World Humanitarian Day #NoMatterWhat

Ndyaguma is a Project Manager with Tearfund’s local partner, Help Channel Burundi. He’s responsible for ensuring the right kind of practical support gets to communities who have been affected by disasters. He tells us that this year, for example, they supported 968 households in Gatumba with essential provisions after the flooding that happened there.

Ndyaguma tells us that the challenge for him is the sadness he feels at seeing people who have lost homes and are facing extremely difficult situations alone after disasters. He says, ‘I feel I have the passion to reach out to these people because God has given us a responsibility to reach out to these people in need #NoMatterWhat.’

Changing environments in Nigeria

Lois Abba Sambo
Communications and Creativity Unit Lead, Jos Green Centre
Tearfund local partner organisation in Nigeria

‘I have begun to see the fruit of what we're doing… and this keeps pushing me to keep doing the work, #NoMatterWhat.’

Lois works for Jos Green Centre – one of Tearfund’s local partners in Nigeria. Her job is to help teach people ways to look after their environment and to adopt environmentally sustainable behaviours which can make a huge difference in their community.

Lois says, ‘[the work] was a passion I enjoyed fulfilling’, but when Lois had to relocate to Abuja, she was worried about how she was going to be able to continue doing the work. The road from Abuja to Jos is dangerous – notorious for armed robberies and kidnappings. ‘However,’ she says, ‘I did not let that deter me. At every opportunity I got, I [travelled] the road with fear of the unknown, but with the assurance that what I was doing was birthing a change in the lives of others.

‘And I have begun to see the fruit of what we're doing at the Jos Green Centre. The new governor of Plateau State has even recognised the work we do, and this keeps pushing me to keep doing the work, #NoMatterWhat.’

Shadrach Gyuks
Associate Member, Jos Green Centre
Tearfund’s local partner organisation in Nigeria

‘The joy of knowing that our efforts are shaping young minds and empowering them to face the future with confidence is a reward that cannot be quantified, and I continue to be motivated #NoMatterWhat.’

‘A few years ago,’ says Shadrach, ‘I found myself contemplating ways to support the youth, particularly adolescents. This eventually took shape as an initiative and together with my team, we ventured into secondary schools to run sessions addressing a range of vital topics such as planning skills, Sexual and Reproductive Health, leadership, and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).’

Shadrach and his team have encountered a series of challenges along the way – not least financial constraints. ‘Additionally,’ he says, ‘the demand from interested schools outstrips our available manpower, which brings its own set of challenges in managing and delivering the programmes effectively.’

Even so, in the face of these obstacles, he says, ‘I remain steadfast in my commitment. The impact and transformation that I witness in the lives of these young people are my driving force. The excitement I feel about making a difference outweighs any financial considerations.

‘The joy of knowing that our efforts are shaping young minds and empowering them to face the future with confidence is a reward that cannot be quantified, and I continue to be motivated #NoMatterWhat.’

Dora Tarfar
Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (DMEAL) Coordinator, Tearfund Nigeria

‘Some of the challenges I face… [include]... having to conduct interviews in communities that have already been attacked, with no certainty if they would be attacked again while you're there.’

Dora is one of our own staff based in North East Nigeria. Part of her job is to conduct needs assessments in communities that Tearfund is working to help support. ‘Some of the challenges I face,’ Dora says, ‘would be long hours of travel on very bad roads and having to conduct interviews in communities that have already been attacked, with no certainty if they would be attacked again while you're there. I would have to stay in hotels that are not very clean, which makes it very, very stressful and very, very hard for me to do my job sometimes.’

In spite of the dangers and difficulties Dora faces, she continues to work with the people Tearfund is supporting #NoMatterWhat.

Mary Daniel
Executive Director, Yola Renewal Foundation
Tearfund’s local partner organisation in Nigeria

‘As a result of our intervention,... it has improved the livelihoods of people in those communities.’

Yola Renewal Foundation is a youth-led organisation here in Adamawa State, working in different sectors – such as Environmental and Economic Sustainability (EES), protection, health, and Church and Community Transformation (CCT). Mary is the organisation’s Executive Director.

‘Currently,’ she says, ‘we're working on a project titled Trash to Cash – turning plastic pollution into economic opportunities in five different communities.’ As a result of this work, they have removed over 280 tons of plastics, which would otherwise have gone into the river, clogging up natural waterways and contributing to the risk of dangerous flooding.

‘As a result of our intervention,’ Mary tells us, ‘these communities that are prone to flooding have not experienced flooding in the past few years. And, as a result of that, it has improved the livelihoods of people in those communities. They are able to go about their usual business, it has improved their health, and also it has helped them to manage their waste.

‘Yola Renewal Foundation will ensure that we improve the livelihood of people #NoMatterWhat.’

Bringing support in Bangladesh and Asia

Sylvia Gini Karmokar
Project Manager, Baptist Aid
Tearfund’s local partner organisation in Bangladesh

‘I am doing this work as an ambassador of God to share the love of God with all the people.’

Reports suggest that almost two thirds of married women in Bangladesh experience some form of partner violence in their lifetime, and many women in the country face discrimination in their family life.

Silvia works with Tearfund’s local partner Baptist Aid to help promote the rights of women and children. She says, ‘As a woman, I feel proud to assist the vulnerable women and girls of my community to live an enhanced life with all their human rights. I am doing this work as an ambassador of God to share the love of God with all the people.’

James Rana Baidaya
Disaster Management Capacity Strengthening Coordinator, Tearfund Asia and Bangladesh Rohingya Response

‘We will be there with the people who are in need.’

As part of Tearfund’s response to the Rohingya refugee crisis in Cox's Bazar, James has been responsible for helping to get life-saving items, such as food, water and sanitation provision to people inside the refugee camps. His job has also involved responding to various disasters and humanitarian crises across the Asia region.

James says, ‘We are trying our level best to support the people, giving them life saving items. But still, we are in crisis for funding. Funds are being reduced since there are many other disasters in the world. In our position, we will try our level best to be with the people #NoMatterWhat situation arises. We will be there with the people who are in need.’

Sylvester Michael Modhu
Programme Manager, World Concern
Tearfund’s local partner organisation in Bangladesh

‘I came to the rural community to serve the people.’

Sylvester has been working with World Concern, Tearfund’s local partner in Bangladesh, since 2009. His job involves helping train communities in things like disaster risk reduction, improving livelihoods, and reducing gender-based violence. He says, ‘I had the opportunity to work in the cities or towns, but I came to the rural community to serve the people.’

Part of God’s plan in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Ruth Kirere
Office Administrator in Goma, Tearfund DRC

‘We are proud to help them.’

Ruth works for Tearfund DRC, based in the country office in Goma. Her job doesn’t usually involve travelling to the communities where Tearfund’s work is being carried out, however, by doing her job in the office, she performs a vital role in helping make sure that the ‘field people’ (as she affectionately calls them) can do their work.

‘We do a lot of work backstage,’ says Ruth. ‘The challenge that I face in my administration work is to keep the organisational values. And also to be a good mother. Of course, we were called to do our work here. We need to do our work and to be professional, but sometimes we miss being with our children.

‘I really love what I'm doing… And also when we see the help that we are giving to the field people… that when they reach their goal – going to the direct community – we are proud to help them.’

Nehemie Babikana
Media officer, Tearfund DRC

‘I feel like I'm not relying on my own strength. It's being part of this great plan that God has to rescue the world.’

‘My work has many things actually to rejoice about, and I really enjoy it,’ says Nehemie, who works as a media officer for Tearfund in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In the course of his work, Nehemie says he sometimes faces challenges such as bad roads, bad weather, and safety and security risks as he travels to do his job, but in spite of all of these things, he still manages to wake up every day feeling motivated.

‘God has been faithful and has been helping us with all these situations,’ he says. ‘The work that I do needs to be done by someone. If I don't do it, then someone else will have to. If I were in [a difficult] situation, I'd love someone to give themselves to come and actually reach out and assist.

‘I feel like I'm not relying on my own strength. It's being part of this great plan that God has to rescue the world that God has put me in and he's given me the skills. He's given me the time and the means to actually do his job. The other thing is also, when I see the success stories, I feel like “Oh yes! God is using us!” and I keep being encouraged every day. So, I really want to continue doing my job serving – serving the country, serving the world #NoMatterWhat.’

Edouard Saidi
Church and Community Transformation (CCT) and Influencing Officer, Tearfund DRC

‘I enjoy this job because when I see success stories… that makes me happy and encourages me to continue… #NoMatterWhat.’

Edouard is based in Goma, DRC. He tells us, ‘My job is to mobilise the community for holistic transformation – not just for one aspect of their life.’

Working through local churches, Edouard’s work is to help communities find new ways of thinking and doing things to transform their circumstances.

He says, ‘I enjoy this job because when I see success stories – how people are transforming their lives, building their relationships, and also taking care of the environment – that makes me happy and encourages me to continue… #NoMatterWhat.’

Meeting needs in Colombia

Rut Camargo
Director of Fundación Nuevo Comienzo
Tearfund’s local partner in Cartagena, Colombia

‘We continue to do the work because if it's not us, who would do it?’

Rut Camargo works in Cartagena, Colombia, where many people from Venezuela have sought refuge from the economic crisis in their country. However, for many, the living conditions are extremely difficult.

‘We have been working in the community for several years, reaching out to children,’ says Rut. ‘We arrive very early [in the morning] to prepare food for the children, organise their after school classes, their homework, and to clean the preschool room.

‘We have many volunteers, Venezuelan migrant women and we support them and their children in their daily lives.’

Despite being a community that can be dangerous and does not have legal water, sewage, or electricity service, Rut says, ‘We continue to do the work because if it's not us, who would do it? Who would continue to support these women, these children, these families? So that's why we continue.’ #NoMatterWhat

Water in South Sudan

Waran Jimmy
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Adviser, Tearfund South Sudan

‘I feel fulfilled as a humanitarian worker when I can support vulnerable people in need.’

Waran works for Tearfund in South Sudan. He says, ‘As a humanitarian worker, my most recent experience was when we responded to a humanitarian crisis in Kajo Keji, Central Equatoria state, when over 9,000 people were displaced after armed men attacked their village, leaving 27 people dead. Tearfund responded by providing clean drinking water, household water treatment tablets, household water collection containers and constructed sanitation facilities such as pit latrines, and bathing facilities.

‘I feel fulfilled as a humanitarian worker when I can support vulnerable people in need, such as [internally displaced people]. These people lost everything. Our work is to help them cope and recover from their traumatic experiences.’

Poverty is not God’s plan. You are.

Each of the people we’ve introduced you to above is part of God’s plan to show his love, in the most practical ways, to people all around the world. But, so are you.

Please will you join us in prayer on a regular basis – you can sign up to our weekly One Voice in Prayer email. And then, if you can, would you consider also practising what you pray and either supporting us by giving to Tearfund’s work or by fundraising?

You can make a difference #NoMatterWhat.

*On 19 August 2013, a group of aid workers were at the UN compound at Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq. Some were international staff, some were local. Each of them was there because they had chosen to work for an organisation whose goal is to make a difference in the lives of others.

None of those who survived will forget the trauma of the two-ton bomb terrorist attack on the hotel on that day that left 22 of their colleagues dead.

Five years later, World Humanitarian Day was set up by the United Nations General Assembly as an annual moment to commemorate the tragic deaths and to bring together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, wellbeing and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers.