork sausage, and good fish and chips is a rarity!). However, I have built a reputation for producing Yorkshire puddings (popular with Americans) and cook them at the corps at least once a year!

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

Managing a wonderful, dynamic team of young professionals; fielding questions and complaints from the public; serving on councils and committees; travelling throughout the territory – training officers, cadets and employees; producing various media-based projects; planning future productions.

What do you like most about the USA? Opportunity in general; the wide open spaces; beautiful places to visit; a visionary Salvation Army; segments of the general public who genuinely want to make a difference in the world; baseball (!); the climate (where we live).

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

As a footnote to my answer, it has been my privilege to visit all five continents where the Army flag is flying. If I were elected to that high office I would immediately want to ensure every officer received an allowance relative to their country of service and culture. I can name at least three countries I visited where officers could go for months without remuneration – yet the spirit and commitment of those wonderful people was way above any concern for their personal wellbeing.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

It was ironic that soon after arriving in the USA I received an invitation to consider becoming the Music Secretary for a ‘music lively’ territory in the southern hemisphere. It boosted my ego no end, but honestly I would not want to live and work anywhere but where I am now. I feel this is fulfilling a calling by God within The Salvation Army.

What skills do you use most in your work?

A thorough knowledge of the complete organisation, which I am called to use daily. A vision for the future which is ongoing, especially in the world of the Internet and media production. Motivating my team – although I do also ‘apply the brakes’ now and again due to their wonderful enthusiasm and commitment!

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

For the past 10 years I have been unable to incorporate my musicianship in a way that I would really have preferred. My music peers and present-day heroes often encourage me to start writing music again. This is on my ‘to do’ list!

How would you like to be remembered?

As an example of Christ’s likeness to anyone. To have played any part in pointing a person to Christ through any form of communication, music, the arts, the spoken word and media.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

We don’t have enough time or space on your pages for this! ‘Special’ is the tip of the iceberg. There is no doubt The Salvation Army was raised by God for many reasons. Its history has proven that. Our uniqueness and diversity is our strength. I hope we never lose that and become just another passive ‘church’ full of members instead of an Army full of fighting soldiers!

&AWAY

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FACTFILE

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The Tanzanian flag consists of five stripes going from bottom left to top right – equal thick stripes of blue (bottom) and green (top) sit either side of a black stripe which is surrounded by thin yellow stripes. The green symbolises agriculture and the fertility of the land; the black represents the people; the blue stands for the Indian Ocean which is on the eastern coastline; and the yellow stripes represent the country’s mineral wealth.

TANZANIA

The current flag was adopted in 1964 and includes a combination of all the colours found on the previous flags of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. The main difference is that the two previous flags were made up of horizontal stripes.

Photo by Kit Oates/kitoates.com

Zanzibar was formed, becoming known as the United Republic of Tanzania (made up from both names) later that year. Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, with its own parliament and president.

• The pronunciation of Tanzania often

causes concern. Is it ‘Tan-zah-KNEE-ya’ or ‘Tan-ZANE-ee-ya’ (to rhyme with Tasmania or Albania)? The short answer is that either version can be used but that the former is generally seen as preferable as it is a more common style of word in the country’s main language, Kiswahili (which uses mostly short syllables), and it gives better recognition to the fact that the ‘zan’ part comes from Zanzibar (not Zane-zibar!).

Tanzania is home to Africa’s highest mountain – Kilimanjaro (above) – and to its largest and deepest lakes – Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika respectively.

Dar es Salaam is the major city of Tanzania but since 1996 it has not been the capital.

That honour falls to Dodoma (right).

• The motto of Tanzania is ‘Uhuru na Umoja’ – Kiswahili for ‘Freedom and Unity’.

• Figures produced by the World Bank in 2011 put the population of Tanzania at around 46.2 million people.

• Tanzania has a complicated history! It

was formed from the joining together of Tanganyika and the islands of Zanzibar, though the history of both states included rule by various colonial masters, including Arab dynasties, Germans and the British.

• The Arab links explain the Arabic place

names which are unusual in Africa. Dar es Salaam, for instance, is Arabic for ‘the abode of peace’.

• British rule in Tanganyika came to a

peaceful end in 1961. Three years later the United Republic of Tanganyika and

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•

According to the World Health Organisation, Tanzania has one of the worst physician-to-patient ratios in the world, with just 0.02 doctors and 0.37 nurses and midwives per 1,000 people.

The lack of doctors is a particular problem in rural areas, where there are often only nurses available to treat patients.

• United Nations figures published in 2011

show that people living in Tanzania have an average life expectancy of 55.4 years – some way below the 80+ years of much of the developed world. Amazingly, however, this is better than well over half the countries in Africa.

The Salvation Army in TANZANIA Salvation Army ministry in Tanzania began in November 1933 when Adjutant and Mrs Francis Dare ‘opened fire’ in Tabora, a city in what was then known as Tanganyika.

Tanzania was part of the East Africa Territory – along with Kenya and Uganda – until October 1998, when it became a command in its own right.

It was upgraded to territory status on 1 February 2008.

The Tanzania Territorial Headquarters is in the country’s major city, Dar es Salaam.

It is on the former site of Mgulani Camp, which The Salvation Army was asked to set up in 1950, following a request from the Colonial Governor, Sir Edward Twining.

According to The Salvation Army Year Book 2013, the Tanzania Territory is comprised of 6,408 senior soldiers (church members) and 3,794 junior soldiers. There are 138 officers (five of whom are retired), nine officer-cadets and 188 employees.

The territory is home to 78 corps (churches) and 79 outposts. It is responsible for the oversight of two schools, 17 day care centres and one hostel.

TANZANIA

Safe, protected and loved Words and photos by Kit Oates

S

IX months after returning from a photography job in Africa, the people I met and the experiences I had have stayed with me.

I was working for Global Leadership Adventures (GLA), an American organisation that takes teenagers to Africa to help out in villages and schools. In order to cover as many projects as possible I ended up flying back and forth between Ghana and Tanzania.

While I was working for GLA in Tanzania I heard from a local friend about the work The Salvation Army was doing in Tanzania’s main city, Dar es Salaam.

When I was younger my grandmother would often talk about The Salvation Army’s work, so I became quite interested to see what it was doing in Tanzania. I just had a gut feeling it was something I really wanted to do.

As a photographer I’m always looking for extra projects to photograph while I am abroad, and this one felt like it was worth pursuing.

After reorganising my flight schedule

with GLA I managed to extend a flight layover in Dar es Salaam, giving me a few days to document whatever I could get access to.

At this stage, I hadn’t even contacted The Salvation Army! Would I be able to find the right person in time? Would they be interested? I started to think I had made a bad decision and that, with only a few days to get everything organised, I might run out of time. I began making the necessary calls and emails to get the project underway, hoping they would be interested.

My worries would prove to be unfounded when an email arrived in my inbox from Frederick Ulembo, Projects Officer for The Salvation Army’s Tanzania Territory.

‘Jambo Kit!’ he wrote. ‘Mambo Poa! We would really love for you to document some of the work we do here.’

Trying to get projects ‘greenlit’ can be a tough process for a photographer, but I was pleased to discover that The Salvation Army was excited about the

Above: when Kit tried to take single portraits, other children would want to join in!

whole process, and interested in showing me projects they had developed in Tanzania.

I flew into Dar es Salaam on 23 August 2012. I found a hotel and got myself acquainted with the city, which has a population of more than three million people. Like most major cities in the world, its fast pace and cosmopolitan way of life can be unforgiving. Rich and poor live alongside each other in this vast metropolis, and many Tanzanians travel there in the hope of finding work and a future for themselves.

The Salvation Army has many projects in Dar, and I was fortunate to be able to document three of them.

I arrived at territorial headquarters to be given a warm greeting by Frederick, and a bottle of Coca-Cola – which was very welcome after the hot taxi ride!

My first stop was at Matumaini School for Disabled Children.

This residential facility helps

‘Tanzania is a tough country to have a disability ... some tribes still have a policy of killing disabled children’

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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TANZANIA

Photos by Kit Oates/kitoates.com

The photographs on this spread show the people Kit Oates met on his journey through three Salvation Army centres in Tanzania. Between them they demonstrate the care, training, practical assistance and love shown in God’s name.

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TANZANIA

‘It chills me to think of the things that people may have forced these girls to do.

No child should have their childhood taken away from them.’

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TANZANIA

Left: Major Amon Nsimba, Superintendent of Matumaini School; above and below: two young women who have been offered a place of safety by The Salvation Army

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

children with disabilities who have been abandoned by their parents or whose parents cannot afford to look after them.

I caught up with the students at Matumaini as they were having lunch.

They were so excited to have a visitor, and laughed and giggled as I showed them photos of their friends on my camera.

The facilities at Matumaini allow the students to get a full education, and there is also a workshop where artificial limbs are produced.

Tanzania is a tough country to have a disability. In remote regions it is very difficult to get help if you have a disabled child, and some tribes still have a policy of killing disabled children. Luckily this practice is rare, and Matumaini school offers an alternative and source of help for parents.

The kids at this school have a community where they can make friends for life and build a support group.

Next I moved on to Mji wa Amani (House of Peace). The centre gives a home and a community to former street workers and other girls living in difficult circumstances. It offers education and a refuge away from their old work.

The Salvation Army actively seeks out these girls, many of whom are working on the streets in Dar es Salaam and may not have many people to turn to for help.

‘There was a feeling of happiness and joy at the centre’ 14 | ALL THE WORLD |

APRIL–JU N E 2013

My final visit was to Kwetu Mbagala Girls’ Home. The girls who live there come from very difficult backgrounds.

Some have been forced to work as child labourers, often sold by their parents. Other girls were rescued from unsavoury parts of Dar es Salaam, such as the red light district.

It was a visit that left a marked impression on me. The girls at the centre were so sweet and excited to have me there. I would try my best to set up a photo with one girl, but soon all her friends would jump in and want to be in the picture!

The girls were all really happy at the centre, being with children their own age and having a proper childhood. There was a feeling of happiness and joy at

the centre. The girls loved showing me round their allotment where they all grew vegetables, pointing out what they had grown.

It chills me to think of the things that people may have forced these girls to do.

No child should have their childhood taken away from them.

Child labour is commonplace in Africa, yet without proper education and schooling these girls would be stuck in poverty. The Salvation Army is directly targeting people in trouble and helping them to get education and help.

Throughout the whole experience I saw immense kindness from the Tanzanian Salvation Army. I’ve photographed for several charities, and I know The Salvation Army may not always grab headlines, but the work it does has a longterm impact, giving people education and a new way of life.

I hope The Salvation Army continues to create opportunities for people in Dar es Salaam.

I know it’s a cliché, but my time photographing for The Salvation Army changed me as a person, and changed my perceptions of what wealth is, and what happiness means to me and to other people. I saw how much I took for granted living in the developed world.

The children I saw being cared for were happy because they were safe, protected and loved.

Kit Oates is a freelance photographer based in the United Kingdom.

He – very generously – did not charge for the photos used with this article but he is available for hire wherever the work takes him! For contact details and to see more examples of his work go to: www.kitoates.com

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A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

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EMERGENCY

AUSTRALIA

Queensland

Through fire and high water

by Simone Worthing

T

HE Salvation Army in eastern Australia began the new year by deploying teams to help victims of devastating bushfires. By the end of January, the attention of the Army’s emergency services personnel and volunteers had switched to caring for thouands of people who had lost their homes and livelihoods in recordbreaking floods. It’s been a challenging introduction to 2013 for The Salvation Army and its emergency services.

In the first few days of January, an extreme heatwave that spread over most of south-east Australia sparked a number of large fires.

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APRIL–JU N E 2013

The most devastating of these occurred in Tasmania, where more than 20,000 hectares of bushland and at least 100 properties in the south-east of the state were destroyed.

The Salvation Army quickly deployed teams to affected communities, serving meals and refreshments to people escaping from the fires, evacuees and to members of the emergency services and military.

At the same time, the Army was assisting communities in Victoria, South Australia and western New South Wales also affected by massive bushfires that

New South Wales

Victoria Tasmania

destroyed many homes. Tragically, a number of lives were lost in the fires.

Financial assistance, chaplaincy support and counselling have been major components of the Army’s ongoing response to these disasters.

As the fires were brought under control in the south, ex-tropical Cyclone Oswald began its deadly and destructive path down the east coast of Queensland and into northern NSW. The intense system brought record flooding in many places, including in the city of Bundaberg in central Queensland, where many homes were simply washed

‘Six tornadoes tore through smaller towns around Bundaberg, ripping roofs off houses and uprooting trees’

AUSTRALIA

Photo: Dean Saffron

Opposite page: the remains of a house hit by a mini-tornado in the Queensland coastal town of Burrum Heads; this page, left: the evacuation of flooddevastated Bundaberg; below: Linda McNeish (centre), supported by her close friend Millissa Scott, explains to Captain Emma Johnson how floodwaters rose through her house in Laidley, Queensland

Photo: Dean Saffron

away. Six tornadoes also tore through smaller towns around Bundaberg, ripping roofs off houses and uprooting trees. Six people died in the storms and subsequent floods.

Hundreds of Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) staff and volunteers were deployed to help at evacuation centres, providing vital services to those affected.

‘The Salvation Army’s initial response is to work closely with emergency services in providing humanitarian support [primarily catering] at evacuation centres,’ says Major Bruce Harmer, Communications and Public Relations Secretary for the Army’s Australia Eastern Territory ‘The next stage in our service delivery will be to provide ongoing support

Left: corps officer Major Marie Gittins cleans up at Lockyer Valley Corps after the hall was flooded for the second time in two years

to individuals and families once the full extent of the devastation becomes apparent.’

The Salvation Army is also dealing with its own losses. Its Bundaberg welfare centre was flooded while the corps (church) hall has also suffered water

damage. The Laidley Salvation Army hall in south Queensland was also flooded.

Simone Worthing is Editor of Women in Touch magazine in The Salvation Army’s Australia Eastern Territory

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17

INTERVIEW

ENTERPRISE

Fashion compassion

etail)

and R

Salvos Stores is a familiar sight across Australia, but The Salvation Army also runs Family Stores. Can you explain the difference between the two?

Family Stores are directly connected to the corps (Salvation Army church) and run by volunteers. Salvos Stores are run from head office. All our stores look consistently the same.

So Salvos Stores is a company run by the Army that recycles used and second hand clothing and other items but its run as a business – you employ people to run the shop?

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APRIL–JU N E 2013

eting (Mark in the anager is M tores S hoo os C Salv view Freddy Army inter an In ation y.

Salv Territor Salvos OF The S how Eastern y explain Australia ld, he king mone r o ma W e than All th with far more IS about I’ve also connected each store to a Stores Correct – but there are links with the corps. Mel, for instance, is a store manager in Brisbane. The local corps sent some volunteers over and they became good friends and invited her to the corps. She went along and loved it. Her whole family – husband and children – attended. A few months later she was enrolled as a soldier.

local corps. We have a coloured notice that says where the nearest Salvation Army community church is located, with all the contact details. More often than not at a grand opening we would invite the local officer to pray publicly and I will introduce them to the customers as the spiritual leader. Some stores hold Bible study groups as well.

Things like this encourage corps officers to see Salvos Stores as a platform

ENTERPRISE

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by Fre Photo

ta’; alvonis as a ‘S draws a o o h dy C que e: Fred obile Bouti M ite pag Oppos a Salvonista : above wd ro huge c

for their ministry. Staff, volunteers, customers – it’s a huge mission field!

We have about four million customers at Salvos Stores every year. They recognise the Red Shield, they know our hearts are already softened.

And there are mission boards in every store?

That’s right. Every store has a mission board with brochures and communication articles that represent every expression of The Salvation Army in Australia. It’s almost like a silent Salvation Army officer standing in the corner, because sometimes a person who is in distress might not want to ask for help but when they see this they know the Army provides family tracing, counselling or multicultural services.

Some corps have asked us for a mission board that can go in their own building.

And you use Salvation Army publications too?

We give Warcry and Kidzone magazines for free. We buy them from the publications department and customers can get them free. There have been some good stories that came out of this.

I was told about a Scripture teacher who came in. She was a grandma, looking after her daughter’s kids, and they were hyperactive and quite difficult to deal with. She got a Kidzone from our store and saw a marked change in their behaviour. Because she was also a Scripture teacher she took the magazine into school. The kids just loved it and she loves teaching them because they become calmer!

And that’s not the only outreach?

No. We ran a Fashion with Conscience event with young people.

All the clothes were sourced from Salvos Stores and the models were international models who gave their time for free. It showed the young people that they can be creative with what they buy for a fraction of the price of new clothes. By recycling they can help the environment and they feel proud to be socially conscious because they are giving back to the community.

I charge each store manager with being a community leader for the local community. People don’t come just to buy – they come to interact, find friendship, give support, gain support, offer ideas and that kind of thing.

We even offer child sponsorship schemes where the shop itself A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

19

ENTERPRISE

‘I would be working with the unlovely, the unloved and the unloving’ pledges a certain amount such as Au$25 a month.

A customer may not be committed to give $25 a month to support a child but they will give their spare change.

The store commits the $25 every month that we give to the child sponsorship department but we find that in running this programme there is more than $25 that’s been collected. Two years ago we gave an extra $26,000 to stop human trafficking in Tanzania.

Last year we gave $10,000 to support Salvation Army officers in Papua New Guinea and another $14,000 to build a toilet block at a vocational school in Kenya.

What’s your background, and how did you come to be working for The Salvation Army?

I was born in Malaysia and came to Australia to attend Bible school. My wife and I attended Hillsong – sadly she passed away almost 10 years ago now – but it was through her that I got into the work of Salvos Stores. I now worship at a church called Cityside in Sydney.

My wife worked for The Salvation Army but my very first contact was in Malaysia. An envoy from a boys’ home was invited to come and speak at my church and play trombone! I was impressed with the visibility of the uniform.

When I was preparing to come to Australia one of

the pastors prophesied over me that I would be working with the unlovely, the unloved and the unloving. I didn’t know what that meant until I started providing work therapy for the rehabilitation services. When I worked with the clients, of course, then I knew what that prophecy meant.

Obviously you feel that Salvos Stores needs to play a part in the mission of The Salvation Army as well as in raising funds. Was this a gradual realisation?

I saw a need. When people are coming in and going out there’s such a softening of heart so that when you’ve sat down or when you’re just talking you can feel the need of the community.

My feeling at the moment is to reach out to the youth.

After the London riots in 2011, people wondered how this could have happened.

Some of our stores in Australia have been burned down by delinquent youths. I have seen that there is something that we can do, because there’s something that’s lacking in Left: an advertising poster

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APRIL–JU N E 2013

Top left: a graffiti wall inside the Mobile Boutique; top middle: Salvonista ambassador and TV personality Lynette Bolton (left) with two styled ‘Salvonistas’

their hearts.They’ve got all this energy, so if we could channel this energy into something more useful that would be great.

And you were inspired by the response of the chef, Jamie Oliver [who offered work to people involved in the riots]?

I went to one of his restaurants and I was pleasantly surprised that Lenny, who welcomed me, was from a rough background. But to be able to be given that opportunity and a second chance in life ... I do not know what Jamie’s faith is but I think that is something very inspiring and something that we can do.

It’s often said that young people today only want the newest and the brightest and the best. How do you try to get across that barrier so they come into your stores?

Kids are so passionate about preserving the planet, being socially and environmentally conscious about recycling. I tell people that in a five-star

ENTERPRISE

‘We have to come up with a channel and language that we can use to reach out to people who don’t know The Salvation Army and what it stands for’

Above: merchandise on display in the Salvonista Mobile Boutique; left: Freddy Choo at the Salvonista launch; below: a touch-screen information point

All photos on this spread by Tito Media

hotel the sheet you sleep on is secondhand and the towels have been used before! So this is about awareness. Also, by buying from a secondhand store you have a unique fashion item that people can’t get anywhere else.

The young people and children I know are very passionate about recycling, the environment. Many of them are passionate about helping people – they have a social awareness that perhaps they lose to an extent when they become teenagers and the

hormones kick in and things change.

But we’re talking about providing a firm base so that if they move away from what is thought of as ideal behaviour, there’s still something for them to come back to – somewhere they feel comfortable.

We have put together a pop-up shop, which is very trendy these days, so that we can take it out to where young people gather, like a music festival, for instance.

We’ve got all these fabulous secondhand clothes, hand picked for them. If we add to this a celebrity or even a fashion designer, that would change the whole concept – you put this and this together and see what you’ve got – bang!

Why do you think The Salvation Army should be doing these things?

Because we are already doing it! We already have a shop, we already have all the basic facilities and in Australia we are seen to be the most trusted brand.

But from a mission point of view, how does this fit in with the Army’s biblical mandate?

Well, we have to be relevant to the current generation.

I went collecting for the Red Shield Appeal in a very multicultural suburb with many Chinese immigrant families.

I introduced myself as being from The Salvation Army but when they heard the word ‘Army’ they said: ‘No thank you.’

They don’t know The Salvation Army at all.

Also, the people who have been influenced by parents or grandparents who have returned from the war and brought up never to forget The Salvation Army – that generation is going. We have to come up with a channel and language that we can use to reach out to people who don’t know The Salvation Army and what it stands for.

So if you have a dream for Salvo Stores what would it be?

I see Salvos Stores as a drinking well in the traditional aboriginal sense – a drinking hole where people come together not just for the retail therapy but to engage and interact.

I believe God designed us to have human contact and engagement yet in Australia a lot of people lead lonely lives. At Salvos Stores you can drink from a life-giving spring.

The pop-up store mentioned

by Freddy has now become a reality, and the ‘converted van transformed into a funky fashion store’ (above) is heading around Australia as the Salvonista Mobile Boutique. To help with the environmentally friendly aims, electricity for the store comes from solar panels.

The press release at the Salvonista (a cross between Salvo and fashionista) launch encouraged readers to ‘visit the mobile boutique where you can get top fashion tips from stylists, meet your local Salvos Stores staff and engage with Salvonista ambassadors. Hunt for pre-loved fashion treasures and find out where your local stores are, so you can continue to shop as a Salvonista once the Mobile Boutique has moved on.’

A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

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COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD New in Nuuk Greenland Half a year of preparation came to fruition in February when The Salvation Army opened its first premises in Greenland in the capital, Nuuk. The historic event attracted significant attention and a large number of people took the opportunity to visit the new centre.

Danish couple Lieutenants Magnus and Petura Haraldsen are overseeing the fledgling work. They moved to Greenland in August 2012 with their two teenage sons, Dánial and Andrias.

The couple was delighted to receive the new flag from Commissioners Robert and Janet Street (then leaders of the Europe Zone at International Headquarters).

Representatives from The Salvation Army in Norway and Denmark – including Colonel Birgitte Brekke, then leader of the Denmark Territory – also participated.

Commissioner Robert Street acknowledged that The Salvation Army had not come to bring God to Greenland because he had been there since time began. Neither, he said, was The Salvation Army bringing Christianity to Greenland, because the Church’s ministry had been significant there for centuries. The commissioner explained that The Salvation Army was in Greenland to participate in

communicating the gospel in word and deed.

Church leaders from the island and representatives from the local authorities welcomed The Salvation Army to Greenland.

The Salvation Army in Nuuk is in a prime location – near the largest shopping centre in the city – and has excellent facilities for engaging with the local population.

Night church, babysong and ‘baby rhythmic’ groups are already underway and a drop-in centre for lonely people is planned.

Nuuk

Greenland

(From a report by Major Levi Giversen)

Every Thursday, as part of the Worldwide Prayer Meeting (http://sar.my/wwpm) followers of the @TSA_WWPM twitter feed join a worldwide ‘Mexican Wave’ of prayer. Throughout the day, as each time zone reaches its prayer meeting slot – suggested as 30 minutes between 5am and 8am – a new tweet is published, helping to provide a worldwide focus to a prayer subject.

Why not join in? Share your prayers and prayer requests through Facebook (http:// sar.my/wwpmfbk) or tweet using #WWPM

Tweet hour of prayer Worldwide If you don’t know your tweets from your hashtags, now is the time to join the Twitter revolution by putting the social media outlet to good use – prayer!

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APRIL–JU N E 2013

Twitter can be accessed through most Internet-enabled devices, including computers, tablets and smartphones. If you’re not sure how, ask any teenager!

Join The Salvation Army’s prayer revolution – and make every Thursday a PrayDay.

SNAPSHOTS

In casa of emergency Argentina Jo Clark (International Headquarters Projects and Development) writes: The summer heat of Buenos Aires in December was a marked improvement on the British winter. This was my first time working in the field with staff from the International Emergency Services team.

Together we were facilitating a workshop for approximately 50 officers from the South America East Territory around the subject of Disaster Response and Preparedness.

There is a well-worn joke that the IHQ Emergency Services team heads out from the office to create disaster!

The joke seemed far less funny on the second day of the workshop when the order came to close all doors and windows to avoid breathing in toxic fumes which had polluted the air across the city. Apparently a chemical tanker had exploded in the city’s harbour.

So there we were, sweltering in the heat of Buenos Aires in December, in a room devoid of ventilation – I’m sure the emergency services guys were to blame (though it was still a pleasant change from the British winter!).

For regular updates from the International Headquarters Projects and Development team members, follow them on Twitter: @SalvArmyIntProj

Buenos Aires ARGENTINA

Another dimension International Headquarters Snapshots has previously featured the International Headquarters (IHQ) Christmas displays, but Christmas isn’t the only time when something special is arranged.

For the past few years, an Easter display has sought to grab the attention of the thousands of people who pass the front door of IHQ. This year saw the reuse of one of the most striking and imaginative designs.

Based on two images – one of the Cross and the other of people walking across the Millennium Bridge – the display asks a simple question, using two phrases, each featured on the appropriate image: ‘God used one man’s death to change the world’ and ‘What could God do with a million lives?’

The design is such that each picture is made up of tiles arranged in columns to create a 3D effect which enables a viewer to move between the two images as they walk along in front of the building.

A P RI L – J UN E 2013 | ALL THE WORLD |

23

This artwork is available to download from: sar.my/atw1tinyseed

Photographer Kit Oates visited three Salvation Army projects in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. At Kwetu Mbagala Girls’ Home, Kit was struck by the joy and hope he saw in the girls and young women who had been sold into child labour or rescued from the red light district. ‘The girls loved showing me round their allotment where they all grew vegetables,’ he writes, ‘pointing out what they had grown.’

Through education and schooling these girls will have an opportunity to escape from poverty – and one day they could be the ones who are helping others.

One tiny seed of hope, Planted in a place of safety, Watered with tears of compassion, Fed with God’s Word, with unjudging love, Tended carefully Will grow into a whole new creation Becoming strong and wise and able, And bearing fruit of experience and understanding Which in turn can give up ... to others who are lost and forgotten Many tiny seeds of hope

Poem by Kevin Sims Photo by Kit Oates/kitoates.com