We are awake: STOP Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

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[“SHARE” APR – JUN 2019 ] JOIN HANDS JOIN HEARTS

 

We put on armors to fight to eliminate harmful traditional practices
Subvert the harmful influences and effects
We are united and determined to take actions
Because we are now well awaken to the scourge.

 

Ignorant people in the past
Have been badly harmed by them
Because they did not know any better.
Ignorant people in the past believed
Harmful traditional practices were good for them
When indeed their lives were at stake.

 

Female Genital Mutilation is a major harmful practice.
Sugar-coated as prestigious and noble,
FGM suffocated our mothers
We regret and repent for the harm incurred.
FGM steals away sexual pleasures, corrupts marriages
And adds complications to child birth.

 

(Lyrics edited by CEDAR Fund, originally written by a member
from the ant-FGM group in Ethiopia.)

 

Under the warmth of the bright and serene sun, a group of Ethiopian village and school girls stood before a hundred villagers, and sang the above song with shiny smiles and beaming faces. Some of them had a uniformed yellow T-shirt on, where the slogan “STOP Female Genital Mutilation” was displayed clearly in the local language. This day was the special day of village education day, and also the performance day of the advocacy club.

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Resurrection and Integral Mission

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[“SHARE” APR – JUN 2019 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Written by: Au Bing Chung (Lecturer at the Christian Ministry Institute)

 

Resurrection is an eschatological idea, and Integral Mission addresses the responsibility and stewardship of Christians living on earth. Although there seems to be no apparent connection between the two, the eschatological view of Christians will affect how they interpret their missions. For instance, if a person believes that the world will be in ultimate destruction at the end days, he will put less effort in constructing a world that will be wiped out eventually. On the other hand, if the believers anticipate a forthcoming new world that is connected to and evolved from the present world, they will somehow attend to the world’s development and conservation.

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“Hill tribes’ Blood is in My Veins.” – An Advocate Walking Alongside Marginalised Hill Tribes

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[“SHARE” APR – JUN 2019 ] FOCUS ~ Community Development & Advocacy

Written by: Lai Ka Chun

 

In mid-2018, a junior football team and their assistant coach were rescued after 18 days in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Their 25-year-old coach’s care in the cave was indispensable. This incident made the coach a hero in Thais’ hearts. However, this coach was originally stateless, as well as the other 3 boys, who had no Thai citizenships.

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The Letter From CEDAR | March 2019

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Dear Friends of CEDAR,

 

Few weeks ago, I took a train to Yuen Long for a meeting. Arriving at the train station’s lobby, I heard a loud and angry voice with foul languages from a short distance. A young man was yelling at a Station Assistant because the ticketing machines would not take his HK$100 note and he was in a hurry. The Assistant patiently advised him to purchase a ticket from the ticketing office. At the ticketing office, right after handing in the HK$100 note, he started scolding again for the same issue. The staff then had to respond to his complaint, instead of getting him a ticket.

 

I didn’t stop to see how he finally got the ticket, but I wondered if this young man realised his emotional act was actually causing further delay to his trip. This is an example of how emotion and a busy mind could distract us from the important things.

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A Story of the $100-Red-Packet

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[“SHARE” JAN – MAR 2019 ] TAKING ACTION

Written by: Edward Lai

 

“This year, will you be willing to donate your red packet money to the underprivileged people in other countries? “

 

“Yes, of course!” Fung Tin-lam answered confidently.

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Let the Community Be Responsible for Their Children’s Education

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[“SHARE” JAN – MAR 2019 ] JOIN HANDS JOIN HEARTS

 

Education is a very important part of eradicating poverty. Yet, many children living in low-income countries do not have the opportunity to receive proper education. Their parents are usually occupied by work to earn a living to put food on the table, thus they seldom think about the future of their children, who they thought would likely share similar fate like them. Because in their eyes, earning income to support their families is more important than getting an educational access for their children.

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