Our next fund-raising event will be a Victorian Afternoon Tea on Saturday 19th May. All you can eat from 2pm – 4.30pm Tickets available from Hopscotch or fundraising committee members. Put the date in your diary, folks!
The next Messy Church is at the United Reformed Church at 10:30 on Saturday 26th May. Join us for a morning of fun and messiness! Messy Church is a once-a-month time of stories, crafts, creativity, worship and eating together. There is no charge. Lunch is provided. All children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. (The [...]
A big thank you everyone who supported our table-top sale this morning – whether you grabbed a bargain, ate a bacon roll or toiled in the kitchen…
Don’t forget that we have a community coffee morning every Wednesday morning from 10.30 to 12pm at the back of the church. Biscuits, chat, company and more than a few laughs! We work on a donation basis and would love to meet you. You are welcome any time. We have toys and books for children [...]
Our next fund-raising event will be a Victorian Afternoon Tea on Saturday 19th May. All you can eat
ZIMBABWE Being a grandparent Alexander had four sons and a daughter. Today he finds himself and his
Hebron Hebron is a sacred place because of the cave/tomb of Abraham and Sarah, Rebecca and Isaac, Ja
Our next fund-raising event will be a Victorian Afternoon Tea on Saturday 19th May.
All you can eat from 2pm – 4.30pm
Tickets available from Hopscotch or fundraising committee members.
Put the date in your diary, folks!
May 6, 2012 in Commitment for Life
ZIMBABWE
Being a grandparent
Alexander had four sons and a daughter. Today he finds himself and his wife with sole responsibility for two small grandchildren. His son and daughter in law have both died and Alexander had taken responsibility for Tadiwanashe and Mhembe since birth. With one in ten children dying before their fifth birthday, Tadi’s health is of particular concern to them and the nurse they see at the clinic run by Mashambanzou. Mashambanzou is a charity that works with people affected and infected by HIV. They run a ward for terminally ill patients, a clinic for those who are mobile and visit the housebound as part of their home care package.
Alexander has been going to the clinic, held in a rundown hall in Highfield, Harare, since Tadi was born and found to be HIV+. Today 1 in 7 Zimbabweans live with HIV*. He says that the waiting is hard when you have small children but knows that he couldn’t afford care or medicine from the large hospitals. Each meeting starts with prayer and then every person is seen by a nurse and given access to medicine and counselling.
Alexander’s other grandson, Mhembe, looks much heavier and more aware, which seems to highlight the difference between the two boys. Like so many parents and grandparents, Alexander wants a good education for his grandsons because he sees it as the only way out of poverty. “Parents used to try to get their children taught in Zimbabwe as our schools were good. Now it is not so good.”
“Mashambanzou are helping me with Tadi. I know God loves us and we must use everything we can to make a better life for ourselves. I pray to God that the children will have a better life. God will take care of them.”
*National Aids Council 2009
BANGLADESH
Aren’t worms amazing!
Bhabani is able to sign her name in English and Bangla. For a woman from a rural village this is a great achievement. Even more significant is the respect in which she is now held by male members of the Shisamondnay Forum in Dhankhali Village near Munshigonj. Bhabani is responsible for the vegetable gardening in her homestead. As a member of the Forum, started by Christian Aid partner Shushilan, she has learnt how to use worms to produce compost that increases the quality and quantity of crops.
Following a practical demonstration where she was shown how to make a base of vegetable peelings and chicken manure, she was given her own worms which started her own permaculture. This has meant the family do not need to buy fertilizer and it has made a real difference to her crop yield and gets her a better price in the market. By farming organically, the family are also eating more healthily, which means the children get sick less often. Bhabani is particularly proud of the chard she has harvested.
The women in the forum have developed this project and many, including Bhabani, have started a second permaculture. The men in the village have seen the results of their work and this has led to greater respect from the men folk and increased confidence for the women.
The Forum has seventeen members, ten male and seven female, each representing a family in the village. At meetings they discuss the many problems that affect this area including cyclones, flooding, drought and salination. Shushilan has given them training in managing disasters as well as nutrition, health and sanitation advice. This means living standards have improved. They like it that Shushilan researches and collects other information to help them. The Forum’s plan is to make the whole community aware of the problems related to climate changes and make members confident to advocate for their rights at local district level.
Image: Bhabani, showing both batches of compost in concrete drums. gdaintree/christian aid
JAMAICA
Climate Change preparations
Jamaica, over the years, has experienced a number of natural disasters, which have resulted in significant social problems and economic loss.
The Government is making strides in reducing the island’s vulnerability to disaster through a number of projects and initiatives including the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction Project.The project, which is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), targets vulnerable communities across Jamaica. It has four primary focus areas: rehabilitation of watersheds through reforestation; improving coastal ecosystems; maintaining forest resources; and improving climate change awareness. The 30-month project, which got underway last year, is being funded primarily by the European Union (EU) at a cost of €4.5 million.
Already, there have been gains under the project, with the Forestry Department replanting 222 hectares of more than 300 hectares of lands in watershed areas targeted for rehabilitation. Residents will learn more about how to protect the environment through employment to carry out replanting, agro forestry, weeding, and maintaining of plants. The trees to be planted are to protect the soil, and will enable the downstream to run off.
Also coming out of the project, is the implementation of a climate change policy, which will serve as a guide for Jamaica. The hope is that people will integrate the information about climate change, including its causes, and how to mitigate the effects.
Extracts from article By Jeneva Gordon, JIS PRO
A prayer from Jamaica (slightly adapted)
Gracious and compassionate God,
faithful to all your promises,
supplier of our needs,
may we rejoice in you, and never underestimate
the value of all that you afford us;
nor the usefulness of the endowments you give
for the realization of your purposes.
May we never so take for granted
the gifts your bounteous grace provides
as to become victims of the callousness
that produces an abundance of waste.
And save us, we ask you, from becoming
purveyors of the careless and irresponsible disposal of the waste we produce.
EVENTS
6 Billion Ways – Film night
Tuesday 8 May, from 6.30pm, at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA
Join the 6 Billion Ways coalition, of which WDM is part, for their third night of short films and discussion. Find out more: http://6billionways.org.uk/
WDM Scotland - Campaigner convention Saturday 19 May, 10am -4pm , St. George’s WestChurch, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh
Dancing to a different beat: Includes workshops on the history of resistance movements, climate justice, food sovereignty and protest songs. Plus, learn to play traditional West African djembe drums! Find out more and book a place:http://www.wdm.org.uk/events/
WDM activist Conference-The People versus the Banks. Saturday 23 June, 1pm-6pm , University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY. Join WDM and guest speakers, including Aditya Chakrabortty of the Guardian, to discuss the movement for financial justice. http://www.wdm.org.uk/events/
Don’t forget Christian Aid Week 13-19th May, this is a great opportunity to reach the local community.
May 6, 2012 in Commitment for Life
Hebron
Hebron is a sacred place because of the cave/tomb of Abraham and Sarah, Rebecca and Isaac, Jacob and Leah. Today Hebron feels entombed by the Israeli Occupation and Colonization. It is a Holy Saturday which has lasted over 45 years. No resurrection in sight – but somehow the winter of all hopes and dreams bears the seeds of a, maybe far off, spring of justice and freedom. Two stories of occupation: one of oppression; one of hope.
Ten days ago, dozens of Israeli settlers seized and occupied a three story house in a Palestinian neighbourhood 100 metres from the tomb of the Matriarchs and Patriarchs. The Israeli soldiers and police immediately declared the street a “closed military area” forcing Palestinians to detour, even the children attending the school next door. The settlers claimed to have gained legal title to the building through a circuitous route but the Israeli military, which controls all civil administration in the occupied area of Hebron, declared it “a provocation” and ordered an evacuation. It became very political with Prime Minister Netanyahu and several Knesset members supporting the new occupiers. After 7 days the settlers were evacuated by the Israeli military. A group of angry settlers, accompanied by soldiers, walked through a Palestinian neighbourhood breaking windows in cars and homes. Today a group of settlers are encamped in front of the formerly occupied house, but the street is now open to Palestinians.
Palm Sunday, a group of about 25 Palestinians and 5 internationals responded with a re-occupation of a building from which Palestinians had been forcibly evicted by the Israeli military several years ago for security reasons – for security of settlers who have a settlement nearby. The military reaction to this re-occupation was much different than the settlers’ occupation four days earlier. Within an hour, Israeli military cleared the plaza in front of the building forcing all Palestinians out of the immediate area and barricading the 4 streets feeding into the plaza. They then physically pulled, pushed or carried out all the “occupiers” arresting 3, including one international. Then the crowds gathered at the barricades were dispersed with a water canon spraying foul “skunk” stinking water and throwing sound bombs. A different treatment for a different population!
What is clear is that neither the Palestinians nor the Jewish Israelis are going away. The reality on the ground is one of occupation, colonization and apartheid. Like in South Africa, this cannot last – it must give way eventually to freedom and equality for all who live in this (un)Holy Land. I believe it will require international political and economic pressure to bring about change. The change of hearts will take much longer.
Bob Holmes, with Christian Peacemaking Team
Remember Jerusalem
The events of Holy Week were centred on Jerusalem, and the Old City is still the focus of attention 2,000 years later. The ancient paving stones of the Via Dolorosa still echo to the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of Easter pilgrims. But how many of them understand that Jerusalem today is under serious threat? Those who pray for the peace of Jerusalem must also weep for its people, as Jesus did.
Israel claims Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital city, but no other country recognises this. In international law East Jerusalem (including the Old City) is under Israeli military occupation and the British and American consulates to Palestine are there but their embassies to Israel are in Tel Aviv.
East Jerusalem is being subjected to a systematic takeover and half its total population now lives there illegally in Jewish only settlements. Refused permission to build, Palestinian families suffer acute overcrowding. Others are being forced out at gunpoint and their homes demolished, forcing them into exile, refugee camps or already over-crowded accommodation. Since the Occupation began in 1967 some 2,000 homes have been demolished in East Jerusalem alone and there are 20,000 outstanding demolition orders. Palestinian Jerusalemites are also driven out by other racially discriminatory policies: they have only the status of ‘resident’ and not ‘citizen’ and their residency permits can be revoked at any time (15,000 revocations since 1967);
If they marry someone from the West Bank they cannot live together in Jerusalem, forcing families to leave or live apart. Christians and Moslems from the West Bank are refused entry to their capital’s holiest sites, even for high festivals such as Easter and Eid.
Part of an Easter leaflet supported by Israeli committee against house demolition www.icahd.org ,www.friendsofsabeeluk.org.uk . For more information www.ochaopt.org and www.kairospalestine.ps
Praying for the region
For the first week of April Christian Aid‘s Prayer Diary asks for prayers for:
Their Israeli partners as they stand up as a voice for justice, and deal with ongoing restrictions to their work by the Israeli government.
Palestinian partners working to bring services to the poor and bravely standing up against the occupation.
The Bedouin communities being relocated by the Israeli government, against their will, from their homes in East Jerusalem to a waste disposal site in Abu Dis, which is unsuitable for habitation.
Christian Aid partner B’Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) as they lead the campaign against these evictions.
Those living under blockade in Gaza. Despite ongoing international condemnation Israel continues to restrict the movement of goods and people, forcing over 80 per cent of the population to live in poverty.
EVENTS
Rebuild Beit Arabiya Monday 23rd April, 7pm All Hallows on the Wall, Bishopsgate, London.
Listen to Salim Shawamreh telling the story of how his family’s home, Beit Arabiya, has been demolished five times by the Israeli authorities. Salim and Arabiya, along with their family, neighbours and friends stood and watched as this tragedy unfolded once again. Arabiya and Salim have dedicated their home as a centre for peace in the memories of Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan, two women (an American and a Palestinian) who died resisting home demolitions in Gaza. Jeff Halper, ICAHD, will also speak.
This is part of a UK tour to raise money to rebuild Beit Arabiya. Many reading this will have visited the peace centre on trips to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. This event is free and co-hosted with Greenbelt Festival and ICAHD UK
ICAHD is recruiting volunteers to help rebuild Beit Arabiya at this year’s Summer Rebuilding Camp, from 1st to 16th July 2012. People who are unable to volunteer their time to the Camp are urged to support financially and to raise awareness of the Camp and help to raise funds for it. www.icahduk.org
IOPT day Wednesday 20th June
Remember to book a place for this popular day conference. This year Jean Harrison, a returned Ecumenical Accompanier, will be speaking about life in the region through her eyes. Steve Hucklesby, from the Methodist Church, will be sharing the often highly publicised Methodist journey over the last few years. To book a place please email gill.hillman@urc.org.uk
World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, 28th May to 3 rd June. A leaflet, full of ideas and resources, can now be found at www.cforl.org.uk. Start thinking about how your church can be involved.
RESOURCE
Breaking Down The Barriers: Working for peace in the Holy land. Christian Aid has produced a resource especially for churches on the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. It includes putting the situation in context and an overview, a timeline of events, stories of people living in the region and the work of Christian Aid partners, settlements and how your church can get involved.
Commitment for Life churches supporting IOPT will receive a copy in the July mailing but if you would like one now please email gill.hillman@urc.org.uk
April 21, 2012 in Commitment for Life
BANGLADESH
Homestead raising and duck rearing
With a population of 160 million living in an area the size of Scotland or England and Wales, Bangladesh is a densely populated country. Over 60% live in rural areas with people working mainly in agriculture, forestry, fishing, garment manufacturing and quarrying. Two out of every three people live on less than $2 a day while the rich make up just 1% of the population. These are facts about Bangladesh, but to fully appreciate the country you need to know the people and how they adapt in difficult circumstances.
Prosanta Bala, his wife Lipika and their children, daughter Rupali and son Protip live in Goal Gram, Gopilgonj district in South West Bangladesh. This area is constantly waterlogged because of flooding, cyclones and rainfall. Life has been transformed for the Bala family because they were chosen to have their homestead raised with the help of Christian Aid partner, The Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB). The Bala family live next door to Prosanta’s brother who was also chosen for the homestead raising. Today you climb a steep embankment to get to the two homesteads with their separate cooking area, vegetable garden and cattle shed for their cows.
Rupali, who is in class 7 at the local school, thinks the new home is great. “Water does not affect us anymore. Now we can grow vegetables and trees; it makes life easier.”
CCDB also provided the families with a duck pond and ducks. Campbell ducks were chosen because they are more resilient to saline water and give a high yield of eggs. The eggs provide a source of income and nutrition for the family.
When they are past egg laying, they are sold at market. One duck can lay around 250 eggs a year. This has been a vital source of income for the family in an area affected by waterlogging, which is destroying vital crops. So, as Rupali tells us, life is easier and that must be a good thing for the Bala family.
CCDB is a long term Christian Aid partner. They focus their Poverty Reduction Programme in strategic areas providing long term development through bringing communities together in Forums. Forum members receive training in skills, advocacy and disaster preparedness.
JAMAICA
Nearly 90 per cent of the UK’s funding to help countries adapt to climate change is through loans, not grants.
World Development Movement campaigner Murray Worthy said: The UK and other rich industrialised countries bear the responsibility for causing climate change, both historically and currently. We owe it to countries like Jamaica to help them adapt to the ravages of climate change – in fact we owe them money, rather than the other way round. Climate loans do nothing to correct this injustice, and will only make life harder for Jamaicans as their government is forced to spend ever more on debt servicing.”
Climate loans using UK funds were also agreed for Bolivia and Yemen. The World Bank has so far lent $1.1 billion to developing countries in the name of climate change.
ZIMBABWE
Perpetua and Ashley
For mum Perpetua and baby Ashley, eleven months, life has not been easy since her husband died and she found she was HIV positive. The counselling she has received from Mashambanzou, an organisation helping those infected and affected by HIV, has helped her come to terms with the loss of her partner and breadwinner.
Perpetua noticed she was losing weight and was encouraged to go to be tested by Mashambanzou volunteers in her community of Highfield, Harare. Regular food parcels of basic goods means she is now putting on weight and her general health has improved. The parcels include soya beans, porridge, oil, mealie flour and sometimes cabbage. The more nutritious diet also makes the drugs she is taking fully effective.
Nearly 14% of the population live with HIV but often HIV-related illnesses prevent them from growing the food they need or holding down a job that would allow them to buy better food and medicines. Zimbabwe has the highest rate of HIV orphans in the world, with one in four children having lost one of both parents to AIDS.
Ashley’s energy is growing and she likes to be exploring. Perpetua says, “I want to see her grow up, she is my strength.”
With support from Mashambanzou, in terms of food parcels, counselling and regular clinic time, there is every hope that she will fulfil that dream.
Zimbabwe launches new debt clearance strategy
The Zimbabwean government has launched a new strategy for dealing with its external debt, entitled the ‘Accelerated arrears clearance, debt and development strategy’. The strategy has been agreed by both Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and Morgan Tsvangiri’s Movement for Democratic Change. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangiri met UK Prime Minister David Cameron in London on 21 March, which included discussions on the country’s debts.
The strategy talks are asking the Paris Club group of rich country creditors to cancel debts under the Naples Terms as the minimum. This would require Zimbabwe being on an IMF programme, and would lead to at least 67 per cent of the debt being cancelled, and a repayment schedule for the remainder being set up over several years.
Zimbabwe is in theory eligible to apply to join the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. HIPC is not referred to in the strategy, though the process outlined in terms of arrears clearance is in line with what is needed to enter HIPC. In reality, beyond reconciling debt data, little is likely to happen until there is further political change in the country.
The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development are calling on the Zimbabwean parliament to create a debt audit commission to investigate where the debt comes from. Jubilee Debt Campaign have launched an action calling on the African Development Bank to signal that they would cooperate with and support a debt audit if one were held: www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.
Jubilee Debt Campaign’s report: ‘Uncovering Zimbabwe’s Debt: The case for a democratic solution to the unjust debt burden’ is available atwww.jubileedebtcampaign.org.
Trace the Tax Campaign.
Christian Aid estimates that developing countries are losing as much as $160bn a year due to tax dodging by unscrupulous companies. This video shows how multinational companies avoid paying tax making lives harder for those living in poverty. Experts from The Tax Justice Network Africa explain what can and should be done. www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Take Action.
Christian Aid is calling on David Cameron to show global leadership on poverty when world leaders meet at the G20 summit in Mexico this June. Climate change and tax dodging are major structural causes of poverty and they won’t be solved overnight, but the G20 has the power to start making the changes that are needed. Email David Cameron now and ask him to make sure the world’s poorest are heard at June’s G20 summit.
April 21, 2012 in Events, News
The next Messy Church is at the United Reformed Church at 10:30 on Saturday 26th May.
Join us for a morning of fun and messiness!
Messy Church is a once-a-month time of stories, crafts, creativity, worship and eating together. There is no charge. Lunch is provided.
All children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. (The accompanying adult must stay for the duration.)
Messy Church is run in partnership with St Andrews Kirk and, St Michael and All Angels.
You can find our more about the Messy Church movement at http://www.messychurch.org.uk/index.asp
April 21, 2012 in Events, News
A big thank you everyone who supported our table-top sale this morning – whether you grabbed a bargain, ate a bacon roll or toiled in the kitchen…
March 24, 2012 in uncategorized
A big thank you to everyone who supported our Fairtrade Coffee Morning this morning.
Left over baking will be sold at church tomorrow and we will update you on total on Monday!
March 20, 2012 in uncategorized
Join us for our annual fairtrade coffee morning on Saturday 24th March 10am-12pm.
There will be a book stall and Fairtrade stall, along with tea and coffee served with home-baking.
Entry is £1.50 and includes your drink and cake!
All proceeds go to the Fairtrade Foundation.
March 20, 2012 in Commitment for Life
This year, the United Reformed Church is celebrating 20 years of its three-way partnership with Christian Aid and the World Development Movement which, together, is called ‘Commitment for Life’.
In that time, Commitment for Life contributions from churches have steadily risen to an annual total of over half a million pounds. 75% goes to Christian Aid, 10% to WDM and 15% towards special grants and administration.
Commitment for Life’s partner countries, where our gifts are helping raise families and communities out of poverty, are Bangladesh, Jamaica, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Zimbabwe – countries where the need is great and a reliable local Christian Aid infrastructure is in place.
Christian Aid likes this method of working with the URC because, knowing in advance what funding to expect, they can plan and budget ahead for specific on-going project work. Helensburgh’s chosen partner country is currently Zimbabwe.
Commitment for Life produces two excellent monthly e-newsletters, ‘Moving Stories’ and ‘Stories for Change’, keeping churches up-to-date with news from partner countries.
The World Development Movement is a small but powerful anti-poverty campaigning and awareness raising organisation, focusing on international issues such as climate justice, third world debt and environment protection.
In addition, Commitment for Life is able to donate grants to assist organisations such as Jubilee Scotland, the Fairtrade Foundation, and the Quaker-inspired Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine & Israel (EAPPI), whereby international observers perform an amazing peacekeeping role simply by their presence on the Palestine/Israel borders.
At Helensburgh URC we offer several ways of donating to Commitment for Life.
For more information please speak to Barbara Bruce, or visit the URC’s Commitment for Life website www.cforl.org.uk
March 20, 2012 in uncategorized
Do you think Helensburgh should become a Fair Trade town?
Representatives from Helensburgh’s retailers, the hospitality sector, churches and local organisations packed the Pillar Hall recently for a Fair Trade evening entitled ‘African Kitchen’ hosted by the Helensburgh Fair Trade Forum and the Co-operative, to introduce our community to the idea of becoming a Fair Trade Town.
The evening included an entertaining cookery demonstration of some deliciously spicy but seemingly easy-to-make African dishes, with Fair Trade goods and information on display at a variety of stalls.
A short film showed just how much farmers, their families and communities in rural Africa can benefit from the Fair Trade Premium they receive from that little bit extra that we, the consumers, pay in the shop or restaurant for our Fair Trade goods.
Helensburgh URC contributed with a wide selection of the goods we stock, alongside Oxfam, Eswatini (specialising in wonderful African chutneys and jams from Swaziland), and Jubilee Scotland. The genuine interest shown in our stall was worth next day’s aching muscles after heaving those boxes of groceries.
Judging from the enjoyment of the cookery demonstration and the enthusiasm with which the various sample dishes were consumed, Fair Trade definitely got the thumbs up!
Isabel, Pauline and Barbara.
