SPRING ’17
SCOTLAND
SCRAPHEAP CHALLENGE Syrian children struggle in the rubble
DIRTY GLORY
FROM RIVER CITY TO MALAWI
FULL OF BEANS
Pete Greig on prayer and poverty
BBC star visits Tearfund Scotland projects
The diet that helps reduce hunger
2 . TEAR TIMES
WELCOME... LITTLE LIONS My son Benedict is five years old. He loves superheroes, and we play games together where he invents new ones with special powers to rescue people. It’s an amazing experience to play alongside him and see life through his eyes – full of wonder and possibilities. He’s safe, he’s home. He loves school and learning about the world – it’s a constant source of surprise and amazement for him. That’s why it’s so heartbreaking for me to read the story of a child like Ahed (see page 8), a Syrian refugee who now lives in a makeshift camp in Lebanon. He was about my son’s age when conflict reached his home and his mum and dad took the brave, but life-shattering, decision to flee to Lebanon. Now aged ten, Ahead has endured five years in the camp. He has one toy, a little lion teddy. My son has a big lion on his bed, who he named Aslan after we took him to see a stage production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The difference between Aslan and his other superhero toys is that Benedict knows that Aslan represents Jesus, and that he’s real. And there is a supernatural force that can reach out and care for Syrian families in Lebanon too (there’s an amazing example on page 12). Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and he’s calling us to do the same. And, because of this, I know that, like me, you want to see wonder and excitement about life in the eyes of all children, not just the ones we know and love.
Peter Shaw, Editor twitter @TearTimes | email editor@tearfund.org
Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund
TEAR TIMES . 3
04
CONTENTS NEWS & UPDATES 04 News Haiti hurricane and more updates 24 Zip it, grandma! Make this your best birthday ever
FEATURES 08
08 Children on the scrapheap How Syria's children are surviving in the rubble 14 Changing with the climate A vision of Malawi for the next ten years 18 Wiping out poverty in Guatemala Why the greatest gift can be a toilet 20 Juba Calling My career path from south-west London to South Sudan
16
26 Beans means lives How a week on rice and beans makes a big difference 28 Use your energy for good Why churches should look after creation
PULL OUT POSTER 16 I lift my eyes to the mountain – where does my help come from?
REFLECTIONS 30
22 Dirty glory Pete Greig on God's presence in the poor 30 Finding my family in Malawi River City star Deirdre Davis reflects on her visit
Copyright © Tearfund 2017. 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: Syrian refugee child in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley Photo: David Cavan/Tearfund
4 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
IN THE
NEWS Beatrice, who fled her home because of conflict in the DRC
HOPE, HEALING AND RESTORATION FOR THE DRC Many of the stories coming out of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are truly horrific. Since 1999, a civil conflict has claimed the lives of six million people and devastated large parts of the country. In April 2016, armed men rampaged through the village of Kavumu, and 33 girls – some as young as three years old – were brutally attacked and raped. Sadly, this isn’t an uncommon story. That’s why we launched an appeal to support Tearfund’s work with local partner organisations across the DRC. After years of conflict, we’re helping communities to rebuild, supporting access to medical care and psychosocial support for those affected by the violence, as well as ensuring access to safe water and sanitation. A mother of a young survivor in Kavumu expressed her gratitude, ‘With this help
'With this help from Tearfund we can begin to heal’ from Tearfund we can begin to heal and forget – our girls can start again.’ Thanks to generous supporters like you our appeal exceeded our £500k target – in fact you’ve raised over £650k. But the need is still great. ‘As the DRC spirals downwards into everincreasing violence and political turmoil,’ says David McAllister, Tearfund’s country representative in the DRC, ‘with increasing foreign aid sanctions imposed due to lack of progress in the democratic process, we rely more and more on your generous donations to address the critical needs of families. ‘Tearfund, with its vibrant network of local Christian partners, stands as a beacon to continue to bring life-saving assistance in Jesus’ name in this drastic situation.’
Photo: Richard Hanson/Tearfund
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 5
DEVASTATING HURRICANE HITS HAITI Tearfund and our local partners continue to carry out emergency relief work in Haiti, which was hit by Hurricane Matthew on 4 October last year. The most powerful Caribbean storm in decades left a trail of catastrophic damage in the nation, with torrential rain and powerful winds. Between three and five million people have been affected, with many thousands of homes destroyed, along with schools and other key infrastructure. ‘This is the worst hurricane in Haiti for more than half a century,’ says Jean-Claude Cerin, Tearfund’s Country Representative for Haiti. ‘It’s been devastating for thousands of Haiti’s very poorest. The nation is still vulnerable after the major earthquakes of 2010.’ Tearfund has been at work in Haiti for more than 30 years. Along with our local partner organisations, we have been working hard to make communities more robust – better able to withstand the effects of disasters like this. Above right: Food distribution in Haiti following the hurricane
‘This is the worst hurricane for more than half a century’
Photo: Jade Beakhouse/Tearfund
MORE THAN PEANUTS IN VANUAT U When Cyclone Pam hit the Vanuatu area in March 2015, the impact was devastating, particularly for farmers. Almost the entire coffee harvest on Tanna Island was lost – an island with a population of 30,000. But, thanks to Tearfund New Zealand partner, Nasi Tuan, livelihoods are being rebuilt. Nasi Tuan is providing seedlings and tools to farmers to rehabilitate their coffee farms or cultivate peanuts as an alternative cash crop. Peanuts have a quick growth cycle and farmers form groups to enhance their collective selling power. The project’s inclusive approach has meant the whole community has taken part – including young and older people, and people with disabilities.
‘Rice finishes, but knowledge remains’ Women are empowered to generate income and it means their children can stay in school. One woman who took part in the programme said: ‘Rice [given by other agencies] finishes, but the knowledge from what Nasi Tuan has taught us will remain.’
Photo: Jenny Barthow/Integral Alliance
6 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
IN THE
NEWS THANK YOU! MUCH MORE TO COME IN 20 17... A big thanks to everyone who came along to the Christmas Tour and supported our Christmas appeal. We are very grateful for your support and hope you enjoyed the concerts. There will be plenty more opportunities in 2017 to come to Tearfund Scotland events. We’re busy planning our programme now and have included a new events page on our website so you can see what’s coming up: www.tearfund.org/ scotlandevents
FROM SHIELDINCH TO BALAKA: RIVER CITY STAR SEES HOPE IN MALAWI We’re very pleased to have a new Tearfund friend on board in Scotland, who you may recognise! Deirdre Davis, who played Eileen Donachie on BBC soap River City, recently left the programme to see what new challenges God had in store for her. As part of this, Deirdre wanted to learn more about how Tearfund works, bringing bring hope and transformation to some of the world’s poorest communities. She travelled to Malawi to meet families affected by a food crisis which has seen 6.5 million people – more than the population of Scotland – struggling to grow enough food.
‘I’m excited to be joining with Tearfund supporters in Scotland to get behind this work’ Deirdre was saddened to learn that drought and unpredictable weather patterns have forced families like Mateyu and Maria to eat only one meal a day. They face the daily reality of sending their children to school with empty stomachs, not knowing if there will be a meal for them when they get home. Thankfully this is not the end of the story. Deirdre also met families whose lives have been transformed as a result of their involvement in Tearfund partner projects, with funding from the Scottish government.
Photo: Chris Hoskins/Tearfund
NEWS TEAR TIMES . 7
Giving thanks for Your generous response to our Christmas appeal, which will enable our partners to support families caught up in conflict Deirdre met Alesi in Balaka District, a mum of four, whose husband left her to find work last year and never returned. Alesi explained to Deirdre how life changed when she joined a self-help group in her village and started up her own business selling cakes. Alesi also learned new farming methods, no longer worries where their next meal is coming from and now has hope for the future. Deirdre said, ‘I’ve never had to face what many people in Malawi are currently facing. It’s heartbreaking to meet a mum who has no food to give her small children. But I was so thankful to see Tearfund’s partners making a real difference. More and more families are able to stand on their own two feet and grow food in the midst of this crisis situation all around them. For them, it is no longer hopeless. ‘I’m excited to join with Tearfund supporters in Scotland and get behind this work, and I’m really looking forward to being more involved over the coming year.’ Read more of Deirdre’s reflections from her trip on page 30. There will be more stories from Deirdre’s time in Malawi in Tear Times over coming months.
'It's heartbreaking to see a mum who cannot feed her small children’ Above: River City's Deirdre Davis visiting Alesi in Malawi.
Photos: Rhiannon Horton/Tearfund
The success of Tearfund's Cakes, Bakes and Faith Tour with Martha Collison and the great response here in Scotland Lives and livelihoods being rebuilt in Vanuatu, two years on from the devastation wrought by the cyclone in March 2015
PRAYER
PULSE
Praying for Communities affected by droughts and food shortages in Malawi and the work of our partners responding to the crisis The people of Haiti as they recover from last October’s devastating hurricane, which caused catastrophic damage including widespread flooding and landslides An exhibition on our work to rescue girls from early forced marriage in Malawi, to be launched in the Scottish Parliament on International Women’s Day in March
8 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
CHILDREN on the SCRAPHEAP WRITTEN BY PETER SHAW PHOTOS S TELLA CHETHAM/TEARFUND
‘I lived through the war in Syria,’ says Ahed, aged ten. ‘We were bombed every day and every day something was destroyed. I saw the damage all around me. I saw buildings collapse near my house. Then our home was destroyed too.' As we approach March this year, the conflict in Syria will reach another grim milestone – six years of brutal war. That’s longer than the second world war. Widespread destruction of civilian homes and workplaces has forced nearly five million Syrians to flee, mostly to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. More than 1.25 million Syrian refugees now make up one third of Lebanon's population, half of them are children. All have suffered physical and mental trauma in their home country and continue to face huge challenges in Lebanon.
'I WISH I WAS BACK IN SYRIA AND NOT HERE'
Around a quarter of a million families live in basic shelter, camps and derelict (often unsafe) buildings in Lebanon. People fled with the bare essentials and, because of a lack of work in their host country, families struggle to provide basic needs such as food, water and sanitation. LIVING IN THE DIRT Six years of upheaval is a long time in anyone's life, but for Ahed, it is almost all he can remember. Ahed lives with his mum, dad and five brothers and sisters. Originally from Homs in Syria, they now live in a makeshift shelter in the Bekaa Valley, home to more than 350,000 refugees. ‘We’ve been in Lebanon for five years but I am not happy here,’ says Ahed. ‘We live in the dirt and rubbish. But at least it’s peaceful. My parents are safe and I live with them. I look after my brothers and sisters. ‘My cousins and I used to play in our back garden. They have fled and I don’t see them any more. I wish I was back in Syria and not here as I want to go back to school. ‘Last year I was able to go to school, but the bus doesn’t come to collect us any more. I love school. My favourite subject is mathematics. Six plus two is eight! I would love to study maths again.’
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 9
‘WE LIVE IN THE DIRT AND RUBBISH’
Above: Ahed's brother and sister who live with him in their makeshift home
Left: Half of ten-year-old Ahed's life has been marred by conflict in Syria
DELIVERING HOPE Syrian refugee families are in a desperate situation. Few jobs mean that their meagre savings, already decimated by the weak Syrian currency, have either been spent or are running out. This often leaves Syrians in debt with landlords and shopkeepers. Families face eviction and hunger. The additional strain of a quarter of the population of Lebanon now being refugees has caused discontent and is putting massive pressure on local services and infrastructure.
A LOST GENERATION The UN Refugee Agency estimates that more than two thirds of Syrian refugee children are not regularly attending school. If the situation does not improve, when peace comes, Syria may be left with a lost under-educated generation. Despite the lack of prospects, Ahed still has hope and aspirations for the future. ‘My dream is to be a football star. Dad wanted to put me in a football club but then the war happened. When I am a professional footballer, I will help children learn to play football. ‘I don’t have a favourite toy here. Today I am playing with my little lion – the only toy I have.’
‘I DON’T HAVE A FAVOURITE TOY HERE. TODAY I AM PLAYING WITH MY LITTLE LION – THE ONLY TOY I HAVE’
But your generous support is making a huge difference to Syrian families like Ahed’s. Our partner Heart for Lebanon is organising Christians to distribute essential food and hygiene parcels to families displaced by the conflict. ‘I love everything in the food parcel, it’s all good to eat and gives us energy,’ says Ahed. ‘We thank God for it! I love the cheese and the tins of meat. My mother is a great cook and makes us delicious things with it.’ ‘Thank you for supporting us with food parcels!’ adds Ahed’s mother, Yana. ‘There are so many things we would not have without the food parcel. We wouldn’t have meat for our children every week. ‘Thanks to the food parcel, we have money left over to pay for medical treatment and fresh fruit for our children. So, thank you for all that you do to support us. Without the food parcels, we would struggle to pay for the things we need. And thank you that it’s something we can rely on every month.’ TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY When everything else is in turmoil and restored, they want to encourage families to return home and help rebuild Syria, equipped with the strength they need to succeed and forge a better future.
Right: Tearfund partner Heart for Lebanon distributes food parcels to hungry Syrian refugee families in Lebanon
‘I hate everything that is happening to my country,’ says Ahed. ‘If I could speak to the terrorists, I would tell them to get out and stop bombing Syria.’ DESPERATE FOR PEACE Of course the only way to secure a safe future for Ahed and so many children like him is for lasting peace to be restored in Syria. Please continue to pray for an end to the conflict. But, until then, there are thousands more children like Ahed who need your regular support to survive. Today, across the world, one in every 122 people is now either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum. Thanks to your prayers and support we are providing longterm help to people displaced by conflicts in countries including Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and South Sudan. The need is great and, with no immediate end to these conflicts in sight, it is growing. But conflict is not the only cause of people being displaced, natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and hurricanes also leave families without shelter, support and livelihoods. In the face of such unprecedented disaster, the need to strengthen and support families such as Ahed’s has never been more urgent. Your gift of £10 could give a refugee family like Ahed's a monthly food parcel and provide emotional support. Across the world, families like Ahed’s are being pushed to the brink by conflict, disasters and food shortages – so please give what you can using the tear-out form on page 8. Thank you. Right: Ahed's mum who is thankful for Tearfund's monthly food parcels
'WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE IN THE UK ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO HELP US’
12 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
A DREAM OF JESUS IN THE BEKAA VALLEY Tearfund’s CEO Nigel Harris visited Lebanon in August, where he met some of the Syrian refugees. There he heard the story of Nadia who met Jesus in a dream... I’m standing in the Bekaa valley, visiting a tented settlement where our partners are distributing supplies to desperate people fleeing the conflict in Syria.
‘ONE NIGHT JESUS APPEARED TO NADIA IN A DREAM. HE WAS HOLDING HER FAMILY IN HIS HANDS’ I talk to the remarkable Pastor Ramy, who founded a church with just seven members. The war began and refugees started arriving, swelling the congregation. The church, now around 300 strong, reaches out with unconditional love to their Syrian neighbours, prioritising people in most need. Pastor Ramy tells me about one member of his church, Nadia. Separated from her sick husband in Syria, she was struggling to feed her three children. One night Jesus appeared to Nadia in a dream. He was holding her family in his hands saying that he was going to provide for them. The next morning she left home, carefully checking both doors were locked. The house was still locked on her return. However, to her Tearfund CEO Nigel Harris in the Bekaa Valley
Photo: Edward Woods/Tearfund
astonishment, her empty cupboard was now full of food. Nadia was deeply moved by this amazing provision but wondered how to explain it to her husband. That night she had the same dream. The next day she called her husband. Before she could say anything, her husband told her how he had a dream where Jesus was providing for all their family's needs. Nadia and her husband and family are now back together. Through all this – one way or another – their needs continue to be met. Every refugee I speak to asks us to pray for peace. If peace comes, they will return home. It’s tempting to think that it’s not worth the effort to pray – nothing could change such a vicious and intractable conflict.
C
M
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Then I think of the God who inspires the tireless work of our partners in Lebanon, as they stop and show care to every last person they visit with food. And I think of the God who fills Nadia’s larder – suddenly the effort of a few prayers doesn’t seem so much to ask.
‘EVERY REFUGEE I SPEAK TO ASKS US TO PRAY FOR PEACE’
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14 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
CHANGING WITH THE
CLIMATE
WRITTEN BY CUTHBERT GONDWE, CHURCH AND COMMUNITY MOBILISATION COORDINATOR
In the last issue of Tear Times, we asked Cuthbert from Tearfund partner Eagles Relief and Development, to look back over a decade of development in Malawi. This edition, he looks forward to the next ten years, and the challenges that the southern African nation will face... One of the huge problems we face is action on climate change, which will be very important over the next ten years. When we talk to people about the environment very few Malawians have concerns, the rest don’t care. That’s because most people are focussed on surviving day-to-day. Around nine per cent of Malawians have electricity, two per cent use it for cooking, the rest just for lighting. Even those who use electricity for cooking use charcoal, and firewood as well because of frequent power cuts. So, more than 90 per cent of Malawians need wood to survive every day so there’s a huge demand to chop down trees. We are not planting as many trees as we need to keep up with demand, let alone increase the numbers.
CLIMATE CHALLENGE What we are doing to the land is a challenge we must take seriously. We have experienced more severe floods, landslides and mudslides over the last decade. And it’s because, in places like Blantyre and Zomba in southern Malawi, most of the mountains have lost trees. Forests are being cut down and you can actually see – in that destruction – how people are building disaster all over Malawi. As a result, the floods and landslides are getting worse. We need to encourage communities to value trees, protect them and plant more. Disasters are hitting areas where people never expected. In 2014 there were huge floods in low areas, places where floods have never happened before – in the capital Lilongwe and in Blantyre – and people died.
‘PEOPLE ARE BUILDING DISASTER ALL OVER MALAWI’
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 15
Over the last year it has been very difficult because people still recovering from the floods now face drought. It has been severe, hitting areas not usually prone to drought. Communities have been hit very, very badly. The government estimates that three million people face severe food shortages, and emergency food distribution will continue into 2017.
Cuthbert from Tearfund partner Eagles Relief and Development
FOSTERING EFFECTIVE FARMING In the past, the north of Malawi has always had enough food. But in 2015 heavy rains came and massive floods swept crops away. In Mzuzu people died because the rain was so heavy and unpredictable. I was travelling to Karonga to do some training with the local church. We arrived to find the town flooded – massive rocks and debris scattered on the road. Most of the crops in the fields swept away. This is a huge problem in Malawi, because this is not something we are prepared for. This is our reality now because of climate change, and we will have to plan, to learn and adapt.
Malawi was hit by devastating floods in January 2015
Innovative farming methods are helping overcome drought in Malawi
We urgently need to teach families and communities to farm in the most effective way, and we can do that through envisioning church leaders. Pastors can train a church group of 300 people in one meeting. And they will go home and tell their families – that’s 1,500 people impacted with very few resources. Through Foundations for Farming methods – sometimes called ‘farming God’s way’ – we can teach families to plan ahead, not to waste seed, to keep the moisture in the ground using mulching. And how to make natural fertilisers that enrich rather than damage the soil. That would be a great help in Malawi right now. So, we need to build on the work of the last ten years – continuously envisioning and encouraging churches and communities. We need to teach communities to farm effectively, to value and protect the environment, and build resilience for the future.
‘WE URGENTLY NEED TO TEACH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO FARM IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY’ Photos: Layton Thompson/Tearfund, Wilford Phiri/Eagles, Aaron Lewani/Tearfund
On the road to Balaka, Malawi
Photo: Andrew Horton/Tearfund
‘I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE MOUNTAINS – WHERE DOES MY HELP COME FROM? MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD.’ PSALM 121:1-2
18 . TEAR TIMES
WRITTEN BY SEREN BOYD, MEDIA OFFICER, TOILET TWINNING Mateo is a proud dad. Ask him about his new latrine and he can barely contain his excitement. It took him three days to dig the pit. He made the cement floor, installed the ventilation pipe and built the corrugated aluminium walls.
His village, San Juan Mocá in south-west Guatemala, clings to steep volcanic slopes. Digging a seven-metre pit is no mean feat. The people here are indigenous Tz'utujil and extremely poor. Most men, including Mateo, scrape together a meagre living as day labourers. So he is immensely proud to give his family something to keep them healthy. ‘Our daughter used to relieve herself in the compound. She didn’t like going outside and it was a health risk. If your child’s ill, you buy medicines, even if it means asking the shop for credit. Now we have toilets, the village will prosper.’ A HELPING HAND Tearfund partner Acción Médica Integral San Lucas provided the training and materials for the new toilets that have sprung up across San Juan Mocá. Project Coordinator Gengly Gutiérrez taught families about handwashing and how to use the eco-filters to provide safe drinking water.
Gengly cares deeply that Mateo has earnt self-respect from building his own loo and the resulting impact on Aura, Mateo’s wife and their one-year-old son Domingo. ‘Women here don't think they have any worth and don't feel they deserve things,’ says Gengly. ‘If you go to the toilet while people are watching, you lose dignity. Giving women a toilet changes the way they think about themselves. Otherwise, traditionally, they are just there to cook tortillas and have children.’ Previously, Mateo and Aura, like others in the village, used to go to the toilet in the river – where people wash their clothes and get drinking water. Only a handful had latrines, which also deposited the waste into the river.
‘WOMEN HERE DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY WORTH’
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 19
TOILETS TO THE FUTURE The alternative was to squat under the trees above the village – risking humiliation, insults and snakes bites. When the rains come, the mud flows through people’s homes, bringing all manner of waste with it. Someone else who’s excited about toilets is Pastor Rafael Puac Trejo. He’s been passionately persuading villagers to join the project - involved at every stage, hosting church training sessions and distributing building materials. Pastor Rafael believes water and toilets are a vital first step to help villagers think differently about their future, especially women. His wife teaches women in the community to cook a local dish called tamales, which helps them earn an income. ‘I love to see a family moving forward,’ he says. ‘Change takes time but it will come.’ DEVELOPMENT AND DIGNITY Reina is a good example of Pastor Rafael’s vision. While her husband, Sebastián, works away in Guatemala City, she runs a snack shop outside her home. Twelve years ago, Reina’s first baby, Juana, died of diarrhoea and vomiting. The memory is still painful. ‘I didn’t know what caused it,’ says Reina. She’s pregnant again but now she’s confident she can protect her children’s
Above: Reina and her son, Jeremías, stand beside their life-changing latrine
health, despite local outbreaks of Chikungunya and Zika viruses. ‘We have a toilet and know about handwashing. So we don’t get dirty. If our toilet pit gets full, we’ll dig another hole.’ Stories like this are a great encouragement to project coordinator Gengly, she knows – thanks to the skills they have learnt – that Reina and her family will always have a toilet. This is a life-changing event. Forever. ‘A toilet is a big gift for a family,’ says Gengly. ‘From that, everything else will come. Development comes when people have dignity.’
‘A TOILET IS A BIG GIFT FOR A FAMILY’ TWIN YOUR LOO AND GIVE A FAMILY LIVING IN POVERTY A LIFE-CHANGING LATRINE When you give £60 to Toilet Twinning, you receive a certificate to hang in your loo, complete with a photo of your twin and its GPS coordinates. By twinning your toilet, you help those in desperate poverty to have access to a proper latrine, clean water and the information they need to be healthy. Visit www.toilettwinning.org
Above: Group of children playing in San Juan Mocá village, south-west Guatemala
Photos: Ralph Hodgson/Toilet Twinning
20 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
G N I L L A JUBA C FROM LE
S
outh Sudan, a landlocked country in East-Central Africa, gained independence from Sudan in July 2011. Civil war broke out in December 2013 and ever since then, the country has endured political turmoil and conflict. Despite a peace agreement in August 2015 there has been ongoing violence in the capital, Juba, as unrest continues to unfold. More than 1 million people have been displaced by conflict, and almost half of them are now refugees in neighbouring countries. Meet David Freeman, who works for Tearfund and is preparing to venture to South Sudan for an initial six month placement. David joined Tearfund as an intern in the Humanitarian Support Team in October 2013. Within the first month he was helping prepare for a cyclone warning in India, and was soon heavily involved in the Philippines Typhoon Haiyan response. ‘I remember reading about typhoon Haiyan in the newspaper as I came to work,’ says David. ‘I wondered what I could I do to help. I was one month into the job, but I wanted to do something.’
Right: David Freeman in South Sudan
ON TO SOUTH AFY TEDDINGT Written by A
ngie Sahe-La
SUDAN
cheante
A PASSION FOR JUSTICE That passion and determination has seen David move from an internship, to two secondments and various positions within Tearfund and now heading to South Sudan. The stirring to work in international development started when David was young. Whether it was a mission trip to South Africa, auctioning his belongings for charity on his 21st birthday, or helping with food banks here in the UK, justice issues have always been close to his heart.
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 21
‘I READ ABOUT TYPHOON HAIYAN IN THE NEWSPAPER, AND WONDERED WHAT I COULD DO TO HELP’
David says, ‘To help poor people you have to equip yourself, and the best thing to do is to find out what's happening on your doorstep.’ The breadth of experience David gained at Tearfund has been so important to him. ‘My one piece of advice,’ says David, ‘is if you want to do something, find a way to be with people who are doing it already, and learn from them.’
David will work on nutrition projects in South Sudan
Photo: LuAnne Cadd/Mission Aviation Fellowship
‘Please also pray that my experience will have a positive impact to my family, friends and church here in the UK – that God would use me to tell a story to them about South Sudan and that what people hear will be a real blessing.’ Please keep David and our Tearfund staff in Juba in your prayers – for safety, protection, and for God’s hand to be in every situation so that we can continue to reach families in greatest need. PUT YOUR PASSION INTO ACTION
MY PRAYERS ANSWERED In South Sudan, David will work on nutrition projects, help to coordinate government grants and put together funding proposals. ‘I’m so grateful because I prayed a long time for an opportunity like this.' ‘It’s great to do something you know makes a difference. The team at the field base are from Kenya and Uganda – I’m the only Brit! I really want to be a blessing to the people I meet.’ ‘Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” I know that God uses tough times to prepare you for things to come. He’s growing and testing you in adversity.’ ‘Please pray for South Sudan. There are many issues and difficulties. It’s the world’s newest nation that is defined by conflict. So I would encourage people to pray for that.’
Tearfund are always looking for passionate people to join our team. Visit www.tearfund.org/jobs for details.
'IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM' PRAY FOR SOUTH SUDAN Pray for an end to conflict in South Sudan – for families who have been displaced as a result of fighting and now struggle to survive. Lift up all our staff and partners who work tirelessly to carry out essential nutrition, water, sanitation and community development work, that they will be restored, and their families kept safe.
22 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION
Pete Greig at Big Church Day Out
G O D ’ S P R E S E N C E I N T H E P O O R / Written by Pete Greig, Tearfund Vice President Sometimes people ask me why a person who’s into prayer should get hot under the collar about social injustice. Others must surely wonder why Tearfund seeks to ground everything it does in prayer. One famous Christian leader pointed to a few of the current crises in our world and asked me outright, ‘Do you really, seriously believe that prayer… works?’ Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God promises to answer the prayers of those who ‘loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke’ (Isaiah 58:6). And of course, Jesus modelled this integration perfectly. He was a man of prayer whose passions were aroused by the injustices perpetrated at the temple. He saw moneylenders taking advantage of honest pilgrims and denounced them forcefully as ‘a den of robbers’. A call to prayer is a call to the poor (Matthew 25:35–36). Compassion for the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the prisoner is not an optional extra for those with a strong
social conscience. It bleeds from the heart of true Christian worship. When we care for the poor, we minister to Jesus himself. On the day that he cleansed the temple, we read that Jesus entered its outer courts and began to drive out those who were selling. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’ (Luke 19:46). Sometimes this dramatic confrontation is caricatured as if Jesus was merely very annoyed with some dodgy market traders who’d been fleecing a few gullible tourists. The reality was far more serious. Jesus was actually indicting the entire temple bureaucracy for systemic corruption.
‘WHEN WE CARE FOR THE POOR, WE MINISTER TO JESUS HIMSELF’ We know this for sure because contemporary archaeologists have discovered coins minted by the temple at the time of Jesus which proves that its authorities had effectively created their own currency for exclusive use within the hallowed precincts. This explains the presence of so many moneylenders in the Court of the Gentiles. The authorities
Above: Prayer meeting in Burundi
Photo: Will Baxter/Tearfund
REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 23
had probably created their own currency because the Roman money carried a ‘graven image’ of Caesar. But it also enabled them to set their own exchange rates, thereby making as much money as they wanted from those pilgrims desperate enough to pay over the odds for the sacrificial animals that bought them forgiveness or an answered prayer. No wonder Jesus denounced the temple authorities for reducing the house of prayer to ‘a den of robbers’ – a phrase loaded with prophetic significance. Jesus was quoting the prophet Jeremiah, who stood
‘AS WE SEEK GOD, WE ARE COMPELLED TO ENGAGE WITH THE THINGS THAT BREAK HIS HEART’ But citing Jeremiah’s condemnation of the temple as ‘a den of robbers’ was subversive and politically dangerous. When ‘the chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this’ (italics mine), they ‘began looking for a way to kill him.’ (Mark 11:18). Again and again the Old Testament prophets railed against the people of God for two great neglects: turning from God to foreign idols (false worship), and ignoring the plight of the poor (injustice).
at the gates of the previous temple and asked, ‘Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you?’ (Jeremiah 7:11) Jeremiah was condemning Solomon’s temple for tolerating and even perpetrating injustice against aliens, orphans, widows and the innocent. By using this phrase, Jesus was drawing a direct comparison between Herod’s temple in which he was standing, and its doomed predecessor. He was announcing the imminent destruction of an edifice that stood at the heart of Jewish faith and identity. The authorities were alarmed. Quoting Isaiah’s words about being ‘a house of prayer for all nations’ had perhaps been an appropriate challenge from the Galilean firebrand. Overturning a few tables had been outrageous, but it was easily fixed. Above: Worship at Big Church Day Out
Photo: Clive Mear/Tearfund
Right worship and social justice were, they maintained, equally important and intrinsically linked. Some people then, as now, clearly considered social injustice less important than spiritual worship, but the prophet Amos annihilates any such cant (Amos 5: 23–24). The resounding biblical call to express our worship through justice continues to be an essential and consistent provocation to the 24-7 prayer movement which could otherwise, so easily, withdraw into cloistered irrelevance. But in prayer rooms around the world, as we seek God, we are continually compelled to engage with the things that break his heart, and conscripted to go out and engage his enemies. This is an extract from Pete Greig’s book, Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You. Pete is one of the founders of 24-7 Prayer – an international, interdenominational movement of prayer, mission and justice. Find out more at www.24-7prayer.com
24 . TEAR TIMES NEWS
ZIP IT, GRANDMA! For Norma’s 80th birthday, she decided to prove to her grandchildren that she’s not too old to have an adventure, and raise vital money for people in poverty in the process...
When retired schoolteacher Norma Brown discussed her forthcoming 80th birthday with her grandchildren, she asked them not to make a fuss, telling them, ‘I’ve got everything I need.’ In return, they challenged her to think of something different to mark the occasion. After a few months of pondering, amazing Norma decided to celebrate by being strapped into a harness and sent flying down a zip wire at 119mph. ‘My grandchildren think I’m getting too old,’ says Norma. ‘So I thought I’d have a go and show them what I can do...’ She booked a ride at Zip World, the world’s fastest zip wire ride in Bethesda Quarry, North Wales. But Norma wanted to make the occasion even more special by raising money for Tearfund, through sponsorship from family and friends. So, in September last year, she found herself at the top of a very, very high former quarry in North Wales. ‘All I could see was the mountainside full of slate. I wasn’t scared – it was just so exciting.’ Above: Gran on a wire – Norma zips for Tearfund
Photo: Gerry Blackford Photography
‘I THOUGHT I’D HAVE A GO AND SHOW MY GRANDCHILDREN WHAT I CAN DO’ ‘I just wanted to help some children who were in difficulty. Never a day goes by when I don’t think about those poor children in Syria and all those awful places.'
GIVE AWAY YOUR BIRTHDAY! You don’t have to be a thrill seeker like Norma to bless people on the day of your birth. You could simply encourage others to donate to Tearfund instead of cards or presents, or take a collection at your birthday party or event. If you want to abseil off a cliff, fly in a hot air balloon or jump out of an aircraft and get sponsored, then that’s amazing too!
So, make 2017 a memorable year by showing your friends and family how much you care about people living in poverty. Visit www.tearfund.org/birthdays to get everything you need to have a generous birthday this year.
BEANS
26 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
MEANS
LIVES
a week on w living for Find out ho eans can make rice and b nce a big differe
Written by Hannah Awesome, Community Fundraising Manager
F
or five days, Alice, Annie, and Isabelle, together with her husband Dave and family gave up their favourite food and drink for a diet of beans, rice and water. While raising crucial cash for families facing hunger across the world, they also found the experience to be a challenge to their emotions, lifestyle and faith... Alice Bates, aged 15, was inspired by the story of Yasmin, aged six, from Chad whose mother, Jumana, struggles to provide food for her. While she wanted to help other children like Yasmin, she learnt something of what daily hunger is like. ‘I discovered just how debilitating hunger can be,’ says Alice. ‘It affects all spheres of your life, it’s a constant, relentless problem.’
‘But I was impressed by how committed to doing the challenge our children – Daniel aged ten and Katie aged 12 – were. It made it difficult for them to cope with a normal school day. It was just a tiny taste of what life is like for many people as they watch their children unable to thrive through lack of food.’ The short time they went without adequate food made them think about life for those who face hunger on a daily basis. ‘I was looking forward to the end of the challenge all week,’ says Alice. ‘But for people in poverty, their hunger never stops.’ ‘I knew in my heart that hunger is a reality for a lot of people,’ says Annie. ‘So in the days I did Mean Bean, it made me sad that for millions this never ends. And that made me very upset.’
BEANS, BEANS, BEANS... ‘Hunger makes you feel despondent and miserable,’ says Annie Jones. 'Day-to-day working must be so hard.’ ‘Food is very boring when it’s the same all the time,’ adds Isabelle Reed. ‘I became very focused on when I could next eat.
‘During the week we did it we prayed more for poor people,’ says Isabelle. ‘The hunger was a constant reminder!’
‘DURING THE CHALLENGE, WE PRAYED MORE FOR POOR PEOPLE’
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 27
Photos: Joel Upton/Tearfund
‘MEAN BEAN WAS A GREAT WAY TO TALK TO MY FRIENDS ABOUT MY FAITH’
GRATEFUL PRAYERS Mean Bean also had a lasting effect – helping people to focus on poverty and injustice in their daily lives. ‘It changed my understanding of poverty,’ says Alice. ‘It has led me to be so much more grateful in my prayers.’ ‘Mean Bean made me lean on God and pray for others,’ says Annie. ‘And that’s something I still do.’ SHARING YOUR FAITH IN FOOD Annie found that her limited diet opened up doors to talk to people at the hospital where she works. ‘I had a conversation with a few nurses, telling them about how Mean Bean has made a huge difference.
‘The nurses said they couldn’t live on just rice and beans, even for a week. I told them of course they could and encouraged them to take the challenge.’ ‘I would definitely recommend the Mean Bean challenge,’ agrees Alice. ‘And I’d encourage anyone reading this to go for it! It was a great way to talk to my friends about my faith.’ ‘It was great to do it together as a family,’ says Isabelle. ‘We could encourage each other, because we were in it together.’
CHALLENGE YOURSELF THIS LENT For five eye-opening days, you commit to eating a diet of plain beans and rice, with only water to drink – you could do it as part of Lent. This year, we’re encouraging people to take the challenge from 27 to 31 March 2017, but feel free to do it any time. Get your friends and colleagues to sponsor you or even join the challenge themselves. Together you can raise some serious money to overcome hunger. For more details of how to get involved visit www.tearfund.org/meanbean
28 . TEAR TIMES FEATURE
USE YOUR ENERGY FOR GOOD Written by Hazel MacIver, Tearfund advocacy team, Scotland
We want to see a world where everyone can live life in all its fullness, where nobody is hungry, thirsty or misses out. This sounds ambitious, but we believe a fair world is possible.
That’s why Tearfund believes tackling climate change will help us tackle poverty, and by our own actions we can send powerful signals to governments and businesses to make greater changes.
One way we can do this is to take small positive steps in our homes, churches and communities, such as switching to use 100 per cent renewable energy. And, like mustard seeds, these actions will grow to create a bigger impact...
JOINING WITH GOD’S RENEWING WORK
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas hugely contribute to climate change, which is harming the poorest communities Tearfund serves. More frequent floods, droughts and extreme weather mean the poorest people are increasingly at risk of losing their crops, livelihoods and homes.
As Christians we are called to bring life, hope and restoration to God’s earth and his people. When we use our time and money
‘AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE ASKED TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE EARTH’
FEATURE TEAR TIMES . 29
together to care for creation, we join in with part of God’s work of renewing the earth. We stand alongside the world’s poorest people who are most affected by climate change. And we show government and businesses there is a demand for clean, renewable energy that can help all people to flourish. Central in Edinburgh is one church that has taken up the challenge to care for creation by switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity. Stuart Aitken, who looks after Operations at Central, explains why they made the switch and how it is a big part of the church’s vision…
‘CHURCHES SHOULD BE PIONEERING THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY’ ahead of that conversation – we should be active, not reactive to it.
‘WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING CARE OF THE WORLD'
‘As Christians, why wouldn’t we switch our energy to renewables? We know we are responsible for taking care of the world, so that’s what we should be doing. Of course, there are some financial questions to ask, but that’s the journey you have to take. Churches may think it’s too much “hassle” but if it fits clearly within the mandate of a church, then – despite the difficulties – it is what we should be doing.
‘At Central we take a broader view of God’s kingdom and our part in that. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) That’s a creation mandate – as Christians we are asked to be good stewards of the earth.
‘Switching to green energy also gives us the opportunity to engage with our communities, to start conversations with people – because it’s a current and relevant issue. Churches should be pioneering the use of renewable energy, not lagging behind.’
‘But it’s not just an individual responsibility, it’s a corporate one too. So it’s good practice to take care of creation, because we want to see God’s kingdom in all aspects of life – in different cultures and spheres. We don’t have a choice whether to look after creation, it is something we should be doing. ‘When you look back in history, Christians can seem behind the times on certain issues. The rest of the world is talking about sustainability, and what it means to use the earth’s resources wisely. We should be
Above: Stuart Aitken from Central church in Edinburgh
Photos: Fiona Morrison/Tearfund
MAKE THE SWITCH Switching to renewable electricity is a powerful and practical way to love our global neighbours. It can be part of our worship – following Jesus where the need is greatest. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your home or church joined Central and thousands of others to switch to 100 per cent renewable energy? To find out more visit www.tearfund.org/switch
30 . TEAR TIMES REFLECTION
FINDING MY FAMILY IN MALAWI
D
eirdre Davis is a Scottish actress who starred as Eileen Donachie in the television soap River City for 14 years. Deirdre recently travelled with Tearfund Scotland to Malawi to see for herself how communities have been impacted by drought, and how the church is responding to extreme hunger there…
Malawi is so very different from Scotland. The villages look like they haven’t changed for hundreds of years. Usually they’re mud huts with grass roofs, sometimes rough brick houses with dirt floors and no glass in the tiny windows. Sometimes there’s no doors in the doorways – just a bit of old fabric hung across to help keep the bugs out. Scrawny goats and chickens wander around and in and out of the houses. It’s hot. It’s dusty. Malawi is not so very different from Scotland. People fall in love, go to work and raise their children. They laugh with their neighbours, look after their older relatives and dance at weddings. People tell stories about the past. And dream dreams of a better life to come. But what happens when the life you’ve always known starts to change? The land your family has farmed for generations simply won’t give you what you need any more. You realise the harvest each year is getting less. You look at the grain in your store and you know it’s not going to last more than a month or two. Your neighbours are struggling too. Not because you're lazy, but because something bad has happened to the land and the seasons.
‘MALAWI IS NOT SO VERY DIFFERENT FROM SCOTLAND’
REFLECTION TEAR TIMES . 31
LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS, FINDING OURSELVES As an adult you can maybe push on through the day and ignore the growling in your stomach. But as a parent, how do you look into the eyes of your hungry four-year-old daughter and make it better for her? As a mother whose job is to keep your family safe and well, how do you feel knowing that you can’t do that any more? Because there simply isn’t enough to eat. Not today. Or tomorrow. What does that do to you? I’m a mother and a grandmother and my girls think I can fix just about anything. And in my house, in my village, in my corner of this world I usually can. But I’ve never gone hungry. And neither have my children.
Dear Lord, how could I look at them knowing their bellies were empty and that I had no way to fix this? In churches across the globe we pray for God to help alleviate hunger. We ask him to send a solution to this awful, awful suffering. What if God has already provided the solution? What if we, the Church, are his solution?
‘WHAT IF GOD HAS ALREADY PROVIDED THE SOLUTION?’ In Malawi I looked into the faces of mothers and fathers. Of babies. Of little boys in grubby shorts. And little girls in Disney Frozen dresses. I saw my family. And my family is hungry.
L eft: Hunger crisis in Malawi means Maria and her family only have enough food for one meal a day
Photos: Rhiannon Horton/Tearfund
FROM SCOTLAND TO MALAWI Tearfund is working through our partners in Malawi, with funding from the Scottish government, to support families to find long-term solutions to hunger. This includes teaching people new farming techniques to help them grow crops in the midst of drought and providing alternative sources of livelihood through self-help groups, which enable people to start businesses and support themselves. Find out more about Deirdre’s experiences in Malawi on page 6.
‘WE LIVE IN THE DIRT AND RUBBISH’ To escape the relentless bombing in Syria, Ahed’s family fled to Lebanon. They live in a makeshift home made of scraps of tent and anything they can salvage. With little work or prospects, Tearfund’s monthly food parcel is a lifeline. Across the world, families like Ahed’s are being pushed to the brink by conflict, disasters and food shortages. You can read more about Ahed on page 8
www.tearfund.org/ahed
£10 YOUR GIFT OF £10 COULD GIVE A REFUGEE FAMILY LIKE AHED’S A MONTHLY FOOD PARCEL AND PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD 100 Church Road, Teddington TW11 8QE Tŷ Catherine, Capel Cildwrn, Cildwrn Road, Llangefni LL77 7NN 241 Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 1AF
www.tearfund.org/scotland +44 (0) 141 332 3621 email scotland@tearfund.org www.facebook.com/TearfundScotland facebook Registered Charity No. SC037624 (Scotland) Registered Charity No. 265464 (England and Wales) Photo: Stella Chetham/Tearfund 31697-(0117)
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