World news from Tearfund

World Aids Day

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 16:56:00 GMT

In the next 60 seconds, five people will die of Aids. The scale of suffering as a result of the epidemic is overwhelming. It devastates livelihoods, communities and economies, and orphans millions of children. World Aids Day, on 1 December, raises awareness about HIV and Aids in an attempt to combat the spread of this global tragedy. Events such as prayer vigils are being held throughout the UK to mark the day. The poor, as ever, are worst affected. More than 90 per cent of people living with HIV are in developing countries. Lack of healthcare, poor access to education, the low status of women and limited means of earning money all increase people’s vulnerability to contracting HIV. In turn, HIV and Aids throws people deeper into poverty, as it removes family’s incomes and incurs costs for healthcare and drugs. Children miss out on education if they have to leave school to work or care for family members. On Monday 21 November the United Nations launched its annual report on Aids statistics. The report ...

Cambodia: born free

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:59:00 GMT

On the border between Cambodia and Thailand, Poipet is dubbed the 'Wild West' of South-East Asia. Gambling and trafficking are big business. What hope is there for a 15-year-old girl sold by her desperately poor family and tricked into slavery? Sokha tells her remarkable story...

From Russia with love

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 13:33:00 GMT

New year – new resolutions. No biscuits? No trashy TV? Or no heroin? Meet the Russian mafia boss who has given up murder, prison and a crippling drug addiction for a new life with God.

Pakistan: underground killer

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 12:37:00 GMT

Tuberculosis is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. Every year, it kills 2.7 million people – making it the world’s biggest killer, ahead of Aids. And yet, it’s hardly ever mentioned.

Colombia: churches speak out

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 10:03:00 GMT

Christians in Colombia unite in their efforts to bring peace to their country.

Uganda: soldiers of misfortune

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:22:00 GMT

Fleeing from rebel captivity in northern Uganda As the light fades each day, Pamela is among the tens of thousands of women and children – nicknamed ‘night commuters’ – who walk 10km or more from their villages to nearest towns. The next morning they trek back. This long walk is tiring and dangerous, but it's a safer bet than staying put. Their villages are prone to night-time raids by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group at war with Uganda’s government. The LRA survives by stealing food and children – employing boys as soldiers and using girls for sex. Bittersweet One night, Pamela was too sick to make the usual trek into town. She went missing – aged just 13. For a year she was feared dead. Then, children brought news as bittersweet as you can get. Pamela was alive but had been ‘married’ (code for enslaved) to an LRA commander. Now she’s at Noah’s Ark, a Tearfund partner that provides shelter to 3,000 children every night. No one knows exactly what Pamela’s been through or the circu ...

A journey back to Rwanda

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 13:15:00 GMT

What does it take to track down and confront the people who killed your husband in the Rwandan genocide – and offer them pardon? Former Tearfund aid worker Lesley Bilinda was prepared for pain and anger, but there was worse to come. Her husband was a Tutsi and was killed in the genocide. In 2004 Lesley made the heart-breaking journey back to Rwanda to find – and forgive – the people involved in his abduction and killing. Her journey has been made into a powerful new book and film. Charles Bilinda disappeared during the 100 days of mass killings that devastated Rwanda in 1994. They had met and married while Lesley was working on a Tearfund community project. When she returned to Rwanda she visited a prison where murderers and people accused of taking part in the genocide were being held. The men she interviewed said they knew nothing, leaving Lesley with a lot of frustration and confusion. ‘From the answers one man gave me in the prison, and the lies he was telling me, I believed he knew more than he ...

Hunting my husbands killers

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:42:10 GMT

A powerful new book and film tell the story of former Tearfund aid worker Lesley Bilinda, whose Tutsi husband Charles was killed in the Rwandan genocide. Lesley made the heart-breaking journey back to Rwanda to find – and forgive – the people involved in his abduction and killing. Charles disappeared during the 100 days of mass killings that devastated Rwanda in 1994. The couple had met and married while Lesley was working on a Tearfund community project. When she returned to Rwanda in 2004, she visited a prison where people accused of taking part in the genocide were being held. The men she interviewed said they knew nothing, leaving Lesley frustrated and confused. ‘From the answers one man gave me in the prison, I believed he knew more than he was saying. I believed he was involved in killing Charles.’ Lesley was however able to find a man who said he had taken part in the murder of her friend Anatolie. When she offered to forgive him his face lightened. But, beyond that, there were more difficult t ...

Before disaster strikes

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:44:39 GMT

Tearfund HQ has hosted the launch of a new government policy that commits ten percent of emergency aid spending to the prevention of future disasters. The policy, from the Department for International Development (DfID), builds on much of what Tearfund has been lobbying the UK government on for several years. Tearfund believes thousands of lives will be saved each year in developing countries and millions of pounds made to go further, if vulnerable communities plan ahead for how to respond when disaster strikes. Marcus Oxley, Tearfund’s Disaster Management Director said: ‘Any development gains fought for over years can be wiped out by a single cataclysmic event and disaster risk reduction measures are a cost-effective way of preventing such losses. Tearfund will be doing all it can to ensure that DfID’s new policy is effective on the ground.’ Government minister Gareth Thomas said: ‘Disasters make it more difficult to make poverty history and it is always the poorest that suffer the most. ‘Natural disas ...

Quiz: Wars of the world

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:50:00 GMT

Drought in East Africa

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 13:06:16 GMT

Endless acres of dusty colourless land lie littered with animal carcasses. A queue for emergency food rations forms. Underweight children watch their parents dig up wild roots to try to keep their animals fed. In East Africa, three consecutive years of drought have left some 11 million people in urgent need of food. We need to act now to stop this turning into a major catastrophe. Tearfund partners are already responding. Two church-based partners are distributing food in northern Kenya and Tearfund’s relief teams are gearing up to provide extra food to those who are most vulnerable, Among them are young children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Please click here to support this life-saving work today. Late rains, and floods The region’s severe drought has suddenly ended with the late arrival of the rainy season. If the rains continue, pasture should grow back, providing fodder for cattle and goats. But communities across the region are now reliant on food aid and even if these rains co ...

Forgotten peoples hit by food shortages

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 11 May 2006 13:47:58 GMT

Africa’s forgotten tribes are among those hit by the food crisis in the east of the continent. Kenya’s Gabra and Rendille peoples are among the 11 million people forced to point of desperate need. After three consecutive years of drought, farmers are selling off the last of their livestock for food. Grazing land has withered and many animals have already died. ‘Milk is like gold and meals are scarce,’ says Nasere Galangan, 28, from northern Kenya. ‘Lemartin is my only child. Since he was born he has been ill. We need a balanced diet so the child will grow well.’ Lemartin has received nutrition-rich supplements from a Tearfund partner – the Africa Inland Church, a group of missionaries and local Christians. Tearfund and its partners are distributing food in Kenya, Somalia and Eritrea. Nasere says: ‘If we hadn’t got this food, Lemartin would have died of hunger, but I need more help.’

A truly world cup

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:22:00 GMT

Ultimate deception

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:27:00 GMT

When Korn Sokha's husband left her with five mouths to feed, she jumped at the chance of well-paid work in Thailand. Finding herself in forced labour was just the beginning of her nightmare.

Warning: This story contains disturbing details about people-trafficking.

G8 rally in Edinburgh - one year on

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 13:29:00 GMT

Eight million people wore white bands, half a million sent Tony Blair postcards, almost a quarter of a million marched in Edinburgh. Countless millions prayed. A year since Make Poverty History hit the headlines what has been achieved? Are world leaders sticking to their promises? And has fame made life any easier for leading lady Joyce Mbwilo?

Let's get festive

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 13:56:00 GMT

Whether you’re a lifelong camper or an over-my-dead-body camper, find out what you can look forward to, or what you’ll be missing, at this summer’s festivals.

The ancient Israelites spent years living in tents as they journeyed with God. In the 21st century thousands of Christians see fit to rid themselves of millennia of technological progress and do the same.

The good news is that when tent-fatigue hits this summer, delegates at the many Christian conferences across the land will be relieved to know they can pop along and visit Tearfund.

Simply click the wellies on the map below to see all the festivals you’ll find us at this summer, and refresh the page to see the map box-free.

Ethiopia appeal saves many lives

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:53:00 GMT

An independent report has found that Tearfund’s appeal response to the food shortages in the Horn of Africa in 2003 ‘had a significant impact on the lives of a large number of people’ and ‘did relieve acute food insecurity’. Poor rainfall across Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2002 left nearly 15 million people needing food aid. Tearfund supported five church-based partners as they responded to the crisis. Supporters donated a total of £3 million to our appeal. The report’s authors found the money was put to good use. ‘Each of the partner churches has contributed significantly to the alleviation of short-term food insecurity in Ethiopia,’ the evaluation concluded. Tearfund commissioned the report from Seerp Wigboldus of the International Agricultural Centre in Holland and Hugh Goyder, who has carried out evaluations for the Disasters Emergency Committee. The five partner agencies responded to the food crisis by distributing seed for planting; providing food for children, mothers and the elderly; and running ...

An untapped resource in the struggle against AIDS

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:59:00 GMT

Forget analysing and finger-pointing – knowing how to respond to those devastated by HIV and AIDS should be something the church shines at. The church worldwide can stop AIDS and the spread of HIV – that’s according to a new Tearfund report, Faith untapped. It's also the message that we and more than 30 of our partner agencies will take to the 28,000 delegates converging for the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto this month. They will tell the untold story of the church’s fight against HIV and AIDS, bringing individual perspectives from the stark realities they encounter. The pandemic is no longer a crisis: it's a global disaster. The hidden killer – and a new strategy But where congregations and pastors have made the battle a priority, the church has become a vast network that crosses front lines, tending the sick and caring for thousands of orphans. It is barely noticed, never mind acknowledged, by governments and major donors. And it receives little of the billions of pounds being pou ...

Church meals have never tasted so good

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 10:18:00 GMT

Quiche and rice salad again? How about Thai spring rolls, Moroccan tagine or spicy Bolivian beef? Two Tearfund volunteers have compiled a book of recipes from 25 countries where Tearfund operates, in aid of our relief work. Recipes for disaster… relief and development is brimming with tasty starters, mains and desserts from 25 countries across four continents. Long-standing volunteers Gordon and Brenda Wilkinson had the idea while eating rice and beans for two weeks on a Tearfund study tour to the Honduran rainforest. ‘This book has taken us on an inspirational journey as we set about collecting recipes from friends, contacts at Tearfund and Tearfund partners overseas,’ says Gordon. ‘Most recipes are delicious – I love the Burundian green banana and the Bengali fish in mustard sauce – but one or two are deliberately bland, to show what life is like where food is limited. ‘You can choose a recipe and pray for the people Tearfund is helping, afterwards or as you say grace,’ says Gordon. Each re ...

Darfur game scores no points with MPs

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:35:00 GMT

British MPs have criticised a new online game depicting life in the troubled region of Darfur, Sudan.

The game, Darfur is dying, aimed at students, is billed as ‘serious and educational’ and encourages players to write to President Bush and boycott US firms operating in Sudan.

But British MPs in the all-party Associate Parliamentary Group on Sudan say the game trivialises the problems faced by Darfurians and undermines their dignity.

Suzie Gallagher from Tearfund’s Youth Team says: ‘While the game gives a very simple introduction to conditions there, we’d like our supporters to get the full picture and find out more.’

‘It’s really encouraging that the all-party group is committed to finding a just and lasting peace for Darfur.’

Play the game - what do you think?

Time to dance - hope from Somalia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:14:00 GMT

A simple well installed by Tearfund has enabled one Somali girl to walk tall. A heat-haze shimmers as ten-year-old Rahma draws water from the village well. When she is finished she hoists the ten-litre yellow water container onto her shoulders. She must carry out this task three times a day, but she is not complaining. Before the well was dug in her village, Mararey in war-torn Somalia, Rahma had to spend three hours a day trekking to fetch enough water for her family. But a visit to the well takes just 15 minutes. She is putting the extra time to good use, helping her mother with household chores. And she has time to dance. Living well ‘The water is fresh and very close to my house. This has made a big difference because the water was very far. Just lifting this water on my shoulders was very hard. Now it is much closer, I can join my friends in dancing,’ she smiles. The well gives Rahma and her friends fresh water for cooking, washing and drinking as well as water for some 4,000 valuable cows a ...

Churches bring hope in Lebanon

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:32:00 GMT

Churches in Lebanon moved with speed and compassion when the recent conflict hit their country. As food aid was received and churches provided sanctuary to the displaced, barriers between Christian and Muslim communities were toppled. Over 1,500 Lebanese and 44 Israelis were killed in the recent conflict in Lebanon. The crisis has caused one million Lebanese and over 500,000 Israelis to be displaced from their homes. With much work still to be done in stabilising the region, Tearfund continues to work with its Jordanian partner Jecrad. Their efforts have provided the vital relief-aid still needed by communities. Barriers broken down Church response to the crisis was swift. Christian relief-support to both Muslim and Christian communities has broken down old animosities and united the two sides. ‘The walls that rose between Christians and Shiite Moslems during the 1975 - 1990 civil war in Lebanon collapsed,’ says Vera Haddad, director of Jecrad. ‘The impact of the relief work was tremendous. One church l ...

Sahel one year on - how you helped

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 15:41:00 GMT

Interview with Jemed director Jeff Woodke Desperately thin children, animal carcasses and parched earth cried out from our tv screens. A year since the Sahel food crisis, how did your donations help? Poverty-stricken farmers who survived last year’s food crisis in the West African Sahel are learning to survive the region’s harsh climate and are seeing their lives improve. One year since the crisis reached its peak, the situation has improved in the areas of Burkina Faso and Niger where Tearfund’s Christian partner organisations are working. Farming communities are now more resilient to drought and are able to draw on reserves from shared grain banks to see them through the lean period, or hunger gap, between harvests. Fewer worries Philippe Niampa is a young pastor from Titao, northern Burkina Faso. His village has benefited from a cereal bank and livestock breeding and market gardening projects run by Tearfund partner Credo. ‘My situation is better than last year, when some of us had to consume w ...

Darfur: sowing in faith

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 09:51:00 GMT

It’s not often good news comes out of Darfur. But as Tearfund's David Crooks found, communities there are determined to carry on. Friday afternoon in the town of Beida in Darfur, western Sudan, and the market is a colourful frenzy of traders selling maize, spices, meat and an array of household goods. Beida lies on the border with Chad and is part of an ancient trading route that links East and West Africa. It is home to a mixture of ethnic groups who are pastoralists, traders, and farmers. The town has absorbed several thousand internally displaced people (IDPs) since the region was thrown into conflict three years ago. Janjaweed militia have attacked and destroyed most of the villages in the south-west corridor of Darfur. Only four remain. Locals who have fled have often lost everything. I am in Beida with the Fellowship for African Relief (FAR), one of Tearfund's church-based partner organisations, to see how funding from Tearfund is enabling IDPs and Beida residents to grow food and develop small b ...

Ten minutes with Jim Wallis

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 11:16:00 GMT

He has dialogued with George Bush, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Bono. Mentored by Martin Luther King he is one of the most respected and best connected evangelicals in the world. Pull up a chair and follow Jim Wallis’s chat with Tearfund’s Jon Stanhope about the world’s big issues.

William Wilberforce - ten things you need to know

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:20:00 GMT

He’ll be a household name again next year as we hit 2007, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Now’s your chance to brush up on Britain’s own David-and-Goliath-style hero.

William Wilberforce - ten things you need to know (printable)

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:35:00 GMT

He’ll be a household name again next year as we hit 2007, the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery. Now’s your chance to brush up on Britain’s own David and Goliath-style hero. He became England’s youngest ever MP. Aged 21 he was elected MP for his native Hull. During an election campaign he was pelted with a snowball as he tried to pacify a mob from a bedroom window in the opulent family home. Today the city is twinned with Freetown, Sierra Leone, which Wilberforce helped to found as a colony for free Africans. His childhood vicar wrote Amazing Grace. His Methodist aunt introduced him to John Newton, a slave-trader-turned-cleric. William spent two spiritually seminal years with an uncle and aunt in Wimbledon after his dad died. But his mum called him back up north, worried about the influences on him. He became a playboy second only to William Pitt, learning the finer points of gambling and drinking with the future prime minister at Cambridge University. An about-turn came later on a holiday ...

How to prevent world war III

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 08:10:00 GMT

Failing to work out a non-violent course of action in the Middle East will make the world a more dangerous place, according to the US author and activist Jim Wallis.

Darfur - Churches join in prayer

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:11:00 GMT

Churches across Britain joined in prayer for Darfur on Sunday, 17 September. And faith-based aid agencies gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday morning, along with Christian, Islamic and Jewish leaders. Tearfund supported the event and Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote a special prayer which was read out. The event drew attention to the plight of people in Darfur, where fighting continues to escalate. The violence has cut off thousands of civilians from the aid they desperately need. Homeless More than 2 million people have been forced from their homes since the conflict began in 2003. Most are living in camps for displaced people in Darfur and in refugee camps in neighbouring Chad. More than 3 million people rely on international aid for their survival. According to the United Nation’s World Food Programme, some 355,000 people in North Darfur, where the violence is at its worst, have gone without food aid since June. Practical love Tearfund partners and relief teams are working in the camps and in ...

Above and beyond - Tearfund volunteer recognised

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:39:00 GMT

Tearfund volunteer rewarded for 17 years of service Long-serving volunteer Richard Moore has been rewarded for his extraordinary efforts for Tearfund. He was nominated in the volunteer of the year category at the UK Charity Awards and was 'highly commended' by the judges. The ceremony took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London this month. Speaking at the prestigious event Richard said, ‘I am chuffed to bits. I didn’t expect it.’ He deserves the recognition. Over the past 17 years, Richard has done everything from running a prayer group in his home town of Tetsworth to working with our relief team in Darfur, western Sudan. Richard is motivated by his faith. ‘When I became a Christian, I asked my wife what I should do. She said that I had to get active and do more than just put a pound in the collection plate.’ He has certainly listened to her. During the last ten years Richard has worked for Tearfund in disaster zones such as Mozambique, Sierra Leone and most recently in Darfur, western Sudan ...

Cambodia: the man who went back

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:14:00 GMT

Everyone has their painful memories. Do you shut them out? Do you dwell on them? Tearfund’s Abigail Frymann was amazed by Chomno In, a Cambodian whose life is a remarkable story of courage and grace.

Water: Tearfund campaigns at the Labour Party conference

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:55:00 GMT

Tearfund has been lobbying key politicians at the Labour Party conference in Manchester.

Stop Climate Chaos

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:01:00 GMT

Join with thousands of Christians in making a stand for God's justice, at the Stop Climate Chaos 'I Count' rally in London on 4 November. Rev Mvula Mvula, from Malawi, recalls a time when rainfall was plentiful, and when the people in his community didn't experience drought, failed harvests and extreme hunger for many months of the year. 'The weather has been changing for many years. It is just that we have not been taking note of it,' he says. 'I remember, when I was young, experiencing good rains in our village. Big streams would be flowing with water throughout the year. I would be walking to school with a good forest cover on the way. It was beautiful. It is not now.' As a Christian, you can stand up for the rights of millions of poor people - like Rev Mvula Mvula from Tearfund's church partner River of Life - who are living with the devastating impact of global warming. You may never meet them; yet you can help transform their lives, through your passionate stand for justice, and your prayers. ...

One year on

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:49:00 GMT

'As we wind and shudder up towards the village of Surul it strikes me just how much we've been through this year... Aid work is like the theatre: somehow the show goes on.' In his blog, Ryan Schmidt, a logistics manager working with Tearfund in Bagh, Pakistani Kashmir, reflects on what has changed in the year since the earthquake struck: I'm driving up into the Bagh hills with my colleague Sardar again. It's nearly nine months since we came here, and12 months since the earthquake that killed more than 75,000 people and left 3 million homeless. In January, we were surveying the earthquake damage and planning a water and sanitation project. This time we're going to see what we've built! As we drive, I gaze out the window and think about what is different here after a year. For one thing the bazaar is much busier. When we drove through these crooked streets in January most of the shops were shuttered down. Only a few storekeepers were sweeping the road in front of their stalls - bravely opening for busine ...

Climate change will create millions more refugees

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 08:50:00 GMT

Severe water shortages caused by climate change could create millions more environmental refugees, a new Tearfund report highlights.

Stopping climate change

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:40:00 GMT

Play your part in stopping climate change by getting involved in the national I count rally in Trafalgar square on Saturday 4 November.

Last among equals

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 12:26:00 GMT

Gender inequality is in the spotlight. We catch up with Tearfund’s Mandy Marshall, who is spearheading a groundbreaking scheme aimed at tackling this issue, and ensuring that women play a crucial role in the fight against poverty. Set to a default mode of male dominance, the world is a tough place for women: Only one per cent of the world’s women own land 70 per cent of the 1.2 billion people living in poverty are women and children 67 per cent of illiterate people in the world are women Of the 191 member countries of the United Nations, only 12 have female leaders But, while the world clearly devalues women and discriminates against them, aren't things different in the church – where a culture of love and mutual respect should pervade? Surely the church’s teaching wouldn’t create a situation where a woman felt she had no choice but to accept a situation that could lead to her death? Think again. Cultural misunderstanding of the biblical concepts of ‘headship’ and ‘submission’ has exposed man ...

Tearfund work in Darfur

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 09:56:00 GMT

Thanks to a generous response to our appeal in 2004, Tearfund’s relief teams and partners have been able to work in three areas of Darfur and in four refugee camps in neighbouring Chad. They are supported by local workers, both Christians and Muslims. Violence in the region has been increasing in recent months. It was with shock and deep sadness that Tearfund confirmed the death on Thursday July 27 of a Sudanese member of its relief team working in West Darfur. Team member killed Rashid Mohamed Mohamed Adam, a hired driver, was one of five Tearfund team members in two vehicles caught up in civil unrest while collecting seedlings, as part of a tree planting programme, from a camp for displaced people in Deleig, north of Garsilla. The team was attacked during the unrest. Three of Tearfund’s team managed to escape the attack, but Rashid and another team member, Taha Adurahhman, who suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, were set upon by a crowd. Please remember his family in your prayers. ...

Liberia: water arrives

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:13:00 GMT

When a new well was installed in Guwin village, it wasn’t the only source of water works. Right place, right time Chantal Richey’s work in war-scarred Liberia with Tearfund’s relief team is a world away from her previous job as a manager in South Africa. But she soon got confirmation that she was in exactly the right place. Chantal's story I had been at the project site in west Liberia for three days when I had an experience that totally confirmed how cool God is to have brought me to Tearfund. I was out with our water and sanitation (watsan) team in Guwin, near the dirt highway to Ivory Coast, checking out the wells. At that stage my knowledge of where water comes from was purely related to taps and dams. Guwin is quite small and has clearly been devastated by 14 years of civil war. The highway was the main route used by the rebels to get into Liberia and they pretty much just drove through and trashed buildings, shot animals and destroyed anything in the vicinity. Signs of life The well was nea ...

Open letter in the Telegraph

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:45:00 GMT

The following letter appeared in the Telegraph newspaper on 25 November - the 25th anniversary of the UN declaration on the right to freedom of religion and belief. Tearfund's Chief Executive Matthew Frost was among those who signed it. Dear Sir The current high media profile being given to the issue of religious freedoms (News bulletin, Thurs 23 Nov and recent articles) coincides with today's 25th anniversary of an important UN declaration on the right to freedom of religion and belief. Twenty-four UK-based religious leaders and faith-based organisations, representing a broad section of traditions, have marked the anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion and Belief by writing to the Prime Minister. We have drawn attention to the continuing widespread infringements of the right to freedom of religion. These breaches include the control of religious activity by totalitarian States, institutionalised discrimination experienced by religious ...

HIV and AIDS

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:13:00 GMT

When Gracia Ross realised she was HIV positive, she was scared about telling her pastor father, and her church. But the experience taught her the true meaning of grace. And rather than surrender to the virus, she is now dedicated to educating young people about HIV and advocating for access to free medication. As a Bolivian teenager Gracia Violeta Ross led two lives. At home and at church, the pastor’s daughter called herself Gracia. But it was Violeta who jumped off her balcony to sneak out to parties. Late one night, when she was drunkenly walking home, two men took her into an alley, taking it in turn to rape her. Gracia says, ‘after the rape, I became arrogant. I said to God, “I’m the daughter of a pastor. Why didn’t you protect me?” ’ Life changing Two years later, in November 2000, she tested positive for HIV. Not believing the results, she repeated the test a month later. Once again, it was positive. She doesn’t know if she contracted HIV from the rapists or from her boyfriend of nine year ...

Confused by Christmas

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 11:56:00 GMT

It simply wouldn’t be Christmas without the ubiquitous charity single! And this year 19-year-old Luke Leighfield is adding his voice to the angelic throng with the song I’m so confused by Christmas. Proceeds go to Tearfund’s Work a miracle campaign. Luke says, ‘so far we’ve sold about 400 copies and I hope to do many more. I chose Tearfund because I like you guys. It’s all very worthwhile.’ The multi-talented teenager not only wrote the words and music, he also sings and plays the piano and violin on the record. ‘It deals with our obsession with the petty things at Christmas, like money, crackers and shopping, and asks why we’re not concerned about the real issues like poverty and homelessness’, he explains. Despite the serious message, the record is ‘just the right side of cheesy’, according to Luke. Visit www.myspace.com/simplylukeleighfield and judge for yourselves. Tearfund’s vision is to halt the spread of HIV everywhere we work by 2015. Find out more and help us make it happen.

East Africa floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:44:00 GMT

Heavy rains battered parts of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia last Autumn. At least 150 people were killed; cows and goats were drowned and entire harvests were ruined. The rains followed severe drought across the region. Tents, medicine and food have now been delivered to the people of Humbo district by Tearfund partner the Wollaita Kale Heywot Church (WKHC). Now WKHC’s focus shifts to longer-term recovery as they continue to offer practical support to those in need. Self-sufficient June to July is the planting season in the low-lying Humbo district, southern Ethiopia. But unusually heavily rains lasted from August until the beginning of December, destroying the freshly-planted seeds. Farmers managed to plant new crops in January but will be reliant of food aid until the harvest at the end of March. WKHC will continue to distribute food until then. WKHC’s work is geared to helping the people of Humbo region to be self-reliant again as quickly as possible. They are encouraging farmers to plant and sel ...

Living up to God's potential

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 12:20:00 GMT

A thieving, teenage, repeat-offending drug addict. Sound like he might need an asbo? Thankfully, that's not how God saw it. Be challenged by Luis's goose-bump-inducing story of love and redemption.

In his hands

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 09:56:00 GMT

Freedom

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:36:00 GMT

It was an inspired, impassioned people, zealous with the fire of God after a recent revival, who set out to destroy the structures that kept people in chains 200 years ago. And today, God calls an equally inspired and impassioned people to change the world through our worship. That's the challenge we set in our new resources that mark 200 years since the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Christians then believed that the appalling conditions in which slaves were captured, transported and treated were offensive to humanity and to God. They saw it as part of their worship to destroy the structures keeping people in chains. They persevered, despite the seeming impossibility of their task. There were approximately 4 million slaves living when the Abolition Bill was passed on 25 March 1807. Today, more than 12 million people live in forms of modern-day slavery, including sex-work, forced labour on farms and domestic service. Tearfund's new Freedom film tells a heart-breaking story based on our wor ...

You are what you eat

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:14:00 GMT

Buying fairly traded products spreads love, love that turns on a light in the eyes of the desperate and hurting and hungry. Fairtrade isn't about a few chocolate bars and weak tea. There's good stuff out there. But buying the products needs to be made easier, because they provide a vital income and the hope of a secure future to thousands of people. Explaining why he's embarking on a 'fair-trade-a-thon', Tearfund's Ben Clowney says: 'Through the simple act of buying Fairtrade, you can make a choice that brings hope and a future to the lives of poor communities. This Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from 26 February to 11 March, we'll be highlighting the range of Fairtrade products available in a slightly different way.' Ben will be attempting to survive solely on products bearing the Fairtrade Mark, and nothing else, for the duration of the fortnight. Log on to www.tearfund.org/fairtrade to see how you can get involved and follow his progress.

Liberia: going organic

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:40:00 GMT

Liberia goes one better than the increasingly environment-conscious Britain – with organic toilets… Chantal Richey tells us how they came up with the plan, and proves that the best ideas are rarely formulated in the board room. Blue sky thinking ‘We were in the back of a pick-up having our standard picnic lunch of a tin of anything scooped onto pita bread, talking about toilets – as one does during lunch. Indra, our watsan (water and sanitation) advisor jokingly said to Samuel, our watsan project manager, "Hey, Chantal loves bamboo, can’t you use a bamboo pole for the ventilation pipe?" We all just packed up laughing. 'Then I thought hang on, that’s a pretty good idea… can’t we make a whole latrine out of forest stuff? The base can be logs packed with mud and cane instead of cement slabs, the pipe can be bamboo instead of plastic and the roof palm thatch instead of zinc. 'We could call it our organic latrine, build one, and use it to show communities that they can build their own latrines without havi ...

Out of the ordinary

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 15:38:00 GMT

Prostitutes, pimps, holiness and brothels. Does something seem out of place? Holiness is the last thing I was expecting to encounter in the red light district of Mumbai. Does God cry? Near the centre of Mumbai, the red light district looks a lot like any other run-down area of the city. Children play on the street, skinny dogs sniff through piles of rubbish and paint peels off sprawling apartment blocks that have seen better days. The pavements seethe with people, motorbikes narrowly miss lithe men pulling laden carts and taxi drivers make full use of their car horns. As daylight fades and the roads jam with even more cars, the scene is anything but holy. We are in a taxi on the notorious Falkland Road, surrounded by noise and chaos, our photographer ready to snatch shots from the twilight. Groups of girls stand in doorways – some hold small children, one brushes out her hair. I try not to think about what is concealed behind the brothel walls. Rows of scruffy beds divided by partitions where women a ...

Mozambique well prepared for floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:34:00 GMT

Torrential rain has caused extensive flooding in the Zambezi river valley of Mozambique. More rain is forecast over the next few weeks. But the country was well prepared and the United Nations (UN) has praised Mozambique for its handling of the disaster. Crops ruined Flooding has left thousands of people homeless and has destroyed valuable crops. The unusually heavy rain is forecast to continue through March and has been blamed on the El Nino phenomenon, a climatic cycle causing unusual weather patterns. Well prepared The government learnt lessons from severe flooding in 2000 and 2001 and was well prepared. Local relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute, has put an early warning system in place. In October they predicted that there would be floods. They stored tents, blankets and water purifying chemicals as a contingency plan and were able to move boats and communication kits to vulnerable areas long before the floods hit. They also made sure there was World Food Programme (WFP) ...

Lifeline for children in Delhi's slums

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:58:00 GMT

Children living in desperate poverty in Delhi are facing lives of chaos, violence and sexual exploitation, according to a long-standing Tearfund partner. New projects But the Discipleship Centre has plans to help more than 1,000 children with new programmes in two of the city’s squalid slums. The projects will set up slum committees to focus on strengthening families and on encouraging communities to lobby hard for improved local government provision of health care, pre-school education, primary schools and other social services schemes within the slums. Men and women will be taught about child rights, education, health and nutrition. Information about HIV and AIDS will be central to the programmes. Crèches will provide young children with a play-based education and a nutritious meal. Churches share God's love And local church congregations will teach children about God’s love, through Sunday School classes and Bible studies. Drug abuse, domestic violence, inadequate primary schools, dirty dr ...

Madagascar: new life despite floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Madagascar has already been hit by six storms this hurricane season. The latest, Cyclone Indlala, struck in mid-March and an estimated 78,000 people lost their home as a result. And Indlala devastated some 80 per cent of the island’s vanilla harvest – the country’s main export. Lack of food The rice crop has been affected by the heavy rains that accompanied Indlala. A UN spokesperson estimates that almost 200,000 people were in need of food aid even before Indlala struck. In the arid south of Madagascar, some half a million people are being affected by drought. Tearfund partner the Bible Baptist Church of Madagascar runs a hospital in Mandritsara, northern Madagascar. Dr David Mann, who works at the hospital, writes the following exciting account of how the hospital was able to deliver a baby, despite the floods. First-hand account The worst of the storm was along the east coast. Towns to the northeast of us suffered severe wind and flood damage. Major donor organisations are involved in urgent rel ...

Burundi: behind the scenes

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:42:00 GMT

Sri Lanka: from the frontline

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 16:04:00 GMT

As Sri Lanka's conflict worsens, Clare Crawford sends us a report about what life is like in Batticaloa, a town on the east coast trying desperately to respond to the needs of people fleeing from the fighting. Learn more about the conflict and get prayer points here. Clare writes: Batticaloa looks like a mushroom field – except the mushrooms are white United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) tents. We saw hundreds of tents going up one morning. The next afternoon they were full and the over-spill families were under the trees on the other side of the road. Tens of thousands flee All around there are thousands upon thousands of people. No-one is quite sure how many people are now in Batticaloa. Some 70,000 people fled there at the end of 2006 because of fighting to the north. These people had just begun to return to their home areas when the army started shelling the area to the west of Batticaloa – a long-term Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) area. The only safe place was Battic ...

Northern Uganda: between war and peace

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:24:00 GMT

The people of northern Uganda are caught in a curious limbo between war and peace. A truce has been agreed between the government of Uganda and the rebels, but the talks keep stalling and many people are still too fearful to return home. Northern Uganda has been brutalised by 20 years of civil war at the hands of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Many families left their villages and moved into large semi-permanent camps during the conflict. Some people are too young to remember what peace was like, and have lived all their lives in camps. Long-term legacy of war Tearfund’s Phillip James has recently returned from the region. He says, ‘No one I met had escaped the impacts of the war. The driver I was with had been caught up in an LRA ambush and miraculously escaped, the hotel receptionist had been kidnapped and forced to be an LRA member’s wife. She too managed to escape. ‘Trauma and dependency on aid hand-outs have left people de-motivated and struggling to find hope. That said, there is huge potent ...

Darfur: four years of conflict

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:12:00 GMT

Make a donation here. We’ve raised £2.2 million so far for our Darfur appeal. Thank you. Your money and prayers are bringing hope to this region and enabling our partners and relief staff to continue their invaluable work in Darfur and neighbouring Chad. This work would not be able to continue without your support. Sara Andrews works for Tearfund in Darfur as a water and sanitation coordinator. She is writing a regular blog for the Sheffield Star, which you can read here. Long-running crisisOur relief teams and partner organisations have been working in response to this crisis since launching our initial Darfur appeal in 2003. We are working to help the people hit by this disaster, and also for peace. We want to see the underlying causes addressed and lasting stability achieved in the region ChadOne 70 year old man in Gaga refugee camp in Chad recalls the day he fled from his village in Darfur. ‘Armed men came to destroy the village. They took all the cows and camels and other livestock. Our villag ...

G8 2007: Tearfund responds to Bush

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:17:00 GMT

US Climate Change AnnouncementOn Thursday 31 May, President George Bush announced a new ‘global strategy’ for tackling climate change. He said, ‘the United States will work with other nations to establish a new framework on greenhouse gas emissions for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.’ He explained that this will involve the US and other nations setting a long-term global goal for reducing emissions by the end of 2008. Increased investments in new and cleaner technology is at the heart of the proposal. To this end, the US will convene a series of meetings with countries that produce most greenhouse gas emissions - including nations like India and China who have rapidly growing economies. Tearfund’s ResponseTearfund is seriously concerned that this new announcement will undermine talks that are already underway at the UN, talks that are due to be a central focus of next week’s G8 Summit in Germany (6 – 8 June). Germany, supported by the UK, is pushing for G8 leaders to commit to keep global te ...

WTO talks collapse

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:24:00 GMT

Talks between the US, EU, India and Brazil - the G4 - broke down on June 21st after failure to agree on cuts to tariffs and subsidies. This is the latest ‘collapse’ in a series of breakdowns and re-starts since the current round of WTO talks was kicked off in Doha in 2001. Background In 2001, a new round of WTO negotiations was launched in Doha, Qatar. In recognition of the fact that global trade rules and practices were failing poor countries, this round was said to be a ‘development round’ – with the needs and interests of developing countries at its core. However, from their inception, the negotiations have been far from development-focussed. The concerns and interests of developing countries have been increasingly sidelined and the voice of the poorest ignored. Given the lack of progress over the last five years, four key players – the G4 – had resorted to exclusive meetings to try to break the deadlock. Cause of recent breakdown The reason for the latest breakdown is the US and EU’s consistent refus ...

Making disciples

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:22:02 GMT

‘What does it really mean to follow Jesus in the light of the poverty that so many people live in?’ wondered Nicola Merrison from Windsor, before joining Tearfund’s year team. ‘What does it mean to be a disciple in these times?’ Poverty promotionWhen young people join Tearfund’s year team, they work with our Youth Team, promoting concern for poor communities among a new generation of Christians. They also seem to leave the year with a new passion for church and a realisation that God wants to use us to tackle poverty. Tearfund campaigns officer Ben Clowney (aka Fairtrade man) started his Tearfund life on the year team. Ben says, ‘The year gave me a passion to see the Church really get to grips with poverty-related issues, and a belief the God really wants to use us to change things. ‘Now I work at Tearfund because I still believe in the potential of the church, and I love finding exciting and engaging ways to inspire Christians to be a voice for the voiceless.’ VariedThis year, Nicola has been living i ...

Mozambique: remote access

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:04:00 GMT

In remote areas of Mozambique, where some villages are only accessible by boat, Tearfund partner the diocese of Niassa is using community power to change lives. Beauty and politcal apathy The Anglican Diocese of Niassa, Mozambique, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is also one of the most isolated. Communities here are largely unreached by modern communication and cut off from the rest of the world by a lake, forest-clad mountains and crocodile-infested rivers. They get around by foot, sometimes on the back of their relative's bicycle, or by boat if they are lucky. Their world barely reaches the horizon. It sounds quite idyllic. But there is political apathy for this part of the country. Health services, good roads, economic empowerment and education are failing to take root. Illegal gold mines on the Mozambican shores of Lake Malawi are threatening their water and food supply, and HIV and AIDS is decimating the population and creating a generation of orphans. The church livesImprobabl ...

A welcome contribution

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:37:00 GMT

Tearfund’s Response to the Conservative Party’s Globalisation and Global Poverty Policy Group Report24 July 2007 Policy AnalysisOverall, we welcome the fact that the Conservative Party has commissioned this important piece of work, and recognise the important contribution it makes to the current policy debate in the area of global poverty, particularly in the area of trade. SummaryWhat does the report say?The report focuses on trade, economic development and governance as being central for addressing poverty, and makes some welcome new proposals. It makes some solid contributions on climate change, the environment and disaster risk reduction without saying anything new. It has little to say on health, education, water and sanitation or the other social sectors. Tearfund’s responseOverall, we welcome the fact that the Conservative Party has commissioned this important piece of work. We recognise the important contribution it makes to the current policy debate in the area of global poverty, particularly i ...

Flood response in south Asia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:58:00 GMT

More than 440 people have died and 35 million have been affected by from heavy floods in south Asia. More than 10 million people have been left homeless or stranded, facing severe food shortages and vulnerability to water-bourne disease. Tearfund partners are providing communities in India with shelter, food, water and medical supplies. Government relief efforts are also targeting those in Bangladesh but food is scarce. In Nepal devastating landslides and floods have hit the southern part of the country. Floods, earthquakes and cyclones regularly batter India, so Tearfund partners are experienced at responding to such disasters. This monsoon season, our partners have been able to respond immediately to the floods with money from Tearfund. Be preparedHelping communities prepare for floods and reducing the impact of disasters on vulnerable communities is a key part of Tearfund’s work in India. For example, early warning systems are put in place, high rise tube wells are installed and communities practis ...

Rob Bell Downloaded

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:11:00 GMT

Gap years with the power to transform

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:52:00 GMT

As many young people across the country anticipate starting a course at university in the new academic year, others will have their minds set on exciting adventures and the hope of making a difference in some of the poorest communities around the world. For them it's a gap year, a time to discover themselves and the world they live in. Gap years have been making the headlines recently thanks to their mixed reputation. Many young people have been disappointed and stung by a booming gap year industry, more interested in how much money they can get away with charging than for doing lasting good. Gary Swart, International Regions Director for Tearfund, holds up the Transform programme as a positive example of a scheme that lives up to expectations, both for the participants and the beneficiaries. 'There is a range of quality among gap year projects, but we must not lose sight of the fact that for thousands of young people, these experiences are literally life-changing and hugely positive for the communities ...

Darfur - background and insights

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:19:00 GMT

Tearfund disaster response workers David Bainbridge and Kelsey Hoppe talk about their experiences in Darfur, scene of what the UN have called one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. Divided into four audio pieces that you can download as sound files, each programme covers a different aspect of the crisis - the background, the reality of every day life in Darfur, what the gospel has to say, and what we can do personally in the face of suffering on such a large scale. David Bainbridge's talk is taken from an address he gave at his church covering the issues and his personal experiences and insights. Kelsey Hoppe has worked in disaster situations for several years, both in Indonesia and Darfur. Click on the links below to download the sound files (MP3 format). Background to the conflict (1.99Mb) Insights on disaster situations (3.59Mb) What does the gospel have to say? (2.76Mb) What we can do in the face of suffering (2Mb)

Peru pictures

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:08:00 GMT

Remote communities in Peru recieve aid

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:50:00 GMT

In the aftermath of an earthquake that killed more than 500 people and wounded over a thousand, remote communities in Peru are struggling to survive. Many people are still without food, water and temporary shelters despite government and international community aid donations. Working in the worst affected areas In response, Tearfund partner Asociacion Ministerio Diaconal Paz y Esperanza (Peace & Hope) is working with the Peruvian Evangelical Alliance and local churches in the worst hit areas. In Pisco and Cañete provinces, local churches are running community canteens, providing shelters, psychological support and training communities on how to respond to future disasters. Canteen food It is estimated that more than 1,500 people need food aid, and as part of a food programme, Peace and Hope have set up six feeding canteens. Many people have had little or no access to any food in the region since the disaster. It ...

Fear of the future?

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:04:00 GMT

Hidden from the clamour and heat of Mumbai’s busy streets, a group of young women begin to dance and sing praises to God, Indian sunlight filtering in the open door. As they get more involved in worship, these shy ladies forget there are three foreigners crammed into their house, and dance in a circle round the room, smiling as they sing, ‘We will dance and sing praises to Jesus, He has defeated death and given us life, we rejoice in him.’ It’s hard not to fill up with tears as the deep truth of these words hits home. This is a halfway home for girls who have been rescued from brothels and all the abusive horrors that go with enforced prostitution. Many were sold into prostitution when they were barely in their teens, often by a family member. Ayanna was sold to the madame of a brothel by her aunt when she was 12. She says, ‘I can remember the first night I was in the brothel. I was tortured, I was in pain, I was screaming and I felt very lonely. ‘I thought that was the end for me and I just can’t expla ...

Continued response to Hurricane Felix

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:19:00 GMT

Devastating Hurricane Felix has destroyed thousands of homes and killed an estimated 98 people in Nicaragua. In Honduras, many have been forced to flee from coastal areas as torrential rains hit the country. NicaraguaMany of those killed in Nicaragua were from Miskito communities who had been travelling by boat and were overcome by massive waves and sucked into the sea. More than 80 are also feared missing. In coastal areas largely inhabited by these communities, the hurricane lifted roofs from homes and shelters and many were lost in the storm. Continuing to respond Tearfund partner AMC (Christian Medical Action) has evacuated more than 200 people from communities in the coastal areas of Cabo Viejo and Bismona as well as more than 300 people from Tasba Pouni. With the support of local Tearfund partners shelter is being provided for more than 1,500 people. As well as responding to immediate need they will be involved with the rehabilitation process as communities start to recover. A national emerg ...

Floods devastate Africa

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:23:00 GMT

Floods devastating huge areas of Sub-Saharan Africa have killed more than 250 people and affected over 1.5 million. Floods have hit 17 countries stretching from west to southern Africa. Worst affected have been Ghana, Togo, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali in West Africa; and Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya in east and southern regions of the continent. Tearfund respondsTearfund is working with local partners throughout these regions looking at the best course of action in response to the immense damage. The flooding has damaged the water supplies that did exist and houses already weak were destroyed in the very heavy rain. Livestock and possessions have been lost. Partners in some regions are providing food, shelter and mosquito nets to protect against malaria. Tearfund’s Mark Butler says: ‘In one area of Mali in West Africa, there are reports that half the annual rainfall for the area fell in less than 24 hours damaging important infrastructure like bridges and buildings. Tearfu ...

Reconstructing for the future two years on

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:32:00 GMT

As Pakistan sees the current president Pervez Musharaf win an electoral victory, many in the country will also be remembering the colossal earthquake that left 78,000 dead and over 3.5 million people homeless in their country two years ago. From the outset of the disaster Tearfund was able to work with its local partners in Pakistan and respond to the communities affected by the disaster.Initially giving emergency shelter to more than 4,500 people through Shelter Now International and our own disaster management team, Tearfund is continuing to work with three partners in the country providing support to vulnerable communities. Two years on, many people are still living in tented temporary camps. In July this year there were reports of more than 13,000 displaced people still living in temporary accommodation. With winter approaching, there are fears that the cold weather may increase their hardship further. Continuing to supportTearfund partner Shelter for Life is working with communities to build resili ...

Tearfund emergency funds for floods in Africa

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:16:00 GMT

More than 17 countries were affected by the floods a month ago in central, eastern and western parts of Africa. Mali saw half its annual rainfall in just 24 hours. The measure of the devastation in Sub Saharan Africa was such that the United Nations launched a £60million food aid appeal. And that was for Uganda alone. The launch of emergency work – our appealCommunities are still in desperate need of help if the vast numbers of people affected by the flooding are to recover. Tearfund is now also using an additional £100,000 disasters fund to tackle the devastation. Focusing on Burkina Faso and Uganda, partners are working with local churches to meet the needs of the hundreds of the thousands affected by the flooding. Tearfund is responding with partners to localised flooding in Uganda and Burkina Faso; and in Sudan our disaster management team are working in flooded areas. People are receiving shelter, food, blankets and mosquito nets to protect against malaria. In Ghana and Nigeria our partners there a ...

Give and you get back: Living Gifts

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:29:00 GMT

It’s that time already. The start of the seasonal present-buying frenzy. No, we’re not here to start telling you about the best Christmas bargains. In fact, we’ve got ideas for presents no high street can offer. These gifts are the type that last and will give back to poor communities for a long time to come. Bikes, rollerblades and bhajis And there’s a lot to choose from. Stepping out These are gifts that carry on giving. They are vital and they last. How it works You can use our online catalogue at www.livinggifts.org.uk and fast-track yourself to buying the ultimate ethical present. Step 1: Choose a Living Gifts voucher and the value of it. Step 2: We will then send your friend your gift as a voucher with details of what the voucher can buy – alternatively we can send it to you by email to print out and give to them. Step 3: Your friend can then decide the country and life-changing gift they want to buy. Step 4: Lives are transformed. For the price of a DVD or t ...

Mexico hit by floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:26:00 GMT

More than one million people are thought to have been affected by devastating floods that have hit Tabasco state in southern Mexico. The floods are thought to be the worst Mexico has experienced in 50 years and at least 300, 000 people have been left homeless. Tearfund partner AMEXTRA is running relief and development programmes in areas near Villahermosa, Tabasco’s capital where many communities have been hit by the floods. Eighty per cent of state under water ‘More than 80 per cent of the state of Tabasco is under water,’ said Eugenio Araiza from AMEXTRA. ‘In Villahermosa the river banks have broken and water levels have risen to more than three metres high.’ The governor of Tabasco State Andres Granier has likened the disaster to the flooding in New Orleans, and said that it is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country. Rescue workers and soldiers from the Mexican army have been stacking sandbags along Villahermosa’s streets and using helicopters to pick up stranded peo ...

Shane Claiborne online

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:54:00 GMT

What do you find most compelling about Jesus? Why do you follow him? A few things come to mind. First is that I think I love Jesus because he comes as this embodiment of a God that it’s very hard for me to wrap rings around. So, for instance when I read the Hebrew scriptures, I read this account of a huge creator God, Yahweh, that’s so big and yet it’s very difficult to read through some of the contradictions and paradoxes that are seemingly there you know? (laughs) and to really know what to do with God’s name, I AM, you know? (laughs) What Jesus does, is comes and embodies that - in a way we can emulate and follow and to me Jesus isn’t a contradiction but is a fulfilment and an embodiment of that God. Perfect loveThat’s part of what the incarnation was about, was to, you know. We’d floundered in our message for so long that God comes to love, show us what perfect love looks like. So in a really practical way I love Jesus’ imagination, I love how he transforms, asks polarising questions and really rejec ...

Cyclone Sidr hits Bangladesh

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:41:00 GMT

Tearfund’s partner organisations in cyclone-struck Bangladesh are continuing to respond after a weekend in which tens of thousands went without food, adequate shelter or power. Cyclone Sidr struck southern Bangladesh late on Thursday, bringing winds of up to 150 mph. Sweeping through the country, it destroyed tens of thousands of homes and acres of farmland.Tearfund partner HEED respondsTearfund partner HEED is responding to needs of poor communities in some of the worst hit areas, providing emergency relief, temporary shelter and schools and longer term reconstruction and rehabilitation. The government has declared it a ‘national calamity’, the most destructive storm for over a decade. Death toll highReports show at least 2,400 people are known to have died, but Bangladesh's Red Crescent society believe up to 10,000 may have perished. An estimated one million families are thought to have been affected. Tens of thousands of survivors are now struggling for basic necessities like tents, rice and drinking ...

Bangladesh Cyclone - partners respond

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:47:00 GMT

An estimated 4,000 people are thought to have been killed or are missing in Bangladesh from a massive cyclone that hit the region recently. Working since the day the cyclone struck, Tearfund partner Heed (Health, Education and Economic Development) is continuing to evacuate people to safety. Our latest prayer points can be found here. Their immediate response and ongoing action has meant more than 27,000 were saved. Read an interview with one of Heed's leading aid workers here. There are estimates that more than 6.7 million people have been affected by the cyclone.News reports are estimating up to 70 per cent of the area in western Bangladesh has been devastated and over 1.5 million families in the region have been affected. Early evacuation saved livesIn Bangladesh, Tearfund partner Heed (Health, Education & Economic Development) started evacuating in earnest to move people to safe shelters as early as Thursday in an attempt to protect vulnerable communities. Heed are now scaling up their response as t ...

Appeal for Bangladesh

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:11:00 GMT

Working since the day the cyclone struck, Tearfund partner Heed (Health, Education and Economic Development) is continuing to evacuate people hit by Cyclone Sidr to safety. You can give to Tearfund's work in Bangladesh here. Bangladesh has been hit by the worst cyclone for 10 years. An estimated 5,000 people are thought to have been killed or are missing after Cyclone Sidr swept through the country last week. Reports say 30 of the 64 districts there were hit and more than 6.7 million people have been affected. What we are currently doingTearfund partners there are scaling up their efforts as the death toll rises and are working in 20 of the affected districts. Fast response - our partner Heed (Health, Education & Economic Development) was involved in taking people to safety days before the cyclone. Thanks to this response more than 23,000 people survived the cyclone. Relief -as well as providing sheltered protection, our partners in the region are helping communities with food, water and clothes. Thousa ...

Bangladesh cyclone - winter approaches

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:36:00 GMT

The approach of winter in Bangladesh has intensified the race against time to provide blankets, food and shelter to thousands of people left destitute by Cyclone Sidr, says a leading Bangladesh aid worker.Temperature fall With temperatures beginning to fall in some of the coastal districts where thousands lost their homes, Sylvester Halder, Associate director of Heed (Health, Education & Economic Development), which is supported by DEC member Tearfund, says: Urgent help still needed“We are moving towards winter and thousands of people are living in the open without warm clothes or shelter. It is getting cooler and people urgently need clothes, blankets and food to survive.” He said temperatures, currently 15 degrees and falling during the night, in January could drop as low as six degrees Celsius. Support for the DEC appeal for BangladeshMr Halder, whose organisation is currently distributing emergency food aid to 10,000 people, welcomed the DEC Appeal, saying: “There are many urgent needs such as food and ...

The children that need life

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:11:00 GMT

Musa Njoko interview

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:25:00 GMT

I am definitely not proud of being HIV positive but I am not ashamed. I am not a liability; I am an asset – I have so much to give. I am more than a conqueror; because that is how God sees me. They said I was going to die. That I was cursed by God. They told me I would have sores; I cannot find them. They kicked me out of my church because they said I had committed an awful sin. All they saw was AIDS and death; they failed to see me as I was. (Musa Njoko, Christian, singer, motivational speaker, HIV positive) December 1st 2007 marks the nineteenth annual World AIDS Day and the diagnosis is not good. There are 33.2 million people estimated to be living with HIV; 2.5 million became newly infected this year; 15 million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. The diagnosis is not good - but is the outcome inevitable? Change change changeMusa Njoko found out she was HIV positive in 1994; at the age of 22, and with a son of two years old. Told she had three months to live - Musa was actually embarking ...

No medical services in Zimbabwe

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:30:00 GMT

Silabaziso is a young girl I met in Zimbabwe and a classic case of the impossible situation so many people there are facing’, says Karyn Beattie, Disaster Management Officer from Tearfund. Constant rises in medical costs are making access to healthcare increasingly difficult for poor communities in Zimbabwe; and for those living with HIV the situation is desperate.‘Silabaziso is 13 years old and living with HIV, but her family can’t afford basic medical care let alone getting her access to antiretroviral drugs,’ adds Karyn. Lack of foreign currency, another result of the crisis in Zimbabwe, means that outdated hospital equipment cannot be replaced. Hospitals cannot buy essential drugs such as antiretrovirals, which are used to boost the immune systems of those with HIV. Shortage of medical staffThere are also severe shortages of medical staff as so many Zimbabwean health professionals have left the country. Some reports suggest that even where they remain, staff at health services are refusing to see pat ...

Tearfund Sanitation report

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:31:00 GMT

Tearfund research has found targets set to halve numbers of people unable to access a proper toilet are in massive danger of failing.The Millennium Development goals planned to halve the number of people without adequate sanitation by 2015. But Tearfund’s ‘Sanitation Scandal’ report highlights that 74 countries were no way near achieving the set goals. It says that in its current rate of progress it would take sub Saharan Africa 60 years to achieve the objectives. Real experiences – the need to campaignFormer Tearfund worker Joy Andrew volunteers with partner Oasis in Mumbai, India and everyday sees the indignities countless people live with as a result of inadequate sanitation and clean water. ’My heart twisted when I saw a grown man squatting by the edge of a busy road to relieve himself. When home is a bit of scrubby wasteground under a flyover, what choice do you or your children have?’‘Now I understand why people passionately campaign for people to get sanitation and access to clean water,’ says Jo ...

Kenya in turmoil following election dispute

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:43:00 GMT

Kenya’s spiralling descent into violence and chaos is hampering the work of Tearfund staff and partners in the country. In the worst affected areas workers have been confined to their houses due to rioting and looting. Nationally hundreds of people are dead and tens of thousands are fleeing for their lives. As concerns grow about the security situation, Tearfund has joined forces with other aid agencies to work out what the humanitarian needs are. The violence follows the victory of incumbent president Mwai Kibaki and claims by opposition rival Raila Odinga that he was denied the presidency due to vote rigging. The consequences have been widespread ethnic tension as the Kikuyu (Kibaki's tribe) and the Luo (Odinga's tribe) have clashed. One of the most brutal acts reported so far has been the killing of at least 30 people taking shelter in a church that was set alight by a mob. Reports suggest many people in the Eldoret area have been displaced and are in need of food, water and shelter. Ugandan officia ...

New Year honour for Tearfund volunteer

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:32:00 GMT

Campaigning to combat global poverty has earned a Tearfund volunteer a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list. David Golding, who lives in the North East, has been recognised for ‘services to the world poverty campaign’. As well as speaking on behalf of Tearfund, he is a founder member of the Jubilee Debt Campaign and a leading light in Make Poverty History North East. The retired Newcastle University marine biologist admits he was ‘gob smacked’ when told of his gong. ‘When I took up the cudgels for debt relief in 1997, first as a voluntary spokesperson for Tearfund and then on behalf of the wider Jubilee coalition, I was convinced nobody would listen to a word we said, despite the manifest justice of our case.’ said David. ‘It has been an incredible privilege to be just one of thousands of campaigners who have pressed the case and made such a difference. I regard this as an honour for all the women and men who have worked to make poverty history and see justice done.’ Gill Thurgood, Tearfund’s regional ma ...

Kenya latest news

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:40:18 GMT

NB: Make a donation to Tearfund partners' work in the region by clicking here. Vital food aid is starting to be distributed across Kenya to thousands of people who have been forced to flee for their lives as a result of ethnic violence. It is estimated that 250,000 Kenyans have been displaced and 600 killed due to unrest triggered by the disputed general election result. The United Nations says the humanitarian situation is worsening. Water, sanitation and shelter are emerging as aid agency priorities. The World Food Programme, which is run by the UN, has organised lorries carrying pulses, vegetable oil and a corn-soya blend to go to communities in the Rift Valley, the western town of Eldoret and the capital. Phil James, Tearfund disaster management officer for northern Kenya, said an improvement in the security situation had helped food distribution. ‘The violence in western Kenya, the Coast Province and Nairobi has reduced,’ he said. ‘In the last 36 hours the number of road blocks has gone down con ...

Sharp Relief

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:42:00 GMT

‘The life-saving difference disaster risk reduction programmes can make was brought into sharp relief when I visited two villages in Bangladesh recently. A cyclone shelter had been built by Tearfund’s partner HEED near the village of Taltoli Para; the other village in the area was many kilometres from the nearest shelter. Clinging for survival When Cyclone Sidr stuck in November, bringing terrifying winds and tidal surges over 20 feet high, the majority of the villagers living near the shelter managed to get to safety. HEED, evacuated 1200 people to their shelter that night. Tragically, just 10kms away in the village of Gaptoli, many of the villagers died. One father called Mohammed told me how his seven-year-old daughter was swept out of his arms as he clung to the uppermost branches of a palm tree for safety. The families living in Gaptoli are now completely dependent on aid for their survival having lost their loved ones, homes, livelihoods and all of their possessions. It is illogical and indefensible ...

Kenya in turmoil: eyewitness account

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:44:00 GMT

Paul Ogutu knows what a broken country looks like. His work has taken him to Somalia and Sudan, states that have been strangers to peace and stability for many years. ‘I have seen what goes on in these places and for a short while it was like that in Kenya,’ he says of the aftermath of his country’s disputed general election. ‘There is no transport, goods have gone up in price and there is a lot of animosity. ‘Kenya has been used to helping these countries in the Horn of Africa, Go to these places and you will find Kenyans. Many organisations working in these places have their offices in Kenya. If Kenya is ripped apart, these countries will suffer.’ Paul experienced the aggression that boiled up after claims that President Mwai Kibaki rigged his victory at the polls. While making a journey with his two teenage sons, they stopped at a bus station in Kisumu to change transport. A crowd was shouting ‘Why has Kibaki got one million votes overnight?’ and were on the look out for Kikuyus, the tribe the presi ...

Thousands hit by Zambia floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:11:00 GMT

Zambia has declared a national disaster after flooding left thousands of families homeless. Southern Province is badly affected as torrential rain continues, with bridges being washed away, roads made impassable and some areas completely cut off. In Monze East, about 10 people have died due to houses collapsing or being washed away. Some 11,000 people in the district have been deluged. Reports from Tearfund staff indicate that Gwembe in Southern Province is completely cut off and more than 4,000 households have been affected. People have lost livestock and their crops are submerged in water, prompting worries for future food stocks. Tearfund’s partners in the province, Brethren in Christ Church Zambia (BICCZ) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), are urgently seeking your prayers as they make rapid assessments to determine how and where they can help. EFZ has managed to supply 2,000 families with food but, in common with other relief efforts, work is being slowed down because of the heavy r ...

Insecurity hinders Darfur aid work

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:59:00 GMT

Darfur’s worsening security crisis is stopping Tearfund field staff from making site visits. The United Nations says there has been ‘a dramatic deterioration’ in the Sudanese region which has suffered five years of violence. Western Darfur has seen renewed fighting since Christmas as rebels with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have clashed with Sudanese government forces. There have been civilian casualties and 280 staff working with aid agencies have had to relocate to safer areas.Tearfund works in this area both operationally and with our partner the Fellowship for African Relief (FAR) which assists farmers in food production and harvesting. Tearfund staff haven’t had to be evacuated but security concerns have prevented access to field projects and some staff have not been able to return to the area after the Christmas break. Phil James, Tearfund’s disaster management officer for Darfur, said, ‘The fighting has not affected FAR but it is in the vicinity and there is a heightened security ale ...

Deluge brings flooding misery to Mozambique

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:28:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of people have abandoned their homes after serious flooding hit Mozambique. An extended period of torrential rain has left large parts of the Zambezi river valley under water. Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi have also suffered. Tearfund has partners in all these countries and is working with them to gauge the scale of relief needs. Click here to read about Zambia’s flooding. At least six people have died in Mozambique and another 50,000 have been evacuated to resettlement centres across four provinces. The country has been on heightened alert since last week and the Zambezi is now six feet above critical level. Towns and large areas of agricultural land in Sofala province are deluged with roads and bridges put out of action. The Mozambique government has launched a major rescue operation with 34,000 people being taken from danger areas in the central regions. Earnest Maswera, Tearfund’s desk officer for Mozambique based in Maputo, is working with the Mozambique government’s disaster r ...

Aid arrives at Kenyan camps

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:56:00 GMT

Vital supplies from Tearfund partners are reaching camps set up for those who have been forced to flee Kenya’s violence. Blankets, cooking utensils and anti-malaria nets are among the essentials distributed in the last few days to 1,535 people in a camp at Narok, a town west of Nairobi. Tearfund partner, the Diocese of Nakuru (Narok Integrated Development Programme), is co-ordinating the supplies and their staff are also working with aid charity World Vision to provide sanitation. Just over two weeks into the crisis sparked by a disputed general election result, latest estimates are that 255,000 Kenyans have been displaced by violence and around 600 killed. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reckons that at least 100,000 children have been forced to flee their homes The United Nations has asked for US $42 million to provide some 500,000 people with food, water, shelter and other priority needs over the next six months. There are growing concerns about the impact of the unrest on access to heal ...

Tear Times online - Brazil photo gallery

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:58:36 GMT

Southern Africa water levels still rising

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:01:00 GMT

Tearfund partners working in Mozambique and Zimbabwe report that flood waters are still rising. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by flooding and dozens have died as a result of unusually heavy rains this month that are inundating southern Africa. In Mozambique, our partner the Diocese of Niassa has been gathering information through its network of churches about the scale of the damage. Parts of three provinces – Tete, Sofala and Manica – are now inaccessible by land. Shire and Pinde are two badly affected areas. Bishop Mark Van Koevering said, 'There is a national relief effort underway which is based in Caia. 'Flood waters are still rising and rain is still falling both in Zambezia and neighbouring countries.' For those who have had to escape the floods, the immediate priorities are finding drinking water and having shelter. The United Nations has begun relief flights to central Mozambique, where some 76,000 people have been affected. Helicopters have flown 2.5 tons of cereals and ...

European emission targets lack ambition

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:07:00 GMT

New European targets to tackle climate change are welcome but lack ambition, says Tearfund. The European Commission has announced plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020. This target will be shared between the 27 member states according to GDP, but will include credits bought in from international carbon trading schemes. Tearfund broadly welcomes the EU’s new climate and energy package but is particularly concerned by the lack of ambition in setting only a 20 per cent target for 2020. Sara Shaw, Tearfund’s climate change policy officer, said, ‘A 20 per cent target ignores the science, and the EU’s own position on keeping global temperature rise below two degrees. Tearfund considers that the cuts should be based on a 30 per cent overall target from the outset.’ To find out more about Tearfund response to the EU’s plans click here.

Kenya leaders break the ice but not deadlock

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:37:00 GMT

Ground-breaking talks have at last been held to end Kenya’s political crisis but any agreement still looks a long way off. For the first time in nearly a month, president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga have met face-to-face but after the handshakes, new recriminations started flying. Since the meeting, fresh violence has erupted in the Rift Valley capital, Nakuru. Earlier this week seven people were killed in Kipkelion and 70 houses burned in the Aldai area of Rift Valley province, report UN security officials. In addition, five people were shot dead and 30 shops burned in Trans Nzioa, while four people were killed in Korogocho, Huruma and Mathare slums. In the month since the disputed general election result, violence has claimed 685 lives and 255,000 people have fled their homes, with many arriving at camps for the displaced. Peter Njuguna, project manager of St John’s Community Centre, a Tearfund partner working in Nairobi’s slum areas, said the situation was still volatile. ‘In N ...

Help for Haiti HIV plight

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:20:00 GMT

As the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti is no stranger to heartache. Dictatorship, coups, poverty and plenty of guns combine to produce a cocktail of Caribbean misery and an average life expectancy of 52. Around 80 per cent of the population are Catholics and 16 per cent Protestant. However, most Haitians also practise voodoo, an African spiritual belief which is incompatible with Christianity. The republic also stands out for having one of the highest HIV infection rates in the Americas. Tolerance for people living with HIV is as scarce as bullets are plentiful. And this is where a new Tearfund project comes in, aiming to shake-up attitudes. Our partner World Relief Haiti, based in Port Au Prince, aims to mobilise pastors and their churches to get involved in community-based care of people with HIV. Steve Collins, Tearfund Desk Officer for Haiti, explains, ‘This project has just started and will be working to address attitudes to HIV. ‘The potential for Tearfund’s work is huge. Thr ...

Tearfund responds to Kenya crisis

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:55:00 GMT

Kenya has descended into political and humanitarian chaos since a disputed general election result in December. A thousand people have died and 300,000 have fled their homes to escape tribal violence following the victory of incumbent president Mwai Kibaki. Opposition leader Raila Odinga claims he was denied victory due to vote rigging and the consequences have been widespread clashes between the Kikuyu (Kibaki's tribe) and the Luo (Odinga's tribe). Tearfund and partners have been working to address the immediate day-to-day aid needs of those affected and also to deal with the long term fallout of the civil conflict. One partner, the Diocese of Nakuru (Narok Integrated Development Programme), has been working in camps set up for people to escape the violence. Blankets, cooking utensils and anti-malaria nets are among the essentials that have been distributed to 1,535 people in a camp at Narok, a town west of Nairobi. Trauma counselling Another partner, Lifeskills, is doing trauma counselling at a camp ...

Churches stopping AIDS all together

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:18:00 GMT

A clarion call for UK churches to become more involved in the global response to HIV and AIDS will be the issued at a forthcoming conference. Worldwide 33 million people are currently living with HIV and millions more become infected each year. Two thirds of those living with HIV are in Sub Saharan Africa and the epidemic there is showing signs of reaching or approaching a plateau. However the annual number of newly diagnosed HIV infections has doubled in the UK between 2001 and 2006. It’s against this background that the conference has been organised by Tearfund and the Bracknell Family Church. It aims to demonstrate that HIV and AIDS is something which all individuals and churches in the UK should consider how they engage with, both locally and globally; as a matter of both compassion and justice. The event has attracted some prominent speakers. Kay Warren, co-founder of the second biggest church in the United States, will be one of them. In 1980, she started the Saddleback Church in California al ...

Mexicans face flooding trauma

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:20:00 GMT

Three months ago, a state in southern Mexico suffered flooding on a par with New Orleans. But mention the word Tabasco and people are more likely to think of a hot sauce rather than a disaster zone, which says a lot for the coverage of the event compared with its American counterpart. While the immediate relief needs of the people affected have been largely met, signs are emerging of the trauma damage inflicted on the population by probably the worst catastrophe that region of Mexico has ever seen. Tropical storm Noel combined with two cold fronts brought severe floods to the state of Tabasco as 700mm of rain led to levees breaking and rivers overflowing. A million people and more than 1,000 towns were affected, with 90 per cent of cultivated land inundated. `The scale of the problem was huge,’ said Joao Martinez da Cruz, Tearfund’s Desk Officer for Mexico. `You could compare it with the floods in New Orleans in 2005 but Mexico doesn’t have the infrastructure or government determination to help to the ...

Sri Lanka on the brink

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:30:00 GMT

2008 looks set to be the year when Sri Lanka steps back into the darkness of civil war. A truce between the government and the Tamil Tigers came to an end a few weeks ago and the body count has been mounting ever since. On the last day of the truce, 32 people died and nearly 100 more civilians perished in the three days afterwards. In recent days, as the country has celebrated 60 years of independence from Britain, dozens more have been killed in bomb attacks. `It’s a very depressing place to be at the moment,’ says Sarah Dellor of Tearfund’s Tsunami Task Force who has just returned from the island. ‘People are fed-up with fear and the unknown.’ So far Tearfund’s post-tsunami work is ongoing and remains unaffected. Eight Tearfund partners are helping communities recover from the tsunami and in total £9 million is being spent. Additionally some of the funds are being used to help people from these areas who are also affected by the war. Click here to find out more. Growing tension But for all of Te ...

Bringing life back to the beach

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:35:00 GMT

A community living on a Sri Lankan beach sounds idyllic. But in Columbo’s Dehiwala and Mt Lavinia areas, it means life in a slum pressed up against the water’s edge and with a railway line running through the middle. It’s a community where many homes were destroyed by the tsunami and livelihoods wrecked. Our partner, Community Concern Society is working to restore the environment. This means clearing the beach of tons of rubbish left by the deluge and the debris of daily life and organising residents to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their section of the waterfront. The clean-up has brought unexpected benefits. Shanek Fernando of CCS, said, ‘Immediately the day after the beach clean-up, the people living on the beach said for the first time they were able to sleep properly as there was a drastic reduction in mosquitoes.’ Cleaning up sewers and providing proper methods of rubbish disposal will soon provide a better environment for the hundreds of marginalised people that live ...

Fighting in Chad hampers aid work

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:27:00 GMT

Fierce fighting between government forces and rebels in Chad is being closely monitored by Tearfund. Thousands of people have left the capital N'Djamena as a result of two days of intensive street fighting. Witnesses tell of bodies on the streets which are also littered with burnt out vehicles. The main market and a radio station have also been destroyed. The government claims it has suppressed the rebellion but the rebels say they have merely withdrawn so civilians can escape further onslaughts. Tearfund staff who were in Chad have now left the country and our partners are watching the situation closely in case security deteriorates and they need to move workers. Tearfund partner CORD works in eastern Chad with refugees from the conflict in Darfur. It is moving staff out of N’Djamena and, although they continue to work in the east, their efforts are severely hampered by the security situation. Tim Raby, Tearfund’s Assistant Head of Region for West Africa, said, `The situation in eastern Chad is ...

Take up our Carbon Fast challenge

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:33:00 GMT

We’ve all had light bulb moments, those beautiful occasions when an idea turns your brain on to a new way of thinking. Ironically for the Bishop of Liverpool, the Rt. Rev James Jones, his was about climate change, turning lights off and generally saving energy. He recalls that it happened during a chat with the Environment Secretary. ‘He was challenging us, saying the church has a major role to play in changing people’s hearts and minds,’ said Bishop James. ‘A light bulb switched on in my head, and I thought that during Lent we should call for a carbon fast. The idea of fasting is right there in the gospels, but why don’t people fast from carbon and do something really important at the same time that makes a real difference to someone else?’ And so the Carbon Fast was born. Forty days to engage in simple but effective ways of reducing your CO2 impact on a world which already has too much. So what is the Bishop proposing? Click here to find out more about the Carbon Fast. Apathy `No more carbon!’ I he ...

Low carbon man

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:37:00 GMT

Meet Ben Clowney. To the unenlightened, he’s a glutton for punishment. To those in the know, he’s a guy who puts his beliefs into action. Ben has form. Last year he was Tearfund’s Fairtrade Man, living for a fortnight on Fairtrade food and drink. ‘Even during Fairtrade Man, people were saying, “What’s next?” says Ben. What’s next is Tearfund’s Carbon Fast. Ben is participating in 40 days of environmentally-healthier living, with a simple energy-saving action each day. But that is not all. To paraphrase Stars in Their Eyes, ‘Tonight Matthew, Ben is going to be Low Carbon Man.’ Except this persona will last more than a night. Low Carbon Man will, God willing, fast for at least a week. Under canvas Ben will kick off his carbon-curbing commitment with seven days of camping in the Tearfund car park in February. In doing so, Ben plans to significantly lighten his carbon footprint. In the course of a year the average Briton is responsible for producing around 10 tons of CO2. Ben’s plan is to slash his ca ...

Low Carbon Man

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:36:00 GMT

Tearfund has a new superhero for Lent – Low Carbon Man. Climate change campaigner Ben Clowney is taking on this alter ego to promote Tearfund’s Carbon Fast – 40 days of simple energy saving actions. Click here to find out more about the Carbon Fast. And to kick-off his carbon cutting commitment, Ben is planning to live in a tent for a week in the Tearfund car park, starting this Friday (8 Feb). In the process he’ll be ditching his car, eating locally sourced food cooked on a gas stove and, of course, he’ll have no heating or running water. During his week under canvas, Low Carbon Man plans to slash his carbon usage by 95 per cent. Ben said, `I wanted to take it to extremes to highlight the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and to protect poor communities around the world who are already suffering from the ravages of climate change. ‘Obviously people don’t have to sleep in a tent to cut their carbon emissions but the Carbon Fast is a good place to start with lots of easy energy saving ideas.’ Leav ...

Church works to defuse Kenya tensions

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:36:00 GMT

Tribal tensions remain high in Kenya’s Rift Valley despite the progress of political talks nationally, according to Tearfund staff and partners. Visits to camps holding thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes show that distrust is still widespread. In the Naivasha area, displaced Kikuyus are mostly sheltering with fellow tribes people. But people from the Luo community who have been forced out of their homes have moved to displacement camps. Tearfund staff report that many of these people no longer want to return to their homes, with many articulating a desire to ultimately return to their ancestral homelands. Church help The church is helping displaced people from all communities. There have been examples of pastors of different tribes saving each other and welcoming other community members into their homes. Church members are providing voluntary contributions of food, clothes and money to displaced Kikuyu housed with families and in the compound of the Anglican Church of Kenya ...

Beacon of hope for disadvantaged

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:00:00 GMT

‘I’ve experienced growth within myself.’‘It’s changed my life completely.’‘It’s a very peaceful place.’ These are the words of three people who are among thousands who have benefited over the years from the work of a Tearfund partner called the Lighthouse Project. From today, many more will also receive its help as it opens a new centre in the West Midlands town of Wednesbury. This will be the project’s fifth centre, where it will encompass the same vision, ethos and purpose as the existing centres, providing a warm, safe, accepting environment where people can access support, meet new people and learn new skills, through a variety of courses and training opportunities, that will be available to all. Last year alone, 800 adults signed up for Lighthouse services for the first time and almost 600 enrolled on training courses, each starting their own personal journey of opportunity and achievement. The role of the Helping Hands Mentoring service is an important part of the project’s remit, based upon the ...

Kenya church to lobby leaders for power sharing deal

website.editor@tearfund.org — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:32:00 GMT

Tearfund’s partner in Kenya is part of a team of church leaders who are lobbying both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to call for a power-sharing agreement. The move comes as violence continues to simmer in the country, where December’s disputed elections have cost 1,000 lives and forced 300,000 people to flee their homes. Talks between the two sides broke down on Monday with both sides blaming each other for the deadlock. Church in reconciliation workChurch leaders have been involved in lobbying both sides, as well as in community reconciliation work, since 30 December. Tearfund’s partner, the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, has been instrumental in the formation of an inter-religious group which has used its collective lobbying power to negotiate at a national level. The group has so far held three meetings with the former UN chief, Kofi Annan, and his negotiating team. The meetings were described as 'very fruitful' by the Revd Dr Wellington Mutiso, General Secretary of the Evange ...

Kenya moves towards reconciliation

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:01:00 GMT

Kenyan church leaders will be meeting next week to discuss plans to promote reconciliation as the country’s political leaders move towards a new constitution. The three day meeting will bring together church leaders from all denominations to talk about how communities can be brought back together and what the new government should be doing to encourage re-settlement. The move follows a political deal between president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to form a coalition government after two months of civil infighting. The first step towards that end was taken yesterday with the state opening of parliament which began with a minute’s silence in memory of the 1,000 people who have died in the post-election violence. MPs will meet again next Tuesday to formally approve the deal and to amend the country’s constitution to create the post of executive prime minister, which will be taken on by Mr Odinga. Truth There are also plans to establish a truth and reconciliation commission. Already the ...