Christian Aid Week 14-20 May 2023 update
Christian Aid Week is over for another year. In these changing times, fundraising for the poorest in the world needs to go on for 52 weeks of the year so watch out for new initiatives.
Once again, our Church held an envelope collection and when this is counted and banked, the amount raised will be reported. Increasingly more of us donate online or by phone (which is great!) but this cannot be reported down to Church level.
The country highlighted in Christian Aid Week was Malawi which suffered a 34-day long cyclone, Cyclone Freddy in March. This was one of the strongest storms ever recorded dropping a year’s worth of rain and causing much devastation.
Christian Aid partners in Malawi responded to the immediate recovery needs of communities. In Malawi. This includes:
- Corn soya blend for porridge for breastfeeding mothers and children under 5 years
- Mosquito nets for families to provide protection against malaria.
- Providing temporary toilets and bathrooms, water containers and water treatment to help prevent the risk of cholera.
- Mobile clinics to help people process the emotional trauma of the cyclone.
Distribution of cash to 1,000 households so that families can purchase their immediate needs.
Jen and Esther, pigeon pea farmers who featured in the Christian Aid Week literature, were impacted by the cyclone. Jen had to leave home for a while and some of her crops were washed away. Yields for the year will also be down for both farmers. The good news however, is that the initiatives on pigeon peas will continue to be rolled out by Christian Ais partners to another 3 districts this year.
Wilf Hardy