Tearfund Correspondent October by Tearfund NZ

A New Season

Our future: Our faith in action Where have we come from? Tearfund has put faith into action for 40 years. Our partnership with Compassion has seen over 35,000 children sponsored. Our pioneering work in micro enterprise has helped to bring thousands out of poverty. Our health and community development partners span the globe. We’ve responded to the biggest disasters and our Live Below the Line challenge has brought new awareness of human trafficking. We’ve also provided ways for our supporters to live lives more attuned to the needs of the world, through study resources and advocacy on upstream issues that affect our partners. Together with you, we’ve helped to save lives and change lives in over 46 countries.

$186,000,000

35,000

40 years

Raised from over our 40 year life in New Zealand*

Children from around the world sponsored by Kiwis

Working together with you, to make the world a better place

What’s important to us? Our mission hasn’t changed. Tearfund glorifies God by extending God’s kingdom in ministry to the poor, oppressed and disadvantaged, and by encouraging New Zealanders to live out the values and principles of God’s kingdom by sharing with those in need. It’s also important to us to listen to you, our supporters and our overseas partners. So in this our 40th year, we’ve been reflecting and shaping up our future. We found our supporters would prefer our communication to be simple and to the point. So we’ve created a new look and feel and clear communications systems to better connect us with our supporters and to reach new Kiwis looking to get behind our work. We’ve also found that our partners are focused on five causes and we believe we can use these to better connect the dots between you and them. In all this, we aim to deliver holistic and sustainable development and to respond to global injustices.

Where are we going? The important things will remain: Our love for Jesus, partners who deliver best-practice development, passionate staff and bang-for-your-buck. We stand on a legacy to be proud of—a legacy we want to continue. From our website to our campaigns, you’ll see our new look across all Tearfund communications. You’ll also connect with our overseas work, our educational resources and our advocacy through our five main causes that clearly define how we respond to global injustices.

For a look at how we’ve organised our work into five causes, turn to the back page of this issue.

* Figure not adjusted for inflation.

CORRESPONDENT October 2015

Remarkable story of recovery pg 09

Good Health: Anjela stands with her son at home.

For the love of... Story and pictures by Alex Carter

Spend money on mothers pg 06

I didn’t understand how remote our child health project in Tanah Masa, Indonesia was until I had to travel there. Two plane trips, 12 hours by car, and 17 hours by boat. Halfway through our six-day journey to the project, I was on a cargo boat and a storm woke me at 3am. Soaking wet, I suddenly understood the story of the Good Samaritan in a new way. Being a neighbour to the injured man meant inconvenience. He had to change his plans. He had to give things up. I saw what our partner had given up to help the people there. No phone lines, no internet, and most importantly – no visitors. Within the ‘global village’ these people are totally cut-off, almost forgotten. No one wants to come here. No one wants to work with them. No one wants to be their neighbour.

Refugees are coming here pg 07

The people of Tanah Masa rely on information passed down. Over time, this can take on a new shape altogether. One of the most challenging issues is the health of mothers and children. They had come to believe that breast milk was not good for their children, so instead, children were fed a mixture of rice and water, sometimes up to three years old. It’s hard to understand how something

that we think is so basic could have been lost from these people’s understanding, but it has, and the impact is devastating.

One mother that we met had a terribly sad story to share. “My name is Anjela and I am 29 years old. I have been pregnant many times, but I lost my first child. I cried all the time. When I lost my second child, I stopped going to church. When I lost my third child, I started praying again. When my fourth child got sick, I was so afraid that I was going to loose another child. It wasn’t until Tearfund’s

It’s hard to understand how something that we think is so basic could have been lost from these people’s understanding, but it has, and the impact is devastating. partner came to my village that my child got better. It still breaks my heart, remembering my children, but God gave me now three children, and I feel happy again.” Anjela says, “They taught me to give eggs and proper nutrition to my children, something that I didn’t know before.” Health education can mean the difference

between life and death for children, and give hope back to mothers who have already lost so much. One of the most impactful moments of my visit was meeting Nomu, a 45-year-old man mending his fishing net. It surprised me when he said, “You’ve come from so far and are asking about my life. Why? Not even my neighbours care about my life.” It felt wrong. I assumed people would pull together in small isolated places, but as we talked more I understood: They don’t help because they are in the same situation. They can’t help because they have so little to give. Tearfund works with mothers like Anjela in vulnerable communities to educate and empower locals to take control of their own health, improve their access to healthcare, and open the door to a better future for their children.

Please help us to expand our child health programme to 25,000 people by donating to our For the Love of Campaign supporting maternal and child health. Fill in the form on page 11, or donate at tearfund.org.nz.

Pray that knowledge and understanding of essential health care and nutrition would become a part of life in Tanah Masa.

4 | CORRESPONDENT - October 2015

New look, same mission By Keith Ramsay Tearfund has enjoyed the loyal support of Kiwi’s for 40 years, and as we approach another decade of service to the poor, you will notice a few changes in the way we interact with you. First of all we hope you like the exciting new look and feel of Tearfund in this publication, and over the next few months, this will filter through to our website and our other communications. On page 11 of the Correspondent, you can read about our ‘five causes’, which represent the aspects of poverty we and our supporters care about. On the back, we also outline our five ways you can respond, helping to address injustice around the world. In this issue we look at the importance of good maternal health. We highlight the work of our wonderful partners who look after the health and wellbeing of mothers and children in some of the remotest regions of the planet. While government health services in Indonesia and India have neglected them due to the remoteness of these communities, our partners have been moved by love, just like the Good Samaritan, and refused to pass by on the other side of the road. Rather, they are tending to the needs of these communities by improving maternal and child health outcomes. You can read about our

For the Love of campaign projects on pages 3 (Indonesia) and 5 (India) of this issue, and you can also read about the benefits of supporting maternal health on page 6. On the theme of the Good Samaritan, if you have been moved by the plight of Syrian refugees and you are looking for a way to support them, you can give to our Refugee Crisis appeal by going to our website, or see page 7 if you want to help refugees in New Zealand. Children are the most vulnerable in society and while the numbers dying before their fifth birthday have declined significantly since 1990, we still have a long way to go. On page 9, you can read about how child sponsorship is playing a part in reducing the numbers of children dying from malnutrition and other preventable causes. For instance, before Balkissa was registered in our child sponsorship programme she was malnourished. This was picked up in her health screening and her family was supported to give her the food and nutrition she needed. A year later, she is fit, healthy and full of life. You can find some other children under five who would benefit from the love and care that comes from sponsorship on page 10.

You can donate to our child and maternal health projects by filling out the form on page 11, or by visiting tearfund.org.nz.

Safe hands: Health education helps future generations in Indonesia.

PICTURE Alex Carter

Biblical snapshot— The Good Samaritan By Frank Ritchie The Parable of the Good Samaritan is well-known. In the account found in Luke 10, an expert in the law was trying to test Jesus. In the discussion the expert wanted to know how to get eternal life. Early in the account, it came down to the summary of the law: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbour as yourself’. The expert then asked, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Put another way, ‘Who should I love?’ I would imagine he was looking for some loopholes, and the response would be, ‘I can help this person, but don’t need to worry about that person’. He was setting a trap for Jesus because there were ways of interpreting the law that would have allowed that sort of segmentation.

Jesus addressed the question with the familiar parable. A man, whose ethnicity is deliberately withheld, was travelling between Jerusalem and Jericho. He was beaten up and left for dead. Some people we assume would have helped, just passed him by. In the end it was a Samaritan, a man from a people group hated by the Israelites, who stopped to help.

It’s not about who is deserving of love. Everyone is. It’s about whether we will act as good neighbours or not. You see, the question isn’t ‘Who is my neighbour?’ The question is, ‘How can I be a good neighbour?’

By not identifying the victim, Jesus showed that everyone should be loved. So the question posed by the expert was shown to be the wrong question.

Jesus asked who the expert thought was a neighbour to the man who was left for dead. The expert answered appropriately by saying it was the man who had mercy; the Samaritan. Luke’s account closed with Jesus telling the man to go and do the same. He had put the burden of responsibility clearly on the one who was trying to test him.

In our world there are plenty of people others pass by. They’re forgotten, ignored, considered too difficult, shunned, not seen. Life has dealt them a few knocks and they are on the side of the road. We don’t want to be people who pass by on the other side of that road. So what are we going to do?

At Tearfund, we want to be a neighbour to those in need. Our For the Love of campaign is about stopping to help some communities that others have not seen, passed by, or forgotten. Our partners, Medical Assistance Program (MAP) in Indonesia, and EFICOR in India, are being good neighbours to isolated communities, and serving them where others have not. They are helping with maternal and child health. Because of the isolation of those communities, even government agencies in their respective countries have failed to help. Like the Samaritan, Tearfund’s partners have gone the extra mile to serve those communities where others have not. We’re asking you to pause, see those in need, and to be good neighbours along with us.

Pregnancy is dangerous in remote areas of India Story and photos by Tom Price

Lakshmi Bunker’s story demonstrates the kind of social pressure women face to produce children at great cost to their health. Lakshmi (21) got married to Pratabram (24), four years ago when she was 17. They have one baby girl, Varsh (11 months), and Lakshmi is already seven months pregnant again, with only a four-month gap between pregnancies. On the road returning from Virol village, Rajasthan, just as the sun was setting, we stopped to visit Lakshmi. Lakshmi had been for her first check-up and at the time weighed 39kg. This concerned Alisha, the programme manager, as she should weigh a minimum of 45kg being seven months’ pregnant, and she encouraged her to eat more nutritious food. “You don’t have to be rich to eat well,” said Alisha, as she instructed her on the importance of a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and pulses that are available and cheap to buy. Alisha told Lakshmi that as there is only a four-month gap between pregnancies, instead of the recommended three years, the pregnancy and birth is going to be ‘risky’. Lakshmi’s daughter seems to be growing reasonably well. Alisha congratulated her and encouraged her to continue looking after her baby well, but urged her to eat nutritious food and increase her weight. “Nutritious food is available here, but people do not know how to make it nutritious. Either they will overcook it, or eat only one kind of

food. They don’t eat a balanced diet; they simply eat millet roti (a flat bread). If they add ghee and greens, it will make it more balanced.”

Delivering Hope: Lakshmi and her daughter are less vulnerable because of Tearfund’s programme.

The team spoke to Lakshmi’s husband, who knew very little about any of the details of this pregnancy, nor much about his new daughter. At first the apparent total disinterest in the health of his wife and child give the impression that Pratabram has very little attachment or even concern for Lakshmi. However, often it is not the case that there is no marital affection or care, but simply that the way it is expressed is rigidly dictated by strong cultural norms. Pregnancy, children and the home are seen to be the sphere of women; and work, money and providing shelter is the realm of the men. These rules are infrequently broken and the lack of awareness or responsibility taken for a woman’s pregnancy and maternal health from husbands can lead to unintentional harm as a result of the neglect. Alisha reflected that Lakshmi, like many women in her position, is unable to express her feelings about this pregnancy. Despite only recently giving birth to a baby girl, her in-laws and husband have made the decision for her – they want a boy, regardless of whether Lakshmi wants to become pregnant so soon again or not. Of course, this pressure is unseen and one of many invisible forces that weigh heavily on women in these rural communities. For Lakshmi, it is simply something that has to be done.

Above are photos from the EFICOR project.

Delivering hope to mothers and their babies By Keith Ramsay Tearfund’s maternal health project, in the remote Jalore district in Rajasthan, aims to improve the health outcomes and prevent deaths of mothers and their babies. Being a very poor area far away from the reach of government health services, deaths and poor health are common place, but Tearfund through its partner EFICOR and with your support, wants to change that.

THE SITUATION EFICOR’s goal is to reduce maternal and child mortality in Jalore district. Women’s decisions in

the villages are largely controlled by their husbands and mothersin-law and there is huge pressure on women to produce children, especially boys. But there is little health support for women and young children. Journeys to birthing centres can be long, and some roads are impassable. Sometimes families don’t know where government facilities are, driving women to give birth at home or in expensive private hospitals.

HOW EFICOR IS WORKING Firstly, the community will be given knowledge and understanding to empower them to make decisions, ensuring the best chance of health

for mothers and children. Secondly, the government services will need to be improved. Through a combination of motivation and training, the existing government services will grow in their capacity to fulfil their responsibilities towards the community. This is not about creating a parallel system or an alternative to existing government services, but bringing life to dormant infrastructure and empowering a community to take advantage of it.

GROUP COUNSELLING A thirty-minute session of maternal and child health information is

presented to a group of pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers in a home. About five women are invited, along with other women (mothers-in-law, family).

HOUSEHOLD COUNSELLING These sessions replicate the seven household visits that the ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) would conduct over the course of a woman’s pregnancy and first year of the child’s life. They deliver focused and timely health messages. These sessions target the whole family, especially husbands and mothers-in-law, as they often make decisions that affect the mother’s health.

6 | CORRESPONDENT - October 2015

Labour of Love: A woman waits for her baby to come in Vanuatu.

PICTURE Helen Manson

New Arrival: A newborn is checked over in Indonesia.

Safe childbirth, a smart investment By Dr. Himali McInnes Some years ago, during a medical trip to the north-eastern state of Orissa in India, I helped to deliver a breech baby with little more than a bowl of hot water and some towels. We were in a remote village, and ordinarily the mother would have had no medical care. As it was, having a junior doctor at hand to help a ‘bottom-first’ baby out into the world was only marginally better. Thankfully, both mother and baby were fine. Yet in many parts of the world today, similar scenarios are played out with worse outcomes for both the mother and the child. While deaths from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth have dropped 45% from 523,000 since 1990, 23 years later in 2013, an estimated 289,000 women still died in childbirth worldwide. That is equivalent to 800 women a day or 33 women an hour. King David writes in Psalm 139, 13-14: ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...’ In scripture, we often read of the miracle and wonder of creation. Modern science has uncovered only some of the complexities that must exist in order for life inside a womb to take hold and flourish, such as folic acid to prevent spinal deformities. Yet there is much we don’t know, and around the world, there is much that is not done to improve maternal health. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enshrined the right to the ‘highest attainable standard of physical and mental health’, and together with a Biblical mandate to care for others and to cherish every human life, it is apparent that good maternal health should be something to strive for. There are also sound economic reasons

for reducing maternal deaths and chronic pregnancy-related sickness. In developed countries, where the rate of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births is just 16, women can take for granted their access to timely and robust health care during their pregnancies. There is a huge discrepancy in the developing world, however, with parts of sub-Saharan Africa experiencing maternal mortality rates of up to 1,100 per 100,000 live births.

A 15-year-old girl living in sub-Saharan Africa faces about a 1 in 40 risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth during her lifetime. Dr Geeta Rao Gupta, deputy executive director of UNICEF says: “A 15-year-old girl living in subSaharan Africa faces about a 1 in 40 risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth during her lifetime. A girl of the same age living in Europe has a lifetime risk of 1 in 3300 – underscoring how uneven progress has been around the world.” It seems appalling that such a discrepancy should exist, given that these deaths - from bleeding, obstructed labour, hypertensive disorders and infections - are usually preventable. And ongoing illness can have lifelong ramifications - such as the social stigma associated with obstetric fistulae (a consequence of obstructed labour, where the sufferer can become permanently incontinent of both urine and faeces). There are many complex barriers to good maternal health care in developing countries. Cost, access to

trained health care workers, poor infrastructure including a lack of roads, gender-based violence, and a lack of adequate education are just some of the factors at play. Although women hold lowly social positions in many countries, their unacknowledged influence in their communities is potent. The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has estimated that the global financial impact of maternal and newborn deaths is $15 billion/year in lost productivity. Females are the sole income earners in one third of households globally, and they represent more than 90% of the informal economy. They contribute the most to unpaid work, such as caring for the sick. Females spend more than males on purchasing goods and services that improve the welfare of their families, such as food, education and medicine. Reducing pregnancyrelated deaths also means that more children will grow up enjoying their mother’s care, which improves their survival rates. It is not hard to see why improving maternal health can improve the health of communities, contributing to overall poverty reduction and more resilient societies. Nepal has halved its maternal mortality rate from 471 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 190 in 2013. India, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Mauritania and Ethiopia have also seen huge percentage reductions. These reductions were achieved using a multi-pronged approach: improving education so that females stay in school longer; family planning to give women access to contraception, empowering them to plan their families; clean delivery kits to reduce infection rates and improve the chances of a mother and child surviving; community health workers to provide medical care when complications arise.

PICTURE Alex Carter

The most cost-effective strategy has proven to be prevention. Both contraception and health education are relatively easily implemented. NGOs such as Tearfund are involved in such preventive work – currently Tearfund is funding child and maternal health programs in India (in the desert state of Rajasthan) and a child health project in Indonesia. While India and Indonesia have seen a significant reduction in their maternal mortality rates of 65% and 56% respectively since 1990, the places where Tearfund is working in these countries are remote and access to health care is extremely limited. The importance of healthy mothers and safer childbirth probably cannot be over-emphasized. Melinda Gates, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “When women have the power to make choices about their families, they tend to decide precisely what demographers, economists and development experts recommend. They invest in the long-term human capital of their families”.

Pray for safe pregnancies and child-raising among vulnerable women and children in poverty.

GoodTV helps Tearfund Online TV platform GoodTV.co is pledging a dollar to Tearfund for every view of the documentary Madina’s Dream. GoodTV.co is focused on providing entertaining, inspiring and inherently positive movies and shows. One of their feature documentaries, Madina’s Dream, is a story told through the lens of eleven-year-old Madina, who has grown up in the world of machine guns, hand grenades and explosions. Madina lives in South Sudan, home to a murderous civil war that the world forgot about. Madina’s Dream is “presented with such care and curiosity that, although heart-wrenching, it isn’t depressing. The film is lovely...” - The Austin Chronicle

Take Action Use our free study resources to be part of a movement for living in tune with the needs of the world. Find out about supporting refugees in your community. Hear about the Pacific leaders who spoke out on climate change.

Resources for living well The Good Lives Project Open Doors: More than 4 million refugees have fled Syria since the conflict began in 2011.

PICTURE REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach, courtesy Trust.org

Wanted: Good Samaritans for Refugee Families By Murray Sheard As Tearfund turns 40, we are still as involved in refugee work as we were at the start in the 1970s. Tearfund supports refugees at their flash points in Iraq, the Lebanese border and Uganda. As international development specialists, we find the trauma experienced by refugees who arrive in New Zealand all too familiar. Like the Israelites in exile, they mourn the dissolution of peace in their own country, are survivors of trauma, and feel vulnerable navigating their way in a strange land.

As a country, we have been criticised for not doing enough to respond to the refugee crisis. If government resources are short, wouldn’t it be great if the church could lead the way, opening our hearts and wallets? The ‘ABC’ of Anglican, Baptist and Catholic denominations have encouraged their churches to help resettle refugees. We congratulate them! We are so impressed we want to support this. If you are interested in your church and its people journeying with refugee families, or doing this yourself, Tearfund can help you understand the process. It’s practical and you will make new friends! Please email advocacy@

tearfund.org.nz. You might also consider organising an offering to be taken up at your church. This is the largest refugee crisis since WWII, and is likely to repeat in the years to come. It’s a ‘moment of unlearning’ as what we thought we knew about the scale of the refugee problem around the globe is blown apart. Increasing droughts and food price hikes, made worse by climate change, increases the likelihood of conflict as people and nations fight over resources. Conflict, food, climate change... it’s all connected and we need to act at all levels—starting with our own generosity.

Standing with Pacific Islands By Claire Hart The words ‘Pacific Islands’ conjure up images of idyllic beaches and memories of relaxing getaways. Working at Tearfund when Cyclone Pam hit earlier this year, shattered those illusions and replaced them with images of destruction. I knew the Pacific Islands had always had cyclones, but I couldn’t help feeling that storms were getting bigger and more destructive. This feeling I had was validated by the experiences and stories shared by the Rev Tafue Lusama and Starling Konainao during the Love Your Neighbour tour that took place in August. Tafue shared how the elders on Tuvalu can no longer predict the weather patterns – a practice which

for centuries has been the guide for their people’s survival. The small island nation is shrinking each year, ancient graves are being unearthed during powerful storms, and survival on the islands is becoming increasingly difficult. Starling echoed this sentiment with his stories of unprecedented floods and damage in the Solomon Islands in 2014. Seeing his home destroyed and his people dying has made Starling take action and become a ‘Climate Warrior’. The slogan used by Starling and other Climate Warriors is: ‘We are fighting; we are not drowning!’ The Love Your Neighbour tour brought this message to the churches and public of New Zealand. It was a call

to action and an invitation for us, as New Zealanders, to stand with the Pacific and fight against the impact of climate change already being experienced there. Tafue and Starling shared with audiences in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch that the Pacific Islands view New Zealand as their big brother, and believe we should join them to advocate to help halt climate change. Tearfund has answered the call and we are standing with the Pacific—will you join us?

Pray for the climate change negotiations in Paris this December.

An experiment of faith in action. This seven-part small group study seeks to help us live more responsibly in everything from personal and family finances to day-to-day practices. In the words of the Apostle Paul, it is an attempt to ‘conform no longer to the present pattern of the world’ (Romans 12:2).

No Longer Slaves Studies on human trafficking and slavery. Modern slavery needs a movement to combat it. Tearfund is committed to helping people become part of that movement.

L is for Lifestyle A challenge that none of us can ignore. This book by Ruth Valerio introduces an A-Z of the main threats to people and our planet and how to live responsibly in light of this.

Coming Up You will have read about the five causes that Tearfund is supporting in this issue of the Correspondent – is there anything you’ve read that you’d like to learn more about? Let us know, as we want our educational resources to be a reflection of what you want to learn.

To request any of these free resources, please email advocacy@tearfund.org.nz

Justice Awakening Are you interested in attending a day-long justice awakening workshop put on by Tearfund? The workshop is an introduction to why Tearfund works for justice and uncovering your own experience of injustice. The day will be fun, reflective, challenging and informative. We are open to running seminars across the country in areas where enough interest has been expressed.

If you are interested, email: advocacy@tearfund.org.nz

8 | CORRESPONDENT - October 2015

Events Tearfund has some exciting events coming up that will truly inspire you, from speakers to talented musicians. To find more, visit tearfund.org.nz. LIFE AFTER FAITH LIKE POTATOES, featuring Frank Rautenbach, supported by David Lyle Morris WHEN: November 13-22. WHERE: North and South Island In the words of Thomas Cranmer, “God’s love takes us on journeys we do not wish to go, makes us travel by roads we do not wish to use, to take us to places we never wish to leave”. Ever felt that God has let you down? That He didn’t do what he said he would? Now it’s too late for your dreams to come true and you feel like you have little or no value?

Chain gang: Highlights from the Poverty Cycle in August.

Poverty Cycle breaks records and a pelvis By John Watson This year’s annual Tearfund Poverty Cycle, held on August 29, saw anything but a poor turnout, breaking records across the board at Ti Papa Events Centre in Clevedon. An impressive 32 teams, 15 individual, and 25 stationary riders entered, raising $125,000 for Tearfund’s anti-trafficking partners. While ultimately it’s about raising money and awareness to combat human trafficking, it’s also a competition and a competitive streak was certainly present on the day. Teams such as St Kentigern College (last year’s winners), Life TV and Team Up all turned on the heat with their eyes set on the contested Champion’s Cup for the fastest team. But it was Ricoh 1 that took it out with a record 3:15:07 to complete six laps of the 20km

Upcoming Cycling Events RICOH LEGENDS OF CYCLING DINNER

Tearfund is proud to be the charity for the Ricoh Legends of Cycling Dinner on January 28, 2016. The bike has become a powerful symbol

course, with Life TV following only two minutes behind. Fastest lap went to Joshua Aldridge and Cameron Wynniatt of Beachland’s Baptist Church with another record breaker of 30:57, while the fastest women’s lap went to Melissa Diprose and Bella O’Donnell of Wonder Women. The Freedom Cup, for the most funds raised, went to Price Waterhouse Coopers who raised an impressive $7,500 and top individual fundraiser went to Jatin Patel with his whopping $4,400. The impressive times weren’t surprising considering the calibre on the field, including Gordy McCauley, Mike Torckler, Jamie Hunt, Joshua Aldridge and Cameron Wynniatt. But the real stand-outs were those trying something a little different such as the Cole-Baker family and Craig and Juliet Drown on their tandem bikes. in Tearfund’s fight against sex trafficking and this event brings together Kiwis who love the sport of cycling to meet world-famous cycling greats: Greg Lemond, Phil Liggett and Julian Dean. To learn more and to purchase your tickets visit legendsofcycling.co.nz

QUEENSTOWN CLASSIC Tearfund is proud to be a beneficiary charity of the Queenstown Classic, a

The race this year witnessed both a misfortune and a most honourable display of friendship, when Joshua Aldridge fell due to a crash in front of him and broke his pelvis. In a heroic effort, his riding partner Cameron Wynniatt pushed him for an entire 10km including up twilight hill to the finish line. After a brief stint in hospital, Josh is now back training to ride the K2 at the end of October. Poverty Cycle manager, Beth Harper, is already planning next year’s event and is encouraging people to save the date of Saturday August 27, 2016. “The Poverty Cycle is growing from strength to strength, and we encourage even more people to get involved and join our community on the move for freedom!” three-day bike ride from March 6-8, 2016, traversing 300km of stunning scenery with like-minded people who want to break the poverty cycle. Visit www.2016queenstownclassic. gofundraise.co.nz and choose Tearfund Poverty Cycle as your charity and you will be supporting us to fight sex trafficking. Contact enquiries@tearfund.org.nz if you have any questions about these events.

Frank Rautenbach landed the role to play Angus Buchan in the movie Faith Like Potatoes – but the great expectations of having a such a lucrative role soon turned to hardship and heartache. Join Frank as he shares lessons he learnt through his struggles.

WHAT: Crave Christmas Market, Crave Café, 5 MacDonald St, Kingsland WHEN: November 28 Give something back: A public market where you can by fair-trade gifts for Christmas.

PICTURE Helen Manson

I’M NOT FORGOTTEN TOUR, featuring former sponsor child Richmond Wandera, supported by Strahan Coleman WHERE: North and South Island WHEN: February 11-28 A story of hope and transformation, Richmond’s remarkable life experiences have inspired people around the world. Raised in the Ngaruru slum in Uganda, when his father was murdered, Richmond’s hope was lost, but not forgotten. Alongside his mother, he was left to care for his six siblings and spent countless hours every day in search of food for his family. When he was taken into Tearfund’s Compassion child sponsorship programme, he began to see his life differently. TEAR Fund’s I Am Not Forgotten event promises to deliver a uniquely inspiring evening that highlights the eternal love that God has for us and the hope that we find in Him.

Thriving: Balkissa (5) with her mother, Alima.

Young malnourished girl thriving thanks to sponsorship Story and picture by Serge Ismaël Ouédraogo The road to five-year-old Balkissa Sawadogo’s home in Burkina Faso, is narrow and winding, passing between houses and groves. Just 10km from downtown, the Worsin neighbourhood of Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, has the look of a large, densely populated village. Conditions for five-year-old Balkissa and her family are no better than those of most people in the area. In fact, they used to be worse before she was registered in Tearfund’s Compassion sponsorship programme. Alima, the mother of little Balkissa, is 39 years old and has six children. Balkissa is the fifth child, and of the six children, only two go to school. To make a living, Alima washes clothes door-to-door. Her husband used to paint houses but he hasn’t worked for over a year, Alima says.

Loyal Sponsors Tearfund has been giving Kiwis the chance to sponsor children through its partner Compassion International since 1986. Together over this time, we have seen more than 35,000 children’s lives positively changed. We would

“The day I get clothes to wash, I am sure to come home and cook a good dinner for the whole family.” On these days, Alima usually earns at least $2–$3. “Food and school fees are the biggest challenges we face as a family. The school fees of most of our children are not yet paid for this year. Only Balkissa’s fees are paid for through the programme.” When Balkissa was registered in the programme, she was a frail and shy girl who hardly played, slept a lot and cried often. After a health screening, doctors found that some children in the area were malnourished and Balkissa was one of them. Doctor Issaka Tiemtoré, a Compassion health specialist says, “Malnutrition is a disease, like many others, and needs to be treated as such.” The project’s staff, who intimately know the needs of the communities and children they serve, help identify the most vulnerable like to honour our very first child sponsors, Robert and Bernadette Milburn, who still sponsor children through Tearfund today. They sponsored Dilson Galuis from Colombia who is now 36. He went on to graduate from university with a management degree. Dilson now works for The National Training Service in Colombia, which provides free education and work training. He says, “When I

amongst their registered children. “We look at the housing conditions of the children, the absence or scarcity of food in the household, the size of the family in relation to income they get, hygiene and other social data that significantly influence the child’s development,” says project director, Mrs Ouattara. When Balkissa and the other children were diagnosed as being malnourished, funds were allocated for each family of malnourished children to buy nutritious food and sanitation items.

Leenda, a traditional skipping game. She plays tirelessly at home, and at the project. She is excited about going to school, because she knows she will make many friends. When her siblings come home from school, Balkissa joins them on the mat, where they like to read, review their lessons or do their home assignments. On Thursdays at the project, Balkissa receives the tutoring and equipment she needs. According to Mrs Ouattara, malnourished children need special attention.

“Thanks to the programme, we constantly receive food, soap, oil and sometimes even clothes and shoes. We now get to eat twice a day,” says Balkissa’s mother.

Alima says, “My vision for my daughter is that God will surely help her grow at school and have a job to be able to take care of us. I pray that she will have a good job, something like a school teacher, or a nurse”.

Following a health screening a year later, Balkissa is much healthier. Today, she no longer suffers from malnutrition and is full of life. Balkissa’s favourite game is the

Give thanks for the generosity that helps meet the needs of children in poverty.

was a boy, I never thought that I’d get to do this much with my life. Sponsorship gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams.” Dilson says he is so grateful to his sponsor family. “You have no idea what child sponsorship does for the quality of life of a child and their family.” It is thanks to faithful sponsors like the Milburns that so many children have been helped out of poverty.

First Tearfund Sponsor Child: Dilson Galuis.

10 | CORRESPONDENT - October 2015

Young children are most vulnerable

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Young children are the most at risk of dying due to preventable causes. In 2012, 6.6 million children died before the age of five, and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), evidence indicates that under-nutrition is the underlying cause of death in an estimated 45% of all deaths in this age group. Tearfund’s Compassion Child Sponsorship programmes are helping to take care of vulnerable children. In the programme, each child undergoes a thorough health assessment and if they are malnourished, families

are given extra help to adequately feed them until they are up to a healthy weight. They also receive other benefits that go along with sponsorship such as being able to go to school. Child sponsors are making a difference in reducing the mortality among under-fives which dropped by 49% between 1990 and 2013.

HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION • Approximately 3.1 million children die from hunger each year. • Poor nutrition caused nearly

half (45%) of deaths in children under five in 2011. • Children who are poorly nourished suffer up to 160 days of illness each year. Undernutrition magnifies the effect of every disease, including measles. • Globally 161 million under-five year olds were estimated to be underdeveloped in 2013.

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Relwende

Camilo

Eferata

Vano

DOB 15-Feb-2012 Relwende lives with his parents. Running errands is his household duty. There are 2 children in the family. Relwende is not presently attending school. He loves playing group games and also attends Bible class regularly.

DOB 11-Mar-2011 Camilo lives with his parents. He is responsible for making beds, running errands and cleaning. There are 2 children in the family. Playing with cars, running and playing group games are his favorite activities.

DOB 17-Jun-2011 Eferata lives with her mother. There are 2 children in the family. Eferata is not presently attending school. Playing house is her favorite activity. She also attends church activities regularly.

DOB 20-Apr-2012 Vano lives with his parents. He helps at home by running errands. Vano is not presently attending school. Playing with cars is his favorite activity. He also attends church activities regularly.

Nikita

Levi

Nimasha

Arturo

DOB 02-Jan-2012 Nikita lives with her parents. Buying or selling in the market and making beds are her household duties. There are 3 children in the family. Playing house and playing group games are her favorite activities.

DOB 22-Apr-2010 In his home, Levi helps by running errands. He lives with his parents. There are 3 children in the family. For fun, Levi enjoys soccer, playing with cars and art. He attends church activities regularly and is in kindergarten.

DOB 12-Mar-2011 Nimasha lives with her parents. She is responsible for gathering firewood and cleaning. Nimasha is in kindergarten where her performance is average. Singing, playing with dolls and running are her favorite activities.

DOB 23-Jan-2012 Arturo lives with his parents. His duties at home include running errands. Playing with cars, playing ball games and playing group games are his favorite activities. He also attends Bible class regularly.

Oswell

Andrea

Alisson

Sheerah

DOB 02-Jan-2011 Oswell lives with his parents. He is responsible for gathering firewood. There are 2 children in the family. Playing with cars, singing and playing ball games are his favorite activities. He also attends church activities regularly.

DOB 02-Mar-2010 Andrea lives with her parents. Her duties at home include running errands. There are 2 children in the family. For fun, Andrea enjoys playing house and playing with dolls. She attends church activities and Bible class regularly and is in kindergarten.

DOB 19-Feb-2012 In her home, Alisson helps by making beds. She lives with her mother. There are 2 children in the family. As part of Compassion’s ministry, Alisson participates in church activities. Playing house and playing with dolls are her favorite activities.

DOB 21-Jun-2009 In her home, Sheerah helps by caring for children and running errands. She lives with her parents. There are 5 children in the family. She is also in kindergarten. Playing jacks, playing house and art are her favorite activities.

Age 3, from Burkina Faso

Age 4, from Colombia

Age 4, from Ethiopia

Age 3, from Indonesia

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Age 3, from India

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Age 5, from Indonesia

Age 4, from Sri Lanka

Age 3, from Mexico

Sponsorship $48 per month

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Age 4, from Nicaragua

Age 5, from Peru

Age 3, from Peru

OUR PURPOSE:

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The purpose of Tearfund is to glorify God by extending His Kingdom in ministry to the poor, oppressed and disadvantaged, and to encourage God’s people in NZ to live out the values and principles of His Kingdom by sharing with those in need. TEAR Correspondent is published three times a year.

Editor: Keith Ramsay. Contributors: Ian McInnes, Himali McInnes,

0800 800 777 tearfund.org.nz enquiries@tearfund.org.nz

Claire Hart, Murray Sheard, John Watson, Frank Ritchie, Tom Price, Keith Ramsay, Alex Carter, Serge Ismaël Ouédraogo, Ella Rudin. Art Director: Alex Carter. Printing: PMP Print.

Age 6, from Philippines

Our Causes Sponsor Child Sponsorship We sponsor children in need. We believe that children should not be condemned to lives without hope because of their place of birth. They should be loved, protected, and released from poverty, with the love shown by Jesus: a good childhood is a basic human right. That’s why we partner with Compassion International and support kids born into poverty. Through us you can support children to have the healthcare, education, and opportunities they need to shine. Every child deserves that.

Empower Enterprise and Empowerment We help to empower people to become self-reliant. Population, food prices, climate change, and trade disadvantages hit the poor the hardest. Putting food on their tables and their children in schools is a constant struggle, so Tearfund helps communities remove these barriers and increases their economic opportunities. We do this through financial services, savings and self-help groups, and through cutting-edge agricultural interventions. This approach creates a ripple effect felt for generations. We choose to see the inherent resources, strengths and capabilities within a community.

Nourish Water Health and Education We nourish communities with life’s essentials. We believe everyone has fundamental human rights to healthcare, nutrition, education, water and shelter. Without them, we can’t truly break the cycle of poverty. But we live in a world where needless suffering continues to happen for preventable reasons. Tearfund works to reduce vulnerability, through inclusive and improved access to basic health, water and sanitation. And we believe in education for liberation, improving choices and opportunities for marginalised people and their communities.

Restore Disasters and Peace Building We build resilience to disasters and help restore hope and peace when they strike. In the past 10 years, the number of people affected by disasters and conflict has doubled. This upward trend is expected to continue. Conflicts are frequently protracted, resulting in forced displacement. We believe in restoring devastated communities. We also believe in building resilience so that risk is reduced and they respond effectively, ‘bouncing forward’ after a disaster strikes. This includes work in disaster risk reduction and peace building as well as response and recovery.

Protect Anti-trafficking and Exploitation We help to protect the vulnerable from exploitation. We believe slavery in all its forms is pure evil and should no longer exist. Women and children are not commodities. We will fight to set them free. We commit ourselves to combat trafficking and exploitation holistically through building community resilience, rescuing women and children, and rehabilitating people from trauma. We also work up-stream to strengthen institutions and policy mechanisms to deliver justice. We work in co-ordinated networks and strong partnerships.

This is our Faith in Action

A message from our CEO At Tearfund, our actions speak for our faith. We believe in a God whose vision and heart for this world cannot be achieved with good intentions alone. We believe in a world of hope and justice, accomplished through courage, partnership, and humility. Our faith has to be visible. It must act. It must speak. It must stand alongside those in need. The partners we choose to work with do just that through their cutting edge development work that delivers groundbreaking results. By supporting us in all the ways that you do, you make this work possible and ensure maximum impact. By taking up our challenge to live a life of justice and compassion you stand alongside the poor and oppressed. You also challenge complacency and indifference and put your own faith into action. We invite you to continue your partnership with us. These causes, this look and feel, this fresh and exciting direction, is something we’ve laboured over. We’ve defined it, fine-tuned it, prayed about it, tested it and finally landed on what we feel will keep us on the right path for the future. You, our faithful and generous supporters, have been the hallmark of our organisation, standing with us through the years. And our promise to you remains. We’ll take action the best way we know how. By combining the inventiveness of our local team with the expertise of international partners, we will bring about real change with the poor, vulnerable and oppressed. This is our faith in action.

Ian McInnes (CEO)

What we ask from you: Five Responses We have Five Causes. We call on our supporters to make Five Responses as a Biblically shaped encounter with God’s heart for justice. These add up to a ‘transformational lens’ to help us see the world through God’s eyes, and respond in compassion and reconciliation.

1. Give faithfully to support our work with those suffering disadvantage in all its forms.

2. Learn the ‘arc of justice’ through the Bible, and your part in seeking God’s justice for all.

3. Advocate for change to systems of injustice that perpetuate evil.

4. Pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, bringing peace to all.

5. Live a lifestyle that foreshadows a world of equality and justice.

tearfund.org.nz | 0800 800 777