Following Jesus where the need is greatest
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 1 AUTUMN ’15
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SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY You can help as soon as disaster strikes tearfund.org
CLIMATE EMERGENCY
‘YOU MADE ME CRY’
FLUSHING AWAY SHAME
Crucial talks in Paris
Your prayers reach South Sudan
Toilets bringing dignity to India
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
2 . TEAR TIMES
WELCOME... OUR FRIENDS IN NEPAL
It was on a family day out in sunny Oxfordshire that I heard the news. A BBC alert popped up on my phone mid-morning, reporting on the ‘massive earthquake’ in Nepal. Of course, I’ve heard reports of disasters many times before. But, because I’d visited Nepal in 2010, the news really hit home to me. I thought of my friends there: Gobinda Neupane – who works for Tearfund’s partner Sagoal and has a young family. And Steve Collins who used to work here at Tearfund’s UK offices, who moved to Kathmandu in 2012 to set up a Nepal office, along with his wife Jude and two children, Amy and Paul. I also thought of the determined people freed from slavery whom we’d visited, the Shivnagar community who made us feel so welcome. I stopped to pray for them, and it was a relief when I started to hear reports that people – Gobinda, Steve and their families – were safe. Sadly, many more whom I don’t know were not. Visiting Nepal before the earthquake, it was evident that poverty was widespread and systemic. Tearfund’s partners are doing an amazing job in following Jesus where the need is greatest, releasing communities from poverty – setting the captives free. The earthquake is a huge setback, but – thanks to your prayers and gifts to Nepal – they will rebuild. No one can predict clearly when a natural disaster will strike a poor community. But, with your support, we can prepare for it – see page 8 to find out how you can make sure we can be there as soon as possible when disaster strikes.
Editor
Peter Shaw twitter @ TearTimes | email editor@tearfund.org Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
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TEAR TIMES . 3
CONTENTS NEWS 04 News Nepal earthquake and updates from across the world 17 Big Bake Get baking to help end child trafficking
08
22 What are you doing for Christmas? Three ways you can support poor communities
FEATURES 08 The night Lisa’s world came crashing down When the devastating cyclone hit Vanuatu 11 Flushing shame down the loo Toilets are bringing dignity to women in India 18 The miracle that’s working How HIV transmission is being eliminated in Malawi 20 Join us for the new French revolution Calling for urgent climate action in Paris
REVIEW OF THE YEAR Centre Pages Look at what you’ve done! Pull-out annual review and financial report
REFLECTIONS 13
13 ‘You made me cry, thank you!’ What happened when your prayers reached South Sudan
Copyright @ Tearfund 2015. All rights reserved. Permission is granted for the reproduction of text from this publication for Tearfund promotional use. For all other uses, please contact us. Cover image: Rafiqsa’s home in Bangladesh after the floods Photo: Peter Caton/Tearfund
4 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
IN THE
NEWS THANK YOU FROM THE PEO PLE OF NEPAL When earthquake response teams from Tearfund’s partners arrived bringing aid to the remote Nepali village of Katunje, Bhim Bahador Adhikari summed up the reaction of locals like him: ‘We know we are not alone.’ It had taken days for the team from our partner Carnet to reach the community in the steep hills of Nuwakot district, negotiating bumpy tracks with switchback corners and landslide debris. The 25 April quake, which killed more than 8,700 people across the Himalayan nation, destroyed half the village’s homes. Because these buildings were used to store food, locals were facing hunger. Carnet’s distribution of rice, lentils, salt, oil, noodles and beaten rice, as well as tarpaulins, was the first outside help the village had received. ‘We’re very grateful to Carnet and the people who have given money to help us,’ said Bhim.
The money entrusted to Tearfund through our emergency appeal helped us follow Jesus where the need is greatest, to reach many isolated places like Katunje and support tens of thousands of Nepalis with food, shelter materials, utensils and hygiene kits.
‘We’re very grateful to people who have given money to help us’ Some help was provided within 20 minutes of the initial disaster, with one partner, Rescue Network Nepal, speedily deploying volunteers trained in first aid to help the injured. ‘We’re grateful for the generosity of supporters,’ said Steve Collins, Tearfund’s Country Director in Nepal. ‘We’ve also been able to provide trauma counselling for those who’ve been injured or bereaved, and raise awareness of the increased risk that traffickers will try and exploit people’s vulnerability.’ Photo above: Anna Chilvers/Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 5
MAKING PLANS FOR NIGEL… Tearfund has a new CEO! Tearfund has announced its new chief executive is to be Nigel Harris, who joins us from the international charity, Farm Africa. Before that, Nigel worked as Chief of Staff for Save the Children UK and as an international development consultant for the Department for International Development, Tearfund and others. Look out in the next edition of Tear Times for a full-length interview with Nigel.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU At Tearfund our Christian faith is central to everything we do, including the way we treat you, our supporters. In light of recent media coverage of charities misusing data and harassing people, we want to take this opportunity to reiterate that we are committed to treating both you and your details with the utmost respect. To this end, we comply with the Fundraising Standards Board, and have never (and will never) share or sell your details outside of Tearfund. We value you as a person and as our partner in God’s work, and we would never want to make you or anyone else feel under pressure or uncomfortable. We want you to enjoy hearing from us, knowing that your prayers and generosity are transforming lives! You can contact us any time to change your details or alter your mailing preferences – just contact our helpful supporter services team at enquiries@tearfund.org or 0208 977 9144. Your support is making a huge difference to desperately poor people around the world, and if you want to know how, see the annual review section in the centre pages of this Tear Times.
‘We want you to enjoy hearing from us, knowing that your prayers and generosity are transforming lives!’ Photo: Marcu
s Perkins/Tea
rfund
6 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
IN THE
NEWS AMAZING RESPONSE AT BIG CHURCH DAY OUT Nearly 6,000 children will be protected from trafficking, disease and disasters as a result of ‘amazing’ support for Tearfund at Big Church Day Out. About 25,000 people gathered at Wiston House in Sussex for a bank holiday weekend of live music, praise and prayer, and Tearfund was there with 250 volunteers to promote our No Child Taken campaign. More than 1,450 people were moved and inspired to pledge their support after hearing stories of those affected by trafficking in India, which will enable us to protect nearly 6,000 children. ‘It was an amazing response,’ said Janet McRae from Tearfund’s Events team. ‘God was with us every step of the way, in every detail.’ Praise God for the generosity and faithfulness of his followers, which will enable us to safeguard thousands of vulnerable children this year from the world’s fastest-growing crime.
REMEMBERING FORMER TEARFUND BOARD MEMBER REV PATRICK GOODLAND A thanksgiving service has been held to celebrate the life and work of former Tearfund board member Rev Patrick Goodland. Rev Goodland from Gorsley in Herefordshire, died on 30 December 2014, after a short illness, aged 85. Following training at All Nations College, he began his ministry at Hook Evangelical Church in Surrey. After marrying his wife Beryl, he moved to pastor Stanmore Baptist Church where he stayed for 22 years and also acted as chaplain to the local RAF Strike Command. His work was recognised with an MBE in 1975, and a year later he moved to Herefordshire to lead Gorsley Baptist Church, whose congregation doubled during his time there. Alongside serving on Tearfund’s board for seven years, Mr Goodland helped organise a concert by Cliff Richard which raised about £10,000 towards a Tearfund mobile clinic in Bangladesh. At the thanksgiving service in January, nearly £3,000 was donated to support Tearfund’s work. Photos from left: Clive Mear, Courtesy of Beryl Goodland, Alick Maclean/Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 7
Giving thanks for
SWITCH TO ECOTRICITY AND TEARFUND GET EVEN MORE When you switch to green energy supplier Ecotricity, they’ll donate up to £35 to Tearfund straightaway – and give £10 each year you stay with them.* ‘We’ve been proudly supporting Tearfund since 2010,’ says Jacob Windsor, Ecotricity’s Partnerships Manager. ‘And we are pleased to announce our new sign-up offer. ‘It’s simple – we’ll donate up to £35 to Tearfund when you switch to Ecotricity – and then £10 for every year you stay with Ecotricity. It’s a great way to be part of the change needed to help the poorest in the world. ‘The more people that join us, the more green energy we can build, and the more we can support Tearfund, whose belief in a sustainable and equal society accords with our own.’ Ecotricity is a sustainable and ethical energy company that invests the money customers spend on electricity and gas and use it to build new sources of renewable energy, such as wind turbines. To take up this offer, call Ecotricity on 08000 302 302 or visit ecotricity.co.uk/tearfund *For full terms and conditions, visit ecotricity.co.uk/tearfund
The generosity of Tearfund supporters who answered our call at Big Church Day Out to ensure no child is taken by traffickers The hundreds of Christians who travelled to Westminster in June to lobby the new government over climate change Tearfund-supported self-help groups that are transforming the lives of people around the world
PRAYER
PULSE
Praying for Peace and stability in Iraq and Syria and for the millions of people suffering – particularly people made homeless by the conflict World leaders attending December’s UN summit in Paris, that they will help people living in poverty who are increasingly vulnerable to climate change The continuing recovery and rehabilitation of people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Nepal
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
8 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
THE NIGHT LISA’S WORLD CAME CRASHING DOWN WRITTEN BY PETER SHAW
On 13 March this year, Lisa was woken in the night by her dad, Pastor Isaiah. He swept up the seven-year-old in his arms and carried her out into the pounding rain. Rocked by storm-force winds, soaking wet, confused and scared, Lisa started to cry as her dad began to run – followed close behind by her mum, May, and older brothers. It was the night Cyclone Pam reached Tanna Island in Vanuatu – the worst natural disaster ever to hit the islands. The family rushed into the shelter of Nasi Tuan, one of Tearfund’s partners. Nasi Tuan’s peanutprocessing plant was packed out with desperate villagers fleeing for their lives.
Lisa’s family stayed at Nasi Tuan, returning home the next afternoon when the winds subsided. The heartbroken family surveyed the devastation. ‘Everything had changed,’ Lisa says. ‘Our house was gone. Some of my things got broken or lost in the storm – my books, my Bible and my teddy.’
‘We protected the most vulnerable including a two-month-old baby,’ says May. ‘Many of us had to hold down the doors and windows so they would not blow away. The children were crying – scared of the noise. They became hungry but we couldn’t do anything.’
‘NOBODY WAS LEFT UNSCATHED. EVERYONE HAS BEEN AFFECTED’
Photos: Helen Manson/TEAR New Zealand, Jenny Barthow/Integral Alliance
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
DISASTERS DEVASTATE POOR COMMUNITIES Disasters and emergencies affect millions of families like Lisa’s every year, causing loss of life and leaving people vulnerable to malnutrition or disease, without work or somewhere to live. Vanuatu was a very poor country even before the cyclone hit. ‘Nobody was left unscathed,’ says May. ‘Everyone has been affected.’ But, thanks to the dedicated support of people like you, we have more than 40 years’ experience of working in disaster-stricken areas of the world, which means we’re well placed to help people recover from disasters.
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 9
Your support enables us to respond to emergencies and disasters in many different ways, to people displaced by conflict, to hunger and famine situations, and recently to the Ebola crisis. And, as in Vanuatu, your support is critical when natural disasters devastate already very poor communities, as with the recent Nepal earthquakes. PREPARED FOR EMERGENCY We can’t predict when natural disasters will strike, but we are prepared and ready to respond as soon as possible. It’s always amazing to see your donations come in when disasters hit the headlines, or when we send out an appeal.
10 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
Lisa’s family are living in the church building while their home is being rebuilt
But there is one way to make sure your gifts go further. You can help provide immediate help when disasters strike by giving to our disasters work today. That way, your support will reach families like Lisa’s as soon as possible because we have trained staff and funds at the ready. Your donations to our Vanuatu appeal are helping 5,000 desperate families on Tanna – that’s about half the population. Lisa and her family are sheltering at the local church while they rebuild their house. Please give what you can today, using the tear-out form between pages 8 and 9, so that your gifts provide a lifeline to more families like Lisa’s as soon as disaster strikes.
‘OUR HOUSE IS COLLAPSED AND OUR CHURCH BUILDING IS CRACKED’
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
DID YOU FEEL THE MOUNTAINS TREMBLE? In Tear Times in September 2014, we introduced you to Pastor Ishoori whom we met in Nepal. Steve Adams, Tearfund’s Head of Communications, reflects on last year’s visit to Nepal in the light of the recent earthquakes... It’s April 2014 and I’m on the veranda of Pastor Ishoori’s house, perched on a slope in the Himalayan foothills. The location is stunning and the presence of God is tangible – but I wouldn’t want to be here in an earthquake. One year on and, Ishoori tells me, rubble is everywhere. She’s safe and well but Ishoori’s grandfather was killed in the earthquake. ‘Our house is collapsed and our church building is cracked,’ she says. What happened in Ishoori’s village is a picture of resilience: the church building is cracked but it remains standing. Its members were shaken and villagers died. But with faith and hope – and support from your donations to the Nepal appeal – they will carry on. Please pray for Ishoori, her community and church as they start to rise from the rubble.
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
E AM
SH
FLUSHING
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 11
DOWN THE LOO There’s a big push for toilets in India and in remote rural areas, women are leading the charge. Because a simple latrine not only improves health, it restores dignity too. Written by Seren Boyd from Toilet Twinning
Women withdraw into the shadows as we weave in and out of their homes. It feels intrusive photographing their toilets. It turns out, here in north-east India a toilet is a object of pride... We’re here with Toilet Twinning and, as soon as we mention latrines, the women step forward and talk animatedly. Women benefit most from having a toilet, and they’re leading the charge for loos in this remote corner of Bihar.
A GENTLE REVOLUTION ‘I built a toilet for my daughter and daughter-in-law, and now they are safe,’ says Nirmala, who lives in Parsauni Baij. Aged ‘over 60’, she’s waited a long time for a toilet. For centuries, people in rural India have relieved themselves in the open – 600 million still do. While men squat happily in the fields, culture dictates that women
12 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
rise before dawn or wait till after dark to relieve themselves. They cannot be seen. ‘It is very difficult for girls to go outside in the darkness,’ says Nirmala. ‘They are worried about snakes and other problems.’ Generally, those unspecified problems are threats of attack. TACKLING TABOOS Rani spells out the harsh realities of not having a latrine. She’s one of our partners’ community mobilisers in Purnahiya: her role is to encourage villagers to build toilets. ‘Even if a woman has diarrhoea, she has to wait until dark,’ says Rani. ‘She doesn’t eat and she keeps to herself all day. ‘This makes her sick and causes lack of appetite, which is stress-induced. In an emergency, she might dig a small hole and go in secret.’ Tearfund’s partners working in water and sanitation in India are at pains to involve the whole community, building ownership and bringing lasting behaviour change. As well as household latrines, they’re building school toilets – because if children have toilets at school, they will want one at home too. It’s important that everyone understands the link between poor sanitation and sickness, not least in remote villages where many still believe ‘evil spirits’ cause Amanuel, Meselech and their family from the Sheohar district of Bihar, India, enjoy improved heath thanks to their latrine.
Photo: Vernon Kingsley/Toilet Twinning
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
diarrhoea. It’s also vital that women’s voices are heard and men understand why women want toilets. As Jay Kumar of Discipleship Centre explains, ‘Groups such as women’s selfhelp groups have tremendous potential in influencing and guiding the path of a village’s development.’ SEIZING THE FUTURE In Dumri village, Ranju helped pay for her by saving £1 a month through a women’s self-help group. Her husband, a mechanic, works away most of the time. Her latrine is modest but she’s proud to provide one for her sons. ‘I used to be frightened to go outside,’ says Ranju. ‘My children didn’t want to go outside either: they used to get dirty and have diarrhoea… but not now.’ For Ranju, her toilet means an end to the daily trek into the snake-infested darkness – and it’s a statement of faith that she can shape her family’s future.
BIG PUSH Join our #bigpush to end the sanitation crisis. Twin your toilet to celebrate World Toilet Day on 19 November – or twin a loved one’s loo for Christmas. For £60, you provide clean water, a proper loo and hygiene education for a poor family – and you receive a framed certificate of your twin. toilettwinning.org
YOU’VE
Thank you for everything that you have done to support some of the poorest and most vulnerable people this year.
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 13
T R OU EA LL E Y PU TH UR OF YO IEW V
AT
LOOK
RE
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
WHAT
DONE
You’ve cried out to God in prayer for countries rocked by conflict and disaster like Syria, Iraq, the Central African Republic and Vanuatu. You’ve organised bake sales, climbed mountains, cycled, run and walked to help prevent children from being trafficked. You’ve spoken out to the government and authorities for communities affected by climate change, and those robbed of natural resources by corruption and greed. Here are just a few examples of what you’ve done to demonstrate the love of God in action this year...
KEVIN AND FELECITE
THANKFUL FOR GOD’S PROVISION
Last year experienced walker Kevin McCann took on his greatest challenge yet: ‘End to end on a shoestring’ – a gruelling 1,200 mile trek from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Over the three-month walk, Kevin stayed in guest houses and with generous people from local churches en route. Reaching Land’s End on 19 August, Kevin wrote in his blog, ‘I made it! Thank you to all the people that helped make this crazy idea a reality.’ Amazing Kevin raised more than £4,600 for Tearfund’s water and sanitation work. For most of her life Felecite, age 74 – who lives in rural Rwanda – used to walk over an hour a day, there and back, to collect water. That’s the equivalent of walking from John O’Groats to Land’s End every year, for more
‘THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS CRAZY IDEA A REALITY!’ than 60 years! Felecite sometimes found it too tiring to make the journey, and had to do without water. Now, thanks to Tearfund partner Moucecore’s provision of a pump in her village, she has fresh, clean water just 10-metres from her home. Felecite says, ‘Thank you for giving this to me at my age!’
CATHERINE AND KALEI
CONFRONTING CHILD TRAFFICKING
This year many of you responded to our invitation to hold a Big Bake to raise funds for Tearfund’s No Child Taken anti-child trafficking campaign. More than 200 events took place across the UK – raising £50,000! Catherine Pooley from Planton Way in Colchester invited her neighbours to take part in The Great Planton Way Bake Off, which raised £100! ‘People from six households came along,’ says Catherine. ‘It was the first time that we had got together like this. Many said they would love us to do it again. None of our neighbours are Christians: they just wanted to help stop child trafficking.’ Teenager Kalei from a poor rural village in Laos used to go hunting for frogs and crabs to feed her family. This left her vulnerable to the lies of child traffickers who offer ‘a better life’ in the city – a trick to trap girls like her into the sex trade. Thanks to training and support from Tearfund’s partner, Kalei’s family now have a successful business making brooms, keeping Kalei and her family safe from the lure of traffickers.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS // INCOME 2014/15 Thank you for all your generosity which will be used to support some of the poorest people on earth in Jesus’ name... GENERAL DONATIONS // £33.4M (53.7%) Gifts donated to Tearfund to support all of our work. This includes money from fundraising events and activities, individuals and churches. GOVERNMENT GRANTS // £15.5M (24.9%) Grants awarded to Tearfund from sources such as the UK government and the European Union to carry out work overseas. EMERGENCY APPEALS // £7.5M (12.1%) Gifts donated by fundraising events and activities, individuals and churches in response to emergency appeals and disaster situations.
CONTRACT INCOME // £3.9M (6.3%) Contracts awarded to Tearfund to carry out specific contracted water, sanitation and hygiene work overseas and deliver our International Citizenship Service Programme – both funded by the Department for International Development. OTHER INCOME // £1.9M (3%) Income from others sources such as Created gifts and card sales, overseas trips for supporters and interest from investments. TOTAL INCOME
£62.2m
Alison Hopkinson, Finance Director
53.7%
24.9% 12.1%
6.3% 3% General donations
Government grants
Emergency appeals
Contract income
Other income
YOUR SUPPORT HOW WE INVESTED YOUR MONEY // EXPENDITURE 2014/15 Your gift follows Jesus to the place of greatest need. This is how we invested the money you entrusted to us... DISASTER RESPONSE // £24.2M (38%) Most people (92%) who are affected, or killed, by disasters are in poor countries. Our 50 years’ experience responding to floods; earthquakes; tsunamis; typhoons; food crises and conflicts enable us to act quickly, using your support to save lives.
DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES // £19.7M (31%) Enabling communities to defeat their poverty. Clean water. Food for tomorrow. A roof when it rains. A livelihood. Whatever the need, we don’t do it for them. We go one step further: we help them do it.
ENABLING THE GLOBAL CHURCH TO ACT // £6.1M (10%) Equipping the church to end poverty. The giants of poverty must be faced by a more powerful force if they’re to be overcome. So we use your support to work through local churches – the world’s largest voluntary network.
CHANGING UNJUST POLICIES // £4M (6%) Because poverty is also top-down, we campaign in the UK and globally for fair policies to support – not harm – poor people.
FUNDRAISING // £5.8M (9%) Making your gifts go further to have a much greater impact serving people in poverty. We grow relationships with churches, respond to your enquiries and keep you informed of the greatest need.
SUPPORT & RUNNING COSTS // £4M (6%) Putting robust systems and processes in place to enable and evaluate our frontline work, so that we learn and improve and your money is used more effectively as a result. SUPPORT & RUNNING COSTS
FUNDRAISING CHANGING UNJUST POLICIES
ENABLING THE GLOBAL CHURCH TO ACT
6p 9p 6p
38p
10p ON
E PO UND
31p DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES
DISASTER RESPONSE
DARREN AND LUCY ENJOYING LIFE TO THE FULL
Rev Darren Holland from South Chadderton Methodist Church in Oldham visited Tearfund projects in Uganda to see how the support of his church is making a difference. After witnessing the work firsthand, Darren says, ‘I am overwhelmed by the God-given opportunity to invest in the kingdom – to provide a seed, funds for a facilitator, and watch God and his people do the rest. I have come back from Uganda excited that I have seen a programme of sustainable development that works.’
‘I AM OVERWHELMED BY THE GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN THE KINGDOM’ In villages like Ogongora in Uganda, we have seen how investing in a community can have a huge impact on people’s lives. Workshops led by Tearfund’s church partner taught villagers to deter mosquitoes by clearing
long grass around their homes and filling in swamp water holes. Villagers also learnt the importance of good mosquito nets and gained income-generating skills to earn money to buy nets. For Lucy, this means she has the resources to pay for medication when she needs it, and can buy mosquito nets to protect her grandchildren. And because the wider community knows how to fight the spread of malaria, infection rates are plummeting.
PATTI AND NORAH
FINDING HOPE IN CONFLICT
In partnership with HOPE, Tearfund provided resources to encourage people to hold Silent Night Carols events in churches, sports stadiums and other venues last Christmas. An amazing 582 took place across the UK. As well as commemorating the centenary of the start of the Great War, it was an opportunity to share the joy of Jesus’ birth in our neighborhoods. Donations collected at the events raised £115,000 for families caught up in conflict in Syria and across the world. Patti Moys from Prophetic Pioneers organised a Silent Night Carol event in her community. ‘We had a joy-filled night at the Faulkland Village Inn, and they want us to return next year! We gave out free mince pies and got everyone singing with gusto! We thought the Silent Night national initiative and resources were so good we wanted to do it!’ The money raised offered a lifeline to people like Norah aged 23, from Syria. Her arms and legs were badly injured in an explosion in Homs in October 2014. Tearfund’s partner is the only source of assistance for Noura and her family and the monthly food basket provided through Tearfund is a lifeline.
‘WE THOUGHT THE SILENT NIGHT NATIONAL INITIATIVE AND RESOURCES WERE SO GOOD’
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
20 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
COME AND PRAY WITH US In October last year, we invited a group of supporters to visit Tearfund’s offices in Teddington to learn more about our work and take part in Staff Prayers – a weekly gathering of all staff to share stories and pray. ‘Tearfund is still here, you’ve grown but you’re still doing what God is calling you to do. That is the tremendous thing that excited me today. To know that Tearfund has kept the same vision since the beginning.’ Chris Young, whose father, Charles Philimore, was part of a group who prayed for Tearfund before we even started
‘It was very interesting to be part of Tearfund Staff Prayers. I didn’t realise it was something you did once a week. I would definitely encourage others to come to an event like this.’ Helen Dennison, who has helped to fundraise for Tearfund by organising a One Christmas children’s concert ‘People at Tearfund are clearly very passionate about what they’re doing. I think it’s really good that Tearfund dedicates so much time in the week to prayer.’ Patrick Llewellin, who recently went on an International Citizen Service trip to Rwanda with Tearfund
KEEP IN TOUCH We’re always striving to keep in touch with you better, our amazing supporters. So we’ve improved and expanded the ways you can contact us with questions, comments and suggestions: Our enquiries phone line, 0208 977 9144, is now open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday and until 5pm on Fridays You can still email us at enquiries@tearfund.org, scotland@tearfund.org or ni@tearfund.org To receive regular updates, you can ‘like’ Tearfund on Facebook (visit facebook.com/tearfund, facebook.com/tearfundscotland or facebook.com/tearfund.ni) or follow us on Twitter (visit twitter.com/tearfund) We are planning more opportunities for you to meet us and find out more about the amazing work your support makes possible. Please get in touch if you would like to be kept informed about upcoming Tearfund events and opportunities, such as attending our Staff Prayers.
Photos: Hannah Maule-ffinch/Tearfund, Kevin McCann, Will Boase/Tearfund, Jenny Barthow/Tearfund, Catherine Pooley, Olive Orate/World Concern Laos, Cally Spittle/Tearfund, Darren Holland, Patti Moys, Stella Chetham/Tearfund, Geoff Crawford/Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
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‘You made me cry. Thank you.’
REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 13
]
Written by Anna Chilvers, Tearfund’s South Sudan Emergency Programme Manager In the spring edition of Tearfund’s Prayer Diary, we encouraged supporters to email their prayers or encouraging Bible verses to our emergency team in South Sudan. Anna tells us about the day she received the emails...
14 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION
Anna Chilvers is an Emergency Programme Manager based in South Sudan.
I write these words in the dark, beneath my mosquito net. The generator has just gone off, the fan has stopped whirring and the 33-degree heat causes sweat to trickle down my forehead. I sweep the insects from my bed and I continue to remove the persistent ones who keep finding their way to my computer screen.
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
It’s been a busy day. I’ve been in the refugee camp at Ajuong Thok where we’ve just set up a feeding centre. It’s our second week, and word has obviously got around. The place was packed. There must have been about 300 women, all ready to have their children checked. About 40 children were malnourished and so we admitted them into the feeding programme. They eagerly lick every last bit from their sachet of Plumpy’Nut, a peanut-based paste used to treat acute malnutrition. I’m not a fan of peanuts: I try not to retch. IN A GRUMPY MOOD We barely stop all day. At 3pm I quickly devour a tin of sardines, some cheese savouries and a bottle of warm lemonade. Eventually, having seen all the women and children, we jump back onto our motorbike and take the hour’s journey back to base. I cling on slightly nervously, remembering the accident one of our staff had last Thursday. My internal monologue betrays my mood: grumpy. It’s definitely time for some food. Oh, what a surprise – it’s rice and beans! Again! But I’d saved half a can of tuna as a treat... and I marvel that food can taste so good. I head to the office where there are interview candidates to phone, documents to print, donor forms to complete and 26 emails to read. One email grabs my attention: ‘Prayers from the South Sudan prayer email’. Intrigued, I take a look… TEARS OF JOY I am in tears. Words of encouragement from complete strangers. The knowledge that people are praying for us, that we’re not alone. That I’m not alone. It’s so easy to feel disconnected and isolated here: I’m the only female, the only non-South Sudanese person. I miss my friends. I miss my family. I’m responsible for setting up a whole nutrition programme, in a new location, and it is sometimes overwhelming. There have been times in the last few of weeks when I’ve just wanted to give up, when I’m not sure that I can make it. So to read these prayers and to realise there are other
Photos: Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
Plumpy’Nut is a peanut-based paste used to treat malnutrition.
people cheering me on – a wider family who are also part of, and care for, the work here – is incredible. It reminds me why I do what I do, and where the strength comes from to carry on. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time to write and to pray. Thank you for giving me renewed hope and for the call to ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ (Joshua 1:9) SOME OF YOUR WORDS THAT BROUGHT TEARS TO ANNA’S EYES… I’m sending you this email to let you know that you are not forgotten. You must be so very committed and so very busy and, perhaps, there are times when you feel a long way from home, from your friends and family. It would be perfectly human to sometimes feel overwhelmed by the immensity and complexity of the problems you face each day. It is my prayer that you will know God’s presence, the assurance of his love and protection and that you will have all the resources you need, materially, personally and spiritually. Andrew
REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 15
‘TO REALISE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE CHEERING ME ON IS INCREDIBLE’ Be assured you are in the prayers of countless Tearfund supporters who read of the amazing work you are engaged in. Think of us cheering you on as we watch from thousands of miles away while you have your sleeves rolled up. Ann It has been a real blessing to pray with you and for you this week and to look at how you have worked tirelessly to meet the practical needs of so many in this war-torn country. Ian Feeding centre in Ajuong Thok refugee camp that Anna helped set up.
‘Daddy, out of a fruit from your garden goes forth this seed to Tearfund, so that many more may be blessed through Christ our Saviour.’*
Tearfund tribute funds Celebrate the life of your loved one by creating a tribute fund – so that the fruit of their generosity will continue to last. Tribute funds are quick and easy to set up, and it’s a special way to remember your cherished family member or friend. To find out more email tributes@tearfund.org or call Tearfund on 0208 977 9144. Visit tributes.tearfund.org to create your personalised tribute. *
Message written by a brother and sister on their father Peter’s online tribute page.
Photo: Chris Boyd/Tearfund
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
In this pack, you’ll find advice and resources by the bowlful to help you hold a fabulous Big Bake:
• Big Bake handbook • Recipe cards • Poster
• Invitations • Cake labels • Stickers
Plus, you can order a Tearfund collection box, as well as download online printable versions of the invitations and labels and a fabulous template for bunting: tearfund.org/bigbake Every penny raised will go towards our No Child Taken campaign to protect the world’s most vulnerable children.
GET BAKING! To order your Big Bake pack with all you need to hold a fundraising event, please complete and return the tear-out form above in the envelope enclosed with Tear Times, call 0208 977 9144 or email volunteer@tearfund.org
‘This is a brilliant opportunity to use our baking to express our faith and help others. Let’s get Big Baking…!’ Martha Collison Big Bake supporter, Waitrose columnist and former Great British Bake Off contestant
Photo: Tom Price/Tearfund
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 17
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
18 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
THE MIRACLE THAT’S WORKING How HIV mother-to-child transmission is being eliminated in Malawi
Written by David Deakin, HIV Team Leader Ten years ago we invited you to Work a miracle, Tearfund’s appeal that aimed to stop the spread of HIV in the poorest places where we work by 2015. And, through Mother Buddies, that miracle is happening… Onani’s results revealed what she had already feared, she was HIV-positive. But it was not her life that she was afraid for, it was for her unborn baby. When we introduced Work a miracle in the Winter 2006 edition of Tear Times, motherto-child transmission of HIV was shockingly high. Back then, one in three mums with HIV passed the virus on to their children, resulting in 1,600 children every day born with HIV.
Mother-to-child HIV transmission in Malawi is being drastically reduced. Photo: Chris Boyd/Tearfund
MOTHER BUDDIES TO THE RESCUE But for Onani, the future of her child was in the safe hands of a Mother Buddy. These amazing women from Tearfund’s Improving Parent and Child Outcomes (IMPACT) programme get alongside vulnerable pregnant mothers, providing practical advice and help, emotional and spiritual support and counselling. Mother Buddies, who are often living with HIV themselves, visit vulnerable pregnant women about eight times during their pregnancy, in the critical one week period after birth and up to six months after the birth. They befriend the mother, give them good advice and encourage and help them to go to antenatal appointments and to give birth in a professionally attended facility – including help with transport provision where necessary. They make sure that mothers living with HIV gain access to antiretrovirals and help them keep up the treatment.
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
HIV TRANSMISSIONS DRASTICALLY REDUCED But the advice and support that Mother Buddies bring doesn’t just make sure babies are born free of HIV, they also help prevent premature birth, and significantly reduce infant and maternal death rates. Alongside the Mother Buddy’s expertise, they are equipped with a mobile phone system called MiHope (Mobile interactions bringing Hope). MiHope provides information about pregnancy complications from birth to infant care – including spiritual help too. It also guides the Mother Buddies through their visits and improves communication using low-cost mobile instant messaging. This combination of trained, compassionate experts and cutting-edge technology has reaped remarkable results. Over the last three years, Mothers who have taken part in Tearfund IMPACT programmes in Malawi have seen transmission of HIV from mother-to-child more than halved, and in some cases reduced to 1 per cent. Mothers and their babies who have this support also enjoy better health, improved nutrition and have better access to family planning.
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 19
THANK YOU FOR WORKING A MIRACLE ‘The most rewarding thing is the happiness and appreciation of the mothers who have not lost their babies,’ says Emma, a passionate Mother Buddy. ’When I hear these stories I feel so proud.’ Onani’s story also has a happy ending, her baby was born free of HIV. ‘Sometimes I think about the problems I could have had with my pregnancy,’ says Onani, ‘If I hadn’t gone to the clinic, or if my little one had been been born with HIV. Things could have been so different, and I feel very grateful.’ So thank you for your support for Work a miracle. Thanks to your gifts and prayers, ten years on – through the Mother Buddy programme, operating in Malawi, Nigeria, DRC and Tanzania – HIV transmission from mothers to babies is being virtually eliminated. Children are being born free of HIV, more mums are having safer pregnancies and deliveries, and their infants are born healthy. Thanks to you, mums in Malawi have just a one per cent chance of passing on HIV to their children. ‘My Mother Buddy has made such a difference in our family life, and everybody can see it,’ says Onani.
20 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
JOIN US FOR THE NEW FRENCH REVOLUTION Robyn Boosey reveals why she’s returning to Paris, determined to call for action on climate change.
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
One of the most memorable events of my year in Paris, aged 18, is an uncomfortable conversation with a charity worker. I planned to go to the the market, bag some bargains and go home. Bien sûr. Having made eye contact, I was plunged into a complex conversation about greenhouse gas emissions far beyond my A level French. I escaped – reassuring myself it was good language practice. I’ve come a long way since then. Ten years on, I’ve learnt more about the devastating effects of climate change and – what would be a surprise to my 18-year-old self – I work in Tearfund’s Campaigns team, encouraging Christians to take action on climate change. FAILING CROPS LEAVE COMMUNITIES HUNGRY Jesús Gómez, a pastor living in La Lima, Nicaragua, is one of the reasons why I want to make a difference. Jesús’ community is already experiencing the impact of climate change. Erratic rainfall has challenged their traditional way of farming, with tragic effects. ‘A few years ago we could have three crops a year,’ Pastor Jesús says. ‘Now, we are fortunate if we have one.’ When crops fail, the village goes hungry. This situation is common: Tearfund is serving communities across the world who face similar challenges of unpredictable rain, droughts and floods. All caused by climate change. DRIVING THE CHANGE… It’s fantastic that poverty has reduced dramatically in the past 30 years. But we risk losing the gains we’ve made and even going backwards. We’re using up natural resources faster than ever, generating more waste, burning fossil fuels. These all contribute to changes in the climate, which hit the poorest communities hardest. As developed nations consume more, communities like that of Pastor Jesús have less. We believe that if we as the church live differently, pray faithfully and call for change, catastrophic climate change can be avoided. That’s why we launched Ordinary
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 21
Heroes, because each one of us can take actions that collectively can help us steer a new course. Being an ordinary hero will take me back to Paris, this time with climate change at the top of my agenda. I’ll be there ahead of the UN climate change summit to call on world leaders to make solid commitments that work for poor countries. I have my part to play in bringing about change for Pastor Jesús. What part will you play? This could be a historic year. Let’s make sure the church takes a lead. Au revoir!
THE BIG MARCH
London (29 November) Edinburgh and Cardiff (28 November) A march on the weekend before the Paris climate negotiations, calling on world leaders to take action. Taking place in cities across the world, it’s set to be the biggest-ever global climate change mobilisation. ..................................................................
PARIS PILGRIMAGE
Arriving in Paris on 27 November Join us en route to Paris where we’ll lobby the world leaders taking part in UN climate talks, calling on them to take bold action on climate change to protect people in poverty. Travel there as part of a walking pilgrimage, or come via transport organised by Tearfund. ..................................................................
PRAYER AND PILGRIMAGE There may be a local prayer walk near you, or you could lead your church in prayer on 29 November, using Tearfund resources. Please send us photos of your event! To sign up, find out more, and get Paris prayer resources for your church, visit tearfund.org/paris, email campaigns@ tearfund.org or call 020 8977 9144.
Photomontage: iStock, Corrie Sissons/Tearfund
22 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
What are you doing for Christmas? Well, thanks for asking! Tearfund has three brilliant ways you can share the joy of Jesus’ birth, and show that you care for the poorest people on earth. We present the three Cs of Christmas – cards, CDs and carols!
HARK! THE SCOTTISH ANGELS SING! Some of Scotland’s finest Christian singers and songwriters – Yvonne Lyon, Steph Macleod, Allan McKinlay and David Lyon – have come together to record two Christmas CDs, with the proceeds going to Tearfund. Be the light features Yvonne and David Lyon’s version of Joy to the world, Steph Macleod’s Silent night and Allan McKinlay’s Hark the herald angels sing, alongside original festive songs.
Heaven’s brightest star includes Steph Macleod’s version of The first Noel, Yvonne Lyon’s See amid the winter’s snow and Allan McKinlay’s Angels from the realms of glory, plus more new Christmas songs.
‘An accomplished and worthy release... [Yvonne Lyon’s] vocals on the haunting O come, O come Emmanuel are simply breathtaking.’ Cross Rhythms
‘The Bo Diddley-tinged Angels from the realms of glory and a thumping version of O come all ye faithful make this a striking yuletide collection.’ Cross Rhythms
The albums are £10 each and are both available to buy and download from iTunes.com, visit heavensbrighteststar.bigcartel.com or send a cheque payable to Tearfund Scotland, Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD. (Contact scotland@tearfund.org or 0141 332 3621 for details.)
Following Jesus where the need is greatest
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 23
CHRISTMAS CARDS THAT SHOW YOU CARE
SING CHRISTMAS: NOT SUCH A SILENT NIGHT!
Tearfund has a fabulous range of Christmas cards on offer, including classic designs and a brand new range for 2015. Proceeds from the sale of Tearfund Christmas cards will be used to support our work helping the poorest and most vulnerable people on earth. Each unique design also carries a clear Christian message of the hope of Jesus at Christmas.
Last Christmas Silent Night Carols events were held in more than 70 sports stadiums and more than 500 cathedrals, churches, community centres and pubs. An estimated 280,000 people took part and the initiative attracted significant media coverage.
Cards can be ordered in packs of six, 10 or 20, depending on the design, and can be purchased online at tearfundchristmascards.co.uk, by emailing churches@tearfund.org or calling our Churches team on 0208 943 7972. Our cards collection is colourful, joyful and, above all, the perfect messenger of the true Christmas spirit.
This year, Tearfund, HOPE and Sports Chaplaincy UK are working in partnership again to help sports clubs and churches bring communities together to celebrate Christmas through music. Sing Christmas is an opportunity to engage with villagers in a country pub, sports fans in a stadium or families from your local schools. We’ll be working with the BBC radio teams behind Lancashire and Leicester’s Sing Christmas to encourage all local radio stations, churches and pubs to work together to get communities singing carols. The initiative will be supported by TV adventurer Bear Grylls. You can host your very own Sing Christmas. Order a free resource pack from HOPE, to help you bring your community together to sing and celebrate the birth of Jesus. Let’s make sure this Christmas is ‘Not such a Silent Night!’ Find out more at tearfund.org/christmas
‘I LOST MY HOME, MY BIBLE AND MY TEDDY WAS BROKEN’ Lisa, 7
Lisa lost almost everything when the cyclone hit Vanuatu. But we were able to help by offering immediate shelter. In an emergency, the first 48 hours matter the most. By giving regularly, you can ensure we’re ready to help people like Lisa from the moment disaster strikes. Read her story on page 8 or visit tearfund.org/lisa
£12 A MONTH, OVER A YEAR,
could provide emergency food kits to 7 families like Lisa’s in a disaster response.
100 Church Road, Teddington TW11 8QE Tŷ Catherine, Capel Cildwrn, Llangefni LL77 7NN Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD 241 Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 1AF
tearfund.org +44 (0) 208 977 9144 email enquiries@tearfund.org twitter twitter.com/tearfund facebook facebook.com/tearfund Photo above: Helen Manson/TEAR New Zealand Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland) 31424-(0815)
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