All The World (October 2013)

Dispensing hope at Howard Hospital, Zimbabwe

From generation to generation

Welcome words from THE GENERAL INDIA – landslides and mountainsides Focus on Salvation Army SCHOOLS

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2013

VOL 51 NO 4

BRAZIL benefits from Olympic legacy

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CONTENTS

OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2013

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

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UPFRONT From the Editor

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FOR YOUR INTEREST ...

Gift catalogues and the 2015 International Congress

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FROM THE TOP Message from the General

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INDIA Life after landslides

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HOME AND AWAY Reflections from here and there

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ZIMBABWE Vital care at Howard Hospital

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BRAZIL Lives changed through sports ministry

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FACTFILE Vital statistics

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FOCUS ON ... SCHOOLS Developing a strategy

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SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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23 Cover photo by Major John Murray

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FROM THE E D ITOR

Endless, thankless but HERE in the UK, a task which seems to have no ending is described as being like ‘painting the Forth Bridge’.

This probably needs explaining, so here goes: the Forth Rail Bridge (not to be confused with the more modern Forth Road Bridge, obviously) spans the Firth of Forth – the estuary of the River Forth – in Scotland. (There is, please note, not a First, Second or Third Rail Bridge – it’s not that sort of Forth/Fourth.) So far, so confusing, right?

The 1.6-mile bridge was built in the late 1800s and was the first major construction to be made of steel, which is great for providing strength but not so good at dealing with wild weather and saltwater. To stop the structure from quickly rusting away to nothing it required careful maintenance through judicious application of paint. But by the time the painters made it from one end to the other, the end that was first painted was in need of more protection, meaning that the job was never finished – hence the phrase!

We can all probably think of tasks which seem to have no end – a huge building site I pass on the way to work has trucks going in and out all day, spreading mud onto the paved streets of London. Because of this, the contractor has a road-cleaning vehicle which constantly patrols the area, cleaning off the mud again and again and again. It must be a thankless, seemingly endless task.

I have met a large number of wonderful Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers through the years, many of whom have been working in areas of great poverty or in places where there has been huge

impossible

devastation. In some places, even budgets going into the hundreds of millions would make only a small dent in improving the lives of thousands of people for whom everyday life is a struggle – yet in places such as these The Salvation Army is working to make a difference with often meagre resources.

When asked how they cope with the things they can’t put right, the answer from the Salvation Army representatives is inevitably the same – the improvement of just one life is a success story.

Kevin Sims, Editor

one family. Tell me about something I can relate to. Tell me – like Damaris Frick has done from India, for instance – about a mother and her child who have lost their home. Then tell me how God is using The Salvation Army to improve their situation. As I read that I won’t think of unfathomable numbers.

Instead, I will be made to think of mothers or children I know who are just like the ones she described. An unreal, unimaginable situation can be made real.

The Forth Bridge will, I’m sure, continue to be used to describe endless tasks but it has another lesson to give.

Modern paint technology means that in 2011 painting work stopped, and the bridge won’t need repainting for 20 years. The endless task has been completed – for a while, at least!

Luke 1:37 says: ‘With God nothing shall be impossible’ (Authorised Version). Salvation Army programmes around the world continue to show that with God, and with faith and determination, tasks that may seem thankless, endless or downright impossible can be accomplished – one step, or maybe one changed life, at a time.

Huge numbers can numb the mind to understanding the reality behind the figures. Look at what is featured in this issue – more than half a million pupils and students educated in Salvation Army schools, a quarter of a million people served by a Salvation Army hospital, a movement that ministers in 126 countries. These figures are all too large to comprehend – dealing with numbers this big is like trying to complete an endless task. If only there was a phrase to describe it ...!

When I speak to people about writing for All the World I offer one main word of advice – however big the numbers involved, tell me about one person or

Editor Kevin Sims

Founder William Booth

design and Artwork Berni Georges

General André Cox

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 André Cox, General of The Salvation Army

Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

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3

This Chr i why not stmas, buy a gif for some t probably one you’ll never me et?

Thanks to the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, you can buy a goat for £18 or a chicken for just £8 – both of which will provide onging food and income for a family in the developing world.

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/justgifts For 100 Australian dollars, the gift catalogue created by the Australia Eastern Territory offers the opportunity to pay for a safe, sanitary toilet to be installed in a community in China, India or Kenya. If that’s a little beyond what you can afford, why not spend Au$5 on a colony of bees, whose honey can provide income for families in drought-hit communities.

salvos.org.au/said The Canada and Bermuda Territory offers the opportunity to save lives or help to provide an income when you purchase a mosquito net for C$12 or a pig for C$30.

www.salvationarmy.ca/giftsofhope You can also give through secure.salvationarmy.org, specifying how and where you would like your donation to be used, or contact your local Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army International Congress 2015 150th Anniversary | 1-5 July 2015 | London, UK Be a part of history...

Join an anticipated attendance of 16,000 + delegates Live-streamed across the world Website: www.boundless2015.org Registration begins January 2014 Featuring International Staff Band and Songsters plus worship and arts groups from around the world

Preach to the nations the boundless riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8) 4 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Photos by Bruce Harmer

FROM THE TOP

I

AM grateful for this opportunity to greet readers of All the World. I have been privileged over the years to visit many countries in which the Army is present, and to see the positive impact of so many projects and programmes.

I am always excited and energised when I see or hear about how people’s lives have been positively impacted and transformed through the faithful work and dedication of Salvationists.

Our faith gives us great hope for the future and for eternity. We have indeed discovered a treasure of immense value, which we share with those we encounter while working tirelessly to bring something of Heaven to earth through some of the practical things we do to help improve lives in the here and now!

The aim in all we do is not to give a ‘hand-out’ but a ‘hand-up’ to people in their time of need. People are important and it is an immense privilege for us to come alongside individuals, families and communities. In a world where the rights of the individual are emphasised more and more, we should not lose sight of the

A sense of belonging

by General André Cox

importance of community and that sense of belonging.

It has been a privilege for me, with my wife, Commissioner Silvia Cox, to live and serve in Africa where we learnt from our African brothers and sisters the importance of ‘Ubuntu’, which means ‘I am who I am because of who we are’.

We need each other and, as we work together, I truly believe we can make a significant difference in both this world and the next!

I hope that as you read some of the inspiring stories in this issue you also will be motivated to do your part.

As we are approaching Christmas and we begin to think about the giving of gifts, there is a very practical way in which you may consider giving a ‘hand-up’ to someone less fortunate than yourself.

In several territories it has become a tradition to issue ‘gift catalogues’ in which, through a monetary gift, you can donate domestic animals and ‘We need each other and, provide practical support to poor as we work together, I truly families living in the developing world. For a modest financial believe we can make a contribution you can make a huge significant difference’ difference in someone’s life.

For more information check out the Salvation Army International Development links on the page opposite.

As we travel around the world we will specifically look to visit programmes that make a positive impact so that people can enjoy life in all its fullness as promised by Jesus (John 10:10).

General André Cox was elected international leader of The Salvation Army on 3 August 2013. He and Commissioner Silvia Cox (World President of Women’s Ministries) have previously served in the Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, Zimbabwe, Finland and Estonia, Southern Africa and United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territories and at International Headquarters.

Photos show the General publicising the launch of a gift catalogue in Australia Eastern Territory

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EMERGENCY

INDIA

I

N the seven-and-a-half years since I started working for The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services I have been in many risky travel situations. I’ve been on dodgy semi-cargo planes in the Congo with no seat belts or windows but with a swivelling back part which contained all the seats – none of which were actually attached! I have experienced crazy traffic in cities like Cairo or other African or Indian metropolises. I have been on almost non-existent roads in eastern Congo that have been neglected for decades due to conflict and land displacement, and on narrow mountain roads in the north of Pakistan.

Bad roads, interesting means of transport, cars getting stuck in the mud … all these are part of the job as a disaster relief worker. So in a way I am used to it.

However, I think I experienced my scariest transportation situation so far in July this year when I visited north India, travelling through an area which had been affected by heavy and sudden monsoon rains that caused flooding and landslides, killing thousands of people.

Together with my colleagues from the India Northern Territory I travelled to Uttarakhand State, to some of the areas where The Salvation Army had started to provide relief items. It is a magnificent area with beautiful, green mountains and the snow-peaked Himalayas visible in the distance.

The roads in these parts reminded me a lot of the roads in northern Pakistan – winding and narrow with steep slopes on one side. In some places there is only a hand’s-width of road between a car’s tyres and the edge of a steep drop. And then the rains added more danger by making the roads muddy and slippery

Above: Sabna and her son in their landslide-hit community

A dangerous job – but it’s worth it!

by Damaris Frick and by causing regular landslides that drag everything along and leave debris which sometimes blocks roads for several days.

When we tried to travel back from a town called Guptkashi I experienced these blockages myself. Massive rocks left us stuck for a day and a half until the local authorities managed to blast the rocks using dynamite. When we eventually set off, water was running down the slopes and stones were still moving from the tops of the hills.

Things went from bad to worse when our car became stuck in the mud. We had

‘According to locals the clouds burst and the rivers came rushing like a tsunami wave’ 6 | ALL THE WORLD |

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to be pushed ever so carefully by a group of helpful men. One slip would mean plummeting 100 metres down a sheer slope! We all spent a few minutes praying silently but fervently!

So that gives you an idea of the difficulty faced by those of us who are trying to help the local people in these remote areas. But I don’t tell you this for sympathy, because I had it easy compared to some of the people we met – and they made my facing danger and difficulties worthwhile.

Sabna, for instance, is a young mother who lives in this northern state of India.

Her family, like most others in her small village, used to grow potatoes and vegetables on their little farm and also had some water buffalo for milk.

INDIA

Monsoon is a regular occurrence in many parts of South Asia and the agriculture of the country could not survive without the monsoon rains.

However, this year the rains were exceptionally heavy and sudden, causing flash floods and making river levels rise rapidly.

According to locals the clouds burst and the rivers came rushing like a tsunami wave, destroying houses and fields, taking away people, animals and belongings.

Sabna lost her house, her fields and her livestock. So did the other 20 families in her small village. She was able to save herself and her little boy but many others were not so fortunate. More than a month after the sudden downpour there are still thousands of people missing and some families have posted huge rewards for any information about their whereabouts or even for the recovery of bodies.

It is estimated that more than 10,000 people lost their lives but only a small percentage of bodies have been found.

The Salvation Army’s first project was to provide initial relief materials such as

Top: green, rolling hills and a view of the Himalayas make this region seem idyllic; (above) roads have become treacherous because of the rains; left: Damaris Frick (in sunglasses) with community members and Salvationists

blankets, bed sheets and tarpaulins to 1,000 families. These will help to keep the families dry and warm. But the road to recovery is long.

Many houses are damaged or destroyed and people have lost their livelihoods.

The Salvation Army is currently looking into the possibility of arranging some more sustainable activities such as the reconstruction of houses or the rehabilitation of livelihoods.

The situation of Sabna and other people in this area has ceased to be of interest in the global media. But Sabna is important to us in The Salvation Army and will remain so because it will be several years before her community can get back to some kind of normality. At least The

Salvation Army has given her some basics that will help in the short term.

For Sabna and so many people like her, I don’t mind continuing to put up with dangerous roads.

Damaris Frick is a member of the International Emergency Services team at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London

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HO U MN E TARNYDOARWTAHYE M E C

This issue’s ‘Home and Away’ section features the first husband-andwife combination. Lieut-Colonels João Paulo and Karin Ramos have appointments at The Salvation Army’s Sweden and Latvia Territorial Headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Karin is Swedish, while JP (as he is known) is originally from Portugal.

LIEUT-Colonel Karin Ramos Sweden and Latvia TerritorY

HOME

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I’m the territorial secretary for women’s ministries which (among many other things) includes finding resources, working with our anti-human trafficking network, and liaising with the ecumenical network for women in Sweden. I’m also responsible for some special events like our national congress in 2014 and I’m the national coordinator for the 2015 International Congress in London.

What would be your typical day?

Sometimes I’m out at corps (churches) leading home league or over-60 club meetings, at other times I spend all day in different meetings at headquarters.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My parents are officers so I was carried to the Army as a baby!

What is your favourite Bible verse?

My favourite verse usually changes depending on where I am and what kind of work I’m doing, but one that I often come back to is Micah 6:8 – ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 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 have a favourite song from the Swedish song book but it is not in the English version! From the English song book I would chose ‘In the Secret of Thy Presence’ by Albert Orsborn (No 591). It gives me encouragement!

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

The organisation of The Salvation Army in Sweden is very different from other countries but the work in the local corps is much like any other place. We are encouraging corps to have conection with a social centre to be able to meet local needs in each town or city.

What do you like most about Sweden?

First of all the beautiful nature and the fact that we have four distinctive seasons, but I should mention that living close to family is also nice!

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

In some cultures the wider family is very important and they make great effort to stay together and support each other. That is something that we could be better at here in Sweden.

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

The first thing I would change would be the General! I’m a behind-the-scenes kind of person and don’t think I would be suitable for the task.

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

Any place where I could be useful.

What skills do you use most in your work?

My work includes a lot of administration, which I don’t mind at all. I quite enjoy organising events and projects.

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

It would be nice to be able to do some more hands-on, practical social work but at the moment it doesn’t fit into my calendar. Maybe in my next appointment!

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

We are an international Army, we can go to any country where the Army works and still be familiar with the songs, music and worship.

&

away

LIEUT-Colonel João Paulo Ramos Sweden and Latvia TerritorY (ORIGINALLY FROM PORTUGAL)

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

In 1978, a Salvation Army brass band from England visited my neighbourhood in Lisbon (Portugal) and I followed it to the corps (church) as it marched from the open-air meeting. That was my first contact with the Army. Unfortunately, I am the only member of my family who is a Salvationist.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

A colleague officer from Brazil who worked in Portugal, Major Celso Baptista. He never gave up on me – even when I left the Army because I wanted to play football (soccer) he sought and found me and brought me back to the corps community. When I had family issues he allowed me to move into his house and live as a member of his family. He was always interested in my spiritual life and wouldn’t give up on me. He’s now retired but he was the best corps officer ever! I have a special admiration for the corps officer’s role.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

One verse has always had a significant meaning for me – ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13 New International Version 1984). I’ve been overwhelmed by every appointment I’ve had but God’s grace has abundantly covered me and he has given me the strength to carry on.

&AWAY

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

I’m drawn to Annie Johnson Flint’s ‘He Giveth More Grace as our Burdens Grow Greater’ (SASB No 579). This connects well with my ‘favourite’ Bible verse.

What do you miss most about your home country?

Family, friends, weather, food and a more relaxed life, I think.

But I’ve been away from my home country for more than nine years now (eight-and-a-half years in London and seven months in Stockholm).

How does working in Sweden differ from your experience elsewhere?

I don’t even know where to begin! I enjoy what I do and I’m honoured to be working in Sweden, a country I’ve grown to love.

However, Sweden is very different to Portugal and also different to the UK. During winter all transportation systems work fine, irrespective of the types of snow, leaves or wind – that’s great (or not, as sometimes it would be nice to be snowed in!).

What do you like most about Sweden?

My lovely wife, who’s Swedish, her family, and the Swedish people in general. The country boasts the most far-reaching social security system in the world. They are a proud people regarding

both their nationality and towns, and appear to be very patriotic. I love this country!

&AWAY

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Chief Secretary in the Sweden and Latvia Territory, which reminds me of song 52 in the English-language Song Book of The Salvation Army (SASB): ‘Many are the Things I Cannot Understand’! Officially, the chief secretary is ‘an officer appointed by the General to be second-in-command of a territory. He/she is responsible to the General, under the territorial commander, for the observance of all orders and regulations affecting the territory, and for the success of all the operations of the Army within the territory to which appointed’ – which is what I do (among other things!).

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

Change is a complex subject. People don’t usually like change, unless something is going really wrong and that’s the only option left. I’ll answer it differently; I would encourage the General not to let the Army change (mutate) into something we are not. If God wanted us to be something else he would have created that something else. He wants his Salvation Army and that means we are still relevant for this day and age.

What skills do you use most in your work?

My previous appointments as Assistant Under Secretary for Europe and Assistant Chief Internal Auditor, both at International Headquarters, prepared me for this current appointment, giving me skills such as people management, reading and interpreting accounts and financial reports, and a good knowledge of the organisation as a whole. I’m also completing a Leadership and Management degree, so the opportunity to use some of what I’ve studied in my current role gives me great satisfaction.

How would you like to be remembered?

Not as a curling champion, that’s for sure [JP’s recent experience of this gentle winter sport left him with a serious arm injury!]. I want to be remembered as a good and faithful servant of the Lord (Matthew 25:23).

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is God’s invention and is still as relevant today as it was when Evangeline Booth wrote this song in the 1930s (No 830, SASB): The world for God! The world for God! There’s nothing else will meet the hunger of my soul.

I see forsaken children, I see the tears that fall From women’s eyes, once merry, now never laugh at all; I see the sins and sorrows of those who sit in darkness; I see lands far distant, the hungry and oppressed.

But behold! On a hill, Calvary! Calvary!

I give my heart! I’ll do my part!

&AWAY

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HEALTH

ZIMBABWE

Tariro –

Photos by Major John Murray

an ongoing story of hope

Tariro is Shona for hope. This is a story of hope shared with the men, women and children of Chiweshe, Zimbabwe, by The Salvation Army. Major Sandra Welch reflects on a visit to Howard Hospital.

T

HE blazing heat of the noonday sun beats down on the vehicle as we make our bumpy way along the dusty road en route to The Salvation Army’s Howard Hospital. The land is parched, the air is dry and hot with a hint of smoke. Locals smile and wave, or glance quizzically as we go by.

We drive past animals gently grazing in the fields, a river where groups of women busily wash their clothes, while others transport bulky bundles of firewood on their heads and children freely roam, clambering over rocks and playing in groups. Eventually we arrive at Howard Hospital at the end of a rutted road. As we make our way to the places we will stay for the duration of our visit, delightful children shout out eager greetings in tuneful chorus: ‘Fine!’ ‘Fine!’ ‘How you?’

– desperately wanting to practise their English on us.

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A History of Hope The Salvation Army has been serving the people of the Chiweshe community since 1923 when Howard Institute, a school, was founded some 80 kilometres north of the Zimbabwean capital, Harare. The need for quality medical services became apparent as Salvation Army officers with little medical training initially carried out these services, so the hospital was opened in September 1928, with a nurses’ training programme being added a year later.

During this time the hospital has offered first-rate medical care to the people of the area in conjunction with nurses, support staff and a succession of health practitioners. Today Howard Hospital offers its services to more than 250,000 people in and around the rural community of Chiweshe.

The 144-bed capacity hospital runs a considerable number of community-

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based programmes, inpatient and outpatient care as well as a mobile clinic which provides immunisation programmes, and family heath programmes in the rural areas. With the advent of the HIV/Aids pandemic in subSaharan Africa, the hospital gave hope by offering wide-ranging treatment at the Tariro clinic through its counselling centre and antiretroviral therapy. In addition to this there are a number of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children’s programmes and child sponsorship programmes for children affected by HIV/Aids.

The local headman, Thomas Moudyiwat, is well respected in his community and has been headman for 27 years. He told me: ‘Howard Hospital is our hospital and it helps the community very well.’ He went on to say that he prayed the hospital would maintain its valued position in the community because in helping this rural area it helps the ‘whole nation’. He explained that people travel for quite a distance to access the medical services provided by the hospital.

Above: Ruvarashe with one of her nine-dayold twins in the neonatal unit at Howard Hospital. Before giving birth she had no idea she was expecting twins!

ZIMBABWE

Left: Dr Zaia (centre), matrons and hospital administrative staff receive a resuscitation unit for babies, donated by the Rotary Club; below: new and expectant mothers wait to see the nurse at a hospital clinic

Patients even travel from Harare. One told me: ‘I come here because the staff really care.’ Howard Hospital has a reputation as a centre of excellence and it is common practice for government hospitals to refer patients there.

Hope for Today Howard Hospital has a Nurse Training Centre offering three residential training courses – a primary care course, a diploma in midwifery, and a six-month up-scaling midwifery course. The first is two years in duration and prepares nurses to work in clinics in rural areas, at grassroots level, which is vital in this area.

It enables young men and women to embark on a career serving people who are in great need of medical help and care, but who live in remote areas. There are currently 40 student nurses involved in the training programme.

Major Joan Gibson, originally from Scotland, is a highly experienced clinician and outstanding teacher who heads up the programme. She has worked as a nurse in Africa since 1977 and at Howard Hospital since the 1980s The student nurses, who come from across Zimbabwe, undergo a rigorous

selection process through the local health and medical council to train at Howard.

They apply to train at Howard Hospital because of the quality of teaching and facilities, and the ethos of the hospital.

The Provincial Medical Director, Dr Tshuma, praised the facility, saying: ‘The training centre has a high pass rate.

Nurses who have graduated at Howard are well qualified.’

As I visited the labour ward I learned that approximately 1,000 babies are safely delivered at the hospital each year.

They have a mothers’ shelter for women who are 34-35 weeks pregnant but who live some distance from the hospital. It is more beneficial for them to await the birth of their baby in the shelter rather than in a rural area, where there is no medical provision.

The pregnant women, or ‘ladies in waiting’ as they are fondly referred to, are also able to stay in the shelter until after the birth of their babies. When they go

into labour in the shelter the other women offer support and take the mother-to-be to the labour ward while they then eagerly await news of the arrival of the baby.

The hospital also has a small neonatal unit which provides more specialised care for up to eight babies.

Mothers are kept in the hospital for three days to ensure that they make a full recovery after the birth, and during this time are taught basic hygiene and how to care for their babies. Great emphasis is placed on breastfeeding.

The hospital also provides Family Child Health (FCH) programmes that include antenatal and postnatal clinics, family planning, immunisations, good nutritional information and general support and guidance.

Howard Hospital is not exempt from problems or political and social upheaval.

However, despite this it is running well and treating patients as usual. Medical cases with complications are referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare (the largest hospital in the country) but rural clinics continue to refer patients to Howard Hospital for care.

Continuing its fine reputation for good facilities, practice and staff, Howard’s

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ZIMBABWE

medical team treats a significant number of people. In the first half of 2013 some 60 inpatients were treated at the hospital each night, the majority in the maternity ward. On average 150 people daily attend the outpatient department, the antenatal clinic and the Tariro clinic which supports HIV/Aids patients and other community-based services such as home-based care and programmes for orphans and vulnerable children.

Following the departure of the previous chief medical officer (CMO) in July 2012, Howard Hospital has been in a state of transition, with the number of patients and surgical procedures reduced as complicated cases were referred to the provincial hospitals in Harare and Bindura – an accepted practice for a rural district hospital.

Howard Hospital has maintained a surgical capacity throughout 2012 and 2013 since the two Zimbabwean doctors Dr Museka and Dr Chikwenjere are trained to perform a number of surgical procedures, including Caesarean sections. Historically it has not always had a trained surgeon on site.

The Provincial Medical Director, Dr Tshuma told me: ‘Generally the situation at Howard is improving. The workload has changed and there has been a decline in patients, but this is due to misinformation, since the community believed that there was no longer a doctor at the hospital, so they went to other hospitals looking for one. When they presented at the other district hospitals in the area, the staff informed them that there were two wellqualified and able doctors at Howard!

‘People have now returned to Howard Hospital and are utilising the general services there. This affected the general wards, not the maternity care provided Below: Dr Museka (right) and Dr Chikwenjere (left) with Major Joan Gibson outside the training centre

by the hospital. This is reflected in the increase in the Performance Results Based Financing.

‘The hospital no longer has a specialist gynaecologist, but it is now the same as the other district hospitals in terms of referral levels. District hospitals do not necessarily offer specialist obstetrics services. Patients are referred to hospitals in Bindura or Harare for this specialist care. The fact that Howard Hospital had a doctor with these skills was beneficial, but it is certainly not a requirement.’

The Salvation Army in Zimbabwe is a member of the Zimbabwe Association of Church-related Hospitals (ZACH), whose executive director, Vuyelwa T. Sidile-Chitimbire recently confirmed that Howard Hospital is ‘fully functioning and providing health care and service delivery for the poor and vulnerable communities within its district.’

Bright Hope for Tomorrow Plans to complete the new Howard Hospital buildings which commenced in 2000 are now underway and have been agreed by the hospital management team, the Zimbabwe Territory and International Headquarters (IHQ). While this capital project is taking place, the Canada and Bermuda Territory is ensuring the effective operation of Howard through an agreed sustainability plan. With the 12 | ALL THE WORLD |

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‘Today Howard Hospital offers its services to more than 250,000 people’ construction project now in its second phase (working with plans approved by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Public Works in Zimbabwe), a project manager has been retained, a contractor identified and final contract discussions are underway. It is hoped that the new building will be completed in 2014.

The funding to complete the new hospital has been donated by the USA Eastern Territory and is being held at IHQ. These resources will be fully utilised once plans for the building are finalised. The move to the new premises will result in changes which will improve the quality of sustainable care, and plans will be developed locally.

The theatre wing of the new hospital was originally poorly designed and is being restructured. There will be two theatres offering surgical procedures based appropriately on the capacity of resident staff.

The hospital’s volunteer programme which drew in medical staff from overseas was sadly halted in 2012 due to the disruption in the latter half of the year.

A few volunteers have worked at Howard

ZIMBABWE

Left: Chief Medical Officer Dr Zaia in the operating theatre; above: waiting to see the doctors in the outpatient department

in 2013, albeit fewer than in the past, but it is planned to restart the programme in the future, but not at the same level of intensity as in the period 2005-2012.

Initially the desire of the Zimbabwean Salvation Army leadership was to appoint a Zimbabwean Salvationist as CMO, but this did not prove possible so IHQ approached Dr Zairemthiama Pachuau, the CMO at The Salvation Army’s Chikankata Hospital in Zambia, in October 2012.

Dr Zaia (as he is known) was willing to move but it took time for him to obtain a visa. When he arrived in Zimbabwe, the Medical and Dental Council did not accept his Zambian registration and required him to work for three months in government hospitals. The lengthy probationary process is now complete and Dr Zaia took up his appointment as CMO on 29 August 2013.

He brings a number of skills to his new role including Post-graduate Diplomas in HIV Management and Hospital Administration, a Master of Philosophy in Health Care Management and Industrial Psychology and an MBA in Leadership and Entrepreneurship. He worked as CMO at Chikankata for five years and is a highly skilled physician.

The doctor says that practising medicine in rural Africa presents difficult and challenging circumstances, and yet

he and his team meet patients’ needs and success rates are high. He says: ‘I see miracles every day – I don’t only believe, I see.’

A Swedish surgeon, Dr Per-Göte Lindgren, has also been appointed to join the team at Howard to train the existing medical team in more advanced surgical procedures and to strengthen the health system at the new hospital. The Medical and Dental Council has assured the Army that it can register him for this work.

Dr Lindgren will not work as a general medical officer – his focus will be surgical training. He will also oversee the move into the new building and the development of management and clinical systems to improve the quality of care and services.

The period 2004-2012 saw the development of an extensive surgical programme at the hospital which, in some respects, went beyond the hospital’s capacity in terms of nursing care, support services and laboratory capacity. Before 2003, the hospital operated at the level of a rural district hospital, with some additional services depending on the capacity of the staff at the time. The intention is to return to this sustainable level of working.

The Tariro HIV programme has worked without disruption since September 2012, as has the tuberculosis prevention,

treatment and care programme. Changes in government policy have meant that more people can access their antiretroviral drugs closer to home, so there is some reduction in patient numbers at the Tariro Clinic but this is not driven by shortages of supplies or staff.

The programme for expectant mothers with HIV to receive antiretroviral treatments prior to the birth of their babies is unchanged and is implemented by staff who were in place before 2012.

Having commenced in January 2013, the numbers of recipients of this fiveyear USAID-funded programme are independently confirmed through project reports submitted to USAID, and funding is only released if the programme is meeting its objectives.

A soon-to-be launched Howard Hospital website will enable people to follow the progress of the hospital and provide information about programmes and services.

So the story of tariro (hope) which began more than 80 years ago continues in the Chiweshe community as The Salvation Army works to improve the services at the hospital, remaining committed to its future and serving the complex and challenging country of Zimbabwe.

Major Sandra Welch was born and grew up in South Africa. She is currently Editor-in-Chief at International Headquarters

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13

BRAZIL

London 2012: A Lasting Legacy

I

N July 2012, 33 delegates from Brazil travelled more than 9,000 kilometres to London to take part in The Salvation Army’s London 2012 Olympic Outreach. They were all responsible for raising money to pay their own fares and for some that meant taking on extra jobs. It was a serious commitment.

Among the delegates were Leonardo Luiz Galdeano de Oliveira and his fiancée of six years, Luana Silame Bonifacio.

Leonardo’s first contact with The Salvation Army came through a football (soccer) match in August 2011. He recalls: ‘Some guys I know who go to The Salvation Army invited me to play football with them. At the end of the game they prayed together. Then they asked me if I would like to go to the Army with them the next day.’

That was the beginning of Leonardo’s journey to faith. He realised that God was speaking to him through these fellow sportsmen and came to the point where he made a decision to follow Christ. A couple of weeks before the Brazilian mission team left for the London Olympics, he affirmed his personal commitment to Jesus.

14 | ALL THE WORLD |

by Lieut-Colonel David Bowles

Luana decided to make the trip simply they asked for God’s help daily as they to accompany Leonardo. She did not faced some very difficult situations. want to be involved in matters of faith.

‘It was like experiencing 20 years of ‘She was there just for me,’ Leonardo Sundays in 20 days,’ Leonardo says with explains. ‘She didn’t want to make a a smile. ‘On one Sunday at Camberwell decision for Christ and that bothered me. Corps a Salvation Army soldier gave her She felt uncomfortable and didn’t give testimony and I realised that she was herself to people.’ giving my testimony too. She said that Part of the Brazilian Mission Team, all sorts of things happen in life – some including Leonardo and Luana, was good, some challenging – but that God based in Camberwell Corps (Salvation can bring all things together for good.

Army church) in south London. The ‘Luana really appreciated what she said practical ministry they were engaged in too. She was looking for fulfilment and there changed Luana’s attitude towards she was beginning to realise she could faith and the Church. She had thought find what she was looking for in God.’ that the Church was separate from the When the couple returned to Brazil world but she came to see that people of things were the same on the outside but faith could make a real difference in the Luana had been changed on the inside. world. She especially enjoyed Leonardo had started recruits working with children. classes – preparing The depth of the for Salvation Army relationships the soldiership – before mission team the trip to London m e m b e r s and had asked ‘She came to developed with Luana to go see that people of faith each other with him. She also had an had said no. could make a real effect on her, But the as did the way e x p e r i e n ces ’ difference in the world

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BRAZIL

Opposite page: Brazil mission team members dance at International Headquarters in London; below: Luana and Leonardo in their Salvation Army soldiers’ uniforms; right: Luana and Leonardo with corps officer Major Ebeneser Nogueira (left) and divisional director of women’s ministries Major Sara Chagas

in London changed Luana’s mind, and 2012, Leonardo and Luana joined other she decided to become a recruit as a corps members in an evangelism activity symbol of her personal commitment in a neighbourhood where he is well to Christ. known. ‘My friends looked at me a bit One evening Leonardo went to the strangely,’ Leonardo admits, ‘but also class and was amazed to find Luana there with respect. I told them what I believe. as well. What he didn’t know was that she Some of them have started coming to had phoned Major Ebeneser Nogueira at meetings now.’

Rio de Janeiro Corps and had arranged Leonardo is now a policeman – with him to do extra classes something which took him 11 years to so she could catch up with achieve – and Luana is her fiancé! a physiotherapist. Luana They were married soon finds it difficult to speak after their return from about her faith publicly London, an occasion that as she is very reserved included another wonderful – but she did give her surprise. testimony at the corps While they were at the because she wanted to tell Olympics they had the people how God is at work opportunity to visit Paris in her marriage and her for a day. ‘I met this guy professional life. In the same Above: Luana and called Stevens Teze,’ explains Leonardo on their wedding meeting, Leonardo preached Leonardo. ‘He was on the day with Stevens Teze, for the first time. who had travelled all the French mission team. He was way from France!

He is now involved in a great guy so I invited him to setting up a new outpost. our wedding. He said he couldn’t afford When he is tempted to think he just to come. But he really surprised us. He doesn’t have time to do something he showed up!’ remembers how good God has been A week after their return from London to him and readjusts his schedule. ‘The

apostle Paul said he was compelled to preach the gospel because God had been so good to him. I feel like that too,’ he explains.

He also teaches the corps cadets, seeing this as an opportunity to contribute to the training and discipling of the young people, to share his faith and to be a role model.

Leonardo is glad to be able to share worship and personal devotional times with Luana. They are growing and developing in their faith together.

He feels privileged to belong to his Salvation Army family at Rio de Janeiro Corps and is grateful to his corps officers – Majors Ebeneser and Eliana Nogueira – for providing him with the tools to become mature in his faith.

He is still very focused on sports ministry and is convinced that thousands can be reached for Jesus through sport – just as God reached him.

Lieut-Colonel David Bowles is The Salvation Army’s Sports Ministry Coordinator for Europe

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15

FACTFILE

N

Map shows countries which have Salvation Army educational facilities (not including officer training colleges or pre-school and informal programmes run through corps/community centres)

According to The Salvation Army Year Book 2013, The Salvation Army operates:

• 954 kindergarten and sub-primary schools

• 1,247 primary schools • 133 upper primary and middle schools

• 274 secondary and high schools

• 33 special needs • • • •

SCHOOLS

schools for the visually impaired and disabled 151 training and vocational training centres 10 colleges and universities 63 of the above are residential/boarding schools.

There is also an unknown number of after-school clubs, informal street education and pre-school facilities which are part of the programmes of Salvation Army corps (churches) around the world

The Year Book also reports that The Salvation Army is responsible for the education of 599,350 pupils.

This is significantly more pupils that are in primary and secondary education in countries such as Uruguay or Moldova. The number is higher than the entire population of Albuquerque, the most populous city of the state of New Mexico, USA!

Salvation Army schools in Haiti (above) and India (right)

• The UNESCO (United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) website reveals that more than 100 million children, the majority girls, never get a chance to see the inside of a classroom.

Furthermore, for many children the poor quality of education provided, resulting from irrelevant and obsolete curricula, overcrowded classrooms and untrained teachers, leads to high dropout and incompletion rates.

• A UNESCO fact sheet says simply:

‘793 million adults worldwide – 1 out of 4 people – cannot read these words’. Of these adults, 64 per cent are women.

• A report on the Unicef (United

Nations Children’s Fund) website reveals that children of mothers with

16 | ALL THE WORLD |

secondary education or higher are twice as likely to survive beyond age five as children of mothers who have no education.

• According to recent analysis

reported by Unicef, half the reduction in child mortality over the past 40 years can be directly attributed to better education for women.

• Unicef also reports that not only

educated women are more likely to send their children to school, but they are also better able to protect their children from malnutrition, HIV infection, trafficking, and sexual exploitation.

• It is estimated that 171 million

people could be lifted out of poverty if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills – equivalent to a 12 per cent drop in the number of people living on less than US$1.25 a day.

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It is difficult to identify where Salvation Army education services were first provided. The third volume of The History of The Salvation Army (dealing with the years from 1883 to 1953) records that ‘Salvation Army schools exist in connection with corps (local stations) in various parts of the world’, with special mention given to Newfoundland, Canada. It continues: ‘The proper education of all young people housed in the Army’s institutions is provided for either by attendance at outside schools, or by teaching within their walls.’

Commissioner John Swinfen, writing in the Historical Dictionary of The Salvation Army, reports that early Salvation Army ministry in Africa included ‘elementary programmes of health, hygiene, sewing, numeracy and literacy’ which, together with singing, ‘formed a foundation on which primary schooling was built’. The commissioner goes on to say: ‘By the 1920s school programmes were becoming fomalised in several countries. Mountain View School in South Africa began in 1919. The Howard Institute in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) opened in 1923 with boarding accommodation.’

From very early on, teaching was at the forefront of the thinking of Salvation Army Founders William and Catherine Booth. In December 1859 – almost six years before The Salvation Army began – Catherine published a booklet called Female Teaching.

Schools

F CUS ON

By Howard Dalziel

T

HE Salvation Army is well known for many things, including uniforms, brass bands, homeless shelters and rehabilitation centres. What is less well known is that The Salvation Army is responsible for an astonishing 2,769 schools. More than 18,500 teachers provide an education to 594,229 pupils ranging in age from three to 18, in kindergartens and through primary, junior, secondary and vocational training.

Most students will spend four or five years in a Salvation Army school and a significant number will either board or lodge in a Salvation Army-run hostel. In these instances the Salvation Army school will be their home during term time and everyone looking after the young people will be in a strong position to enhance their spiritual development and shape their attitudes.

This is an incredible mission opportunity, providing a significant period of time to build quality relationships. Equally, however, there is a great responsibility to ensure that

each child is given every opportunity to become the best they can be.

The United Nations’ second Millennium Development Goal states that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, should be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. This is a laudable goal which will improve the lives of many – but it can put primary

Above: pupils at Bethel Primary School, Fond-des-Nègres, Haiti, give visitors a warm welcome; below: an open-air lesson at Asuano Kindergarten, Ghana

schools under pressure where resources do not keep up with expectations. A number of Salvation Army schools have seen significant increases in their admissions without receiving any extra funding.

Each Salvation Army territory and command has a different approach to education and a different relationship with the government, local community and with donors. These relationships are generally determined by funding options, either coming from the state or through private sources. Local laws on school governance will also dictate the role The Salvation Army plays in teacher appointments and application of the curriculum.

The outworking of The Salvation Army’s International Vision – One Army, One Mission, One Message – promotes an emphasis on reaching and involving youth and children. However the provision of a structure where education is intended to take place is not in itself sufficient. Quality education needs to be central to ‘reaching and involving’ youth

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17

FOCUS ON ... SCHOOLS

and children otherwise the potential impact gained from having a school is lost.

In recent years it became clear that a framework was needed to support and direct Salvation Army schools around the world as they strive for excellence.

With this in mind, an International Schools Strategy was developed – through consultation with Salvation Army territories, educationalists from around the world and representatives of communities where The Salvation Army provides schooling – setting out key principles and focus areas for Salvation Army schools.

The vision statement focuses on what all Salvation Army schools should try to achieve: ‘Salvation Army schools seek to develop compassionate people of integrity and character with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding to achieve their full God-given potential. This will be achieved by developing quality, holistic, faith-based, family-focused education prioritising vulnerable and marginalised children.’

Nine guiding principles put Salvation Army schools at the heart of the community they serve and place

Left: preparing for a graduation ceremony at Vitarte High School, Lima, Peru; above left: relaxed students at Oda Junior Secondary School, Ghana; top: working hard at Semarang Elementary School, Indonesia; above: pupils at Santiago Junior School, Chile

importance on social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual development. There is an emphasis on providing a safe and secure environment supported by corps (churches) keeping Christian values at the heart.

T strategy’s h e t r aare: t e g y ’ s The six focus sareas six focus areas are: quality education which • Providingquality Providing education which leads to high achievement for all; all; leads to high achievement for Relationships and partnerships; partnerships; • Relationships and I mImproving p r o v i n infrastructure g i n and f r a maximising structure • and m a x i m i s i n g r esources; resources; Developing a plan for sustainability; a plan for sustainability; • Developingimproving Continually the quality of teaching staff and management systems; Continually improving the quality • Developing standards and of teachingminimum staff and management guidelines systems;on child safety and protection.

• Developing minimum standards

and guidelines on child safety and protection.

All schools should work hard to provide the best education possible,

‘Salvation Army schools should be a resource for the community ... contributing positively to the life of families and the neighbourhood’ (from Guiding Principle Number Five, International Schools Strategy) 18 | ALL THE WORLD |

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but many Salvation Army schools have to fight against the background of harsh economic realities.

They are often found in areas where there are minority groups who have to work hard to fight discrimination and economic disadvantage; or in negelected and isolated urban areas that suffer from social, economic and spiritual poverty.

Some examples of Salvation Army education are found in isolated rural communities where the Church provides health and education to people who are otherwise ignored by the state.

The Salvation Army’s calling to ‘serve suffering humanity’ takes it to these areas.

It is in the fabric of the Army’s being, but it does not make for an easy existence, especially in the field of education where resources are limited and more often than not financial advantage goes hand in hand with quality.

To provide excellence in these areas means drawing on other strengths.

Teachers in the United Kingdom are often called on to demonstrate ‘added value’. The aim is to show through the exam system, and teacher assessment, that a child has achieved above what was previously assesseed as his or her CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

FOCUS ON ... SCHOOLS

GHANA Howard writes: My wife, Julie, and I taught at a Salvation Army-run school in Wenchi, Ghana, in the late 1990s, so it was interesting to return there in 2013 as the International Schools Coordinator.

The rural areas look very similar to when we were there, though the road is now mostly tarred and there is electricity in the town and at the school. The school itself looked much the same – some extra buildings and a lot more students, with 1,000 boarders.

I went straight to a Board of Governors meeting and the alumni representative was Priscilla, one of our former students, speaking eloquently and confidently. (Julie must have taught her!) It was so encouraging to see her in that setting now.

As I walked round the school, cooks, drivers, the carpenter, electrician and other ancillary staff came to hug me. I talked at length with former teaching colleagues and then went to speak at a school assembly. It was incredible to see 1,000 students in the hall, and to hear them sing. There are few comparable sounds, and it was incredibly emotional to feel a part of the journey that the school has been on and is continuing with these students.

Education providers in Ghana face a massive challenge with the advent of free compulsory basic education.

Clearly education for all is a priority, but if it is not funded properly then the education received can be ineffective and negative. New policies which seem sensible have been put in place but a lack of sufficient investment is creating class sizes of 70-plus, with classes being taught outside when it is not raining, insufficient desks, insufficient textbooks and overwhelmed teaching and support staff.

Above: Howard Dalziel (right) with Mr Atuah, deputy head at Wenchi Senior Secondary School, Ghana

Another interesting consequence of free education is that expectations are now for the government or the Church to provide everything a child may need. If a parent teacher association tries to raise funds then there is sometimes an attitude that parents need not be involved, whereas previously – when parents had to pay to send their children to school – education may have been more highly valued, and parents more willingly mobilised.

These, however, are relatively minor quibbles compared to the fact that the poorest of the poor now have access to education, and that is a definite success of the FCUBE (free compulsory universal basic education) policy put in place by the Ghanaian Government in the light of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.

Mind you, the long-term success of FCUBE will only be ensured by investment and local involvement. Local ownership is key to the success of any programme.

Another significant challenge is growing an economy without leaving the poor and public servants behind. I am constantly amazed at the prices in Accra, which now has skyscrapers and flashy four-wheel drive cars, but where teachers struggle to make their pay last through the whole month.

Above: Howard and Sister Esi, formerly a house help at Wenchi Senior Secondary School – now a nurse assistant; right: kitchen staff at Wenchi

My job is a privilege. I see so much excellent work and spend time with so many dedicated people. The vision is huge, but my task – in promoting the implementation of the International Schools Strategy – is to turn that vision into achievable objectives.

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FOCUS ON ... SCHOOLS

INDIA Howard writes: The Indian Tourist Board has a slogan proudly describing their country as ‘Incredible India’. Having recently been to The Salvation Army’s India Northern Territory and visited the college and senior secondary school campus in Batala we can safely add ‘Excellence in Education’ to ‘Incredible India’. Excellence abounds in an environment where children from families that are often broken and marginalised are given hope through high-quality schooling.

How does the Salvation Army school in Batala achieve excellence? Essentially, like so many aspects of ministry, it comes down to the quality of relationships at all levels.

There is a supportive relationship from territorial headquarters leadership. The cabinet works closely with the education secretary to monitor progress made at the school, review results and consider requests from the board of governors. Regular visits are made to listen to and encourage the school leadership, staff and pupils.

The territorial commander sees the school as a priority and is the chairman of the school with the chief secretary as the vice chairman. The school principal is a Salvation Army officer and qualified teacher who works in close partnership with parents, the community and head teacher. Together they lead the staff by example through their commitment and diligence – and in turn the teachers impart this sense of hard work and achievement to their pupils.

There are high expectations of all students, whatever their background. Divisional headquarters is also supportive, keeping in close contact with the principal and board of governors.

These expectations are clearly understood and appreciated by parents and the community. Local people sponsor some of the children living in the school hostel.

The community as a whole is encouraged to raise funds for infrastructure and special events in the knowledge that funds will be well spent for the improvement of teaching and learning.

The campus ethos is built on the tenets of consistent discipline and intentional pastoral support. The staff come from different faith backgrounds including Sikh, Christian, Hindu and Muslim, but the school is unashamedly Salvationist and the aim is to impart not only knowledge, but strength of character and respect for each other in the name of Jesus.

The exam results are excellent, the welcome at the gates is tremendous, the sports results are impressive and the dance is spectacular!

Above: girls from Batala High School, Punjab, India; left: Howard Dalziel dancing with teachers, pupils and headquarters staff at Batala High School

But the overwhelming impression I have is of walking into classrooms and meeting confident, eloquent, secure children, who are happy to communicate and express their hope for the future. A hope built on secure relationships which are founded on the example we receive from the gospel.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

academic potential and that the teaching they received has enabled them to excel.

In well-resourced schools with supportive parents this is relatively straightforward.

This, however, is not the environment in which The Salvation Army generally chooses to work. We therefore have to draw on other strengths and resources to add ‘value’ – often through the provision of a safe, welcoming environment where young people are given the means to thrive and the tools to improve the circumstances of both themselves and their families.

In all things the priority of The Salvation 20 | ALL THE WORLD |

Army with its One Mission and One Message is to build deeper relationships with the Church, with the community and with God. Salvation Army schools offer a space for these relationships to develop and grow. In this way effective schools have the potential to glorify God and Salvation Army schools – using the International Schools Strategy as a starting point – should always have this in sight.

Commissioner John Swinfen, whose Salvation Army officership included leadership appointments in the UK, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Republic of Congo and at International Headquarters, carried out a review of

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Salvation Army schools in India in 2000.

His conclusion is as true now as it was then: ‘Ineffective schools do not glorify God. Effective schools can, and Salvation Army schools should.’

The International Schools Strategy can be found online at www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/schools

Howard Dalziel is International Schools Coordinator at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, United Kingdom

Greeting inside: Happy Christmas £3.99 per pack of 8 (128mm x 128mm)

ChristmasCards There have been many calls for the International Headquarters Christmas displays – created by Berni Georges and Kevin Sims and featured in previous issues of All the World – to be made available as Christmas cards. This has now been arranged, and the first set of images to be released as cards through the Salvation Army Trading Company in the UK is from the 2011 display, which featured John 12:46 as a theme verse, translated into four different languages (alongside four English versions). Each set of cards includes one of the designs, with the English text. The image with the original language text is on the back of the card, with an explanation of how it came to be created.

Order online www.sps-shop.com

COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

communicate with young people today?’

They answer came quickly – ‘pop music with guitars’.

A joyful sound United Kingdom IF 2013 was the year of Takasa, the Swiss Salvation Army group that made it to the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, then 50 years ago, 1963 was the year of their forerunners, the Joystrings.

General Sale!

In November 1963, General Frederick Coutts, in his first press conference as The Salvation Army’s international leader, was asked what new perspective he would bring to The Salvation Army. The General turned the question back to the reporters: ‘What do you think we should be doing to

A call went out to The Salvation Army’s training college in Denmark Hill to find cadets who could sing and play the guitar. House officer Major Joy Webb was a guitarist, so she was called on to get together some members of the girls’ choir for a photo shoot with the press.

That wasn’t enough, however – the media wanted to hear some music. Two male cadets – Peter Dalziel and Bill Davidson – were co-opted into the group and Joy Webb arranged a song for the yet-tobe-named combo to perform. (Other members came and went over time, but Joy, Peter and Bill remained throughout.)

After a performance for the Canadian

Broadcasting Company the group was asked onto the BBC prime-time show Tonight, hosted by Cliff Michelmore. They caught the public imagination to such an extent that a few weeks later, on 14 January 1964, they returned to the Tonight show for another performance. All this came around six weeks after the new General’s off-the-cuff remark!

Chart success followed, along with controversy – none more sow than when the Joystrings performed in the Playboy Club. An overseas tour was cancelled in protest, but General Coutts made clear his thoughts on the venture: ‘The Joystrings are here for the sinners, not the saints!’

Sylvia Dalziel, who – as Cadet Sylvia Gair – joined the group in 1964, has written an account of the Joystrings’ five years

Bargain books by former international leaders

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A Field for Exploits Eva Burrows and Stephen Court was £5.00

£2

each!

A Pilgrim’s Song Jarl Wahlström was £5.25

Called Up Erik Wickberg was £4.50

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now only

There’s a Boy Here...

John Gowans was £4.95

SNAPSHOTS

of ministry, which has now been published by the UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland under the Shield Books imprint.

The Joystrings – The Story of the Salvation Army Pop Group is a fascinating account of an imaginative and brave attempt to take The Salvation Army’s message of God’s love to a new generation. The hardback book – illustrated beautifully with hundreds of evocative photos – brings the story of the Joystrings alive.

Fans of the group will be able to relive the heady days of the mid-1960s (when the Joystrings rubbed shoulders with royalty including Queen Elizabeth II and rock royalty such as Cliff Richard and Tom Jones). Perhaps just as importantly, a new generation will grasp an understanding of the risks that were taken to spread the gospel – and the rewards that came from being loyal to God’s calling.

The Joystrings – The Story of the Salvation Army Pop Group

by Sylvia Dalziel costs £14.95 and is available from Salvationist Publishing and Supplies Ltd (sp-s.co.uk) and amazon.co.uk.

Postage costs will vary.

Have your say International Headquarters IT is somehow appropriate that the 50th anniversary of the Joystrings shares a page with another innovation from a new international leader of The Salvation Army, as General André Cox encourages young people around the world to ‘Tell the General’ what they like about the Army, and what it could and should be doing better.

Anyone aged from seven to 25 who is associated with The Salvation Army can take part by making a short video which answers five questions:

cameras can be used to make the videos.

Once the recording is ready, it should be uploaded to YouTube, with the link added to the ‘Tell the General’ page of www.salvationarmy.org. Any videos featuring under-18s need to ensure that permission has been obtained from parents/guardians.

Full terms and conditions – along with a fun ‘how to’ video are available at http://sar.my/tellthegeneral.

The closing date for contributions is 1 November 2013.

1) Which activities do you most enjoy taking part in at The Salvation Army?

2) What else could your corps or division do for you and your friends?

3) What’s it like to be a young person in your corps? (eg Do you feel accepted and included? Are your views valued?)

4) How would The Salvation Army have to change to become the church of your dreams?

5) If you could say just one thing to the General, what would you want him to understand?

Some of the films will be used in a short compilation to be shown at the General’s Consultative Council in January 2014, shared with other international leaders and used on Salvation Army websites and social media.

There’s no need for expensive equipment. Smartphones, computers or

Selected Writings Volume 1 Shaw Clifton was £4.95

Selected Writings Volume 2 Shaw Clifton was £4.95

All six books can be bought together (including p&p) for £17.00 (UK addresses)/£23 (Europe)/ £32 (rest of the world), with Essential Measures and Purity of Heart, both by William Booth, included free of charge – an extra saving of £5.45!

PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO ‘THE SALVATION ARMY’, ADDRESSED TO: Communications Section, The Salvation Army International Headquarters, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom Please include your name and address

ADVERT

Extra-special bulk-buy bonus!

Add postage and packing costs (per book): UK £1.10/ Europe £4.00/rest of the world £7.00

Salvation Books publications are also available from territorial trade/ supplies departments and on www.amazon.co.uk, although prices may vary.

Email IHQ-Editorial@salvationarmy.org for further information

hope The Salvation Army’s Howard Hospital in Zimbabwe has been providing excellent medical and pastoral care since 1928.

Today it continues to be a beacon of HOPE for the people of the Chiweshe community – as can be seen in these photographs by Major John Murray.

This artwork is available to download from sar.my/howardhope