Care for Children ~ ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’

[ “SHARE” Nov-Dec 2012 – Care for Children ~ ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’ ] FOCUS ~ Interviewing a Ministry

Compiler and writer> Jojo POON

‘Give children a happy childhood’, ‘care for the pillars of our future’, ‘give the little ones a cup of cold water to drink’, ‘love for children’ – these are all reasons people support children’s ministry. But how do we give impoverished children a happy childhood? What do they really need? In this issue some children’s ministry stakeholders will talk about joining hands and hearts with children.

Supporters: Walk together so they may see

Mr. and Mrs. Wong have sponsored children before through other organisations. Upon hearing about CEDAR’s  principle of ‘From Church, Through Church’,  they started supporting CEDAR’s children’s ministry, helping overseas impoverished children with their basic needs.

Through CEDAR’s short films a few years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Wong learned about children’s education in war-torn Afghanistan, the health condition of scavenging children in Indonesia, and how HIV/AIDS wrecked families in Africa. Mrs. Wong tells us, ‘This world is so unfair. Perhaps  those of us who live in Hong Kong are so blessed that we do not truly understand… developed countries lead the world and yet they set rules and system which are difficult for poor countries to follow.’

Mr. and Mrs. Wong understand that providing children with their basic needs deals only with one level of the poverty issue, so they hope that these faraway families can become self-reliant rather than having to depend on relief from organisations. ‘Providing appropriate life skills training, fighting for reasonable returns for producers, having proper HIV preventions and all-round control of diseases all bring changes to impoverished families.’

Another supporter, Chris,  joined CEDAR’s Children Ministry Scheme over four years ago. He hopes that  his  contribution will help children  go to school and improve their lives. ‘I believe the impact of education is far-reaching; it is very important for children’s growth and can greatly impact the community. With knowledge, children may even resolve problems such as hunger and disasters.’

At first Chris was happy with just corresponding with the children and exchanging news. That was ‘poverty relief’ to him. But then he realised that there was more to it and he needed to go further, so his involvement changed from merely sponsoring daily needs to supporting community development programmes and now struggles with greater awareness of the injustices behind poverty.

After years of involvement, supporters now see not only the needs of individual impoverished children, but also the predicaments faced by their families, communities and countries, as well as the importance of mobilising community development in order to help these children.

Project officers: Reach out so they may see wider

Tracy joined CEDAR in 2007 working on children’s projects. Through our global partners she learns about oppressed children – some are victims of wars or natural disasters; others are AIDS orphans, school drop-outs or scavengers. Problems and challenges vary but Tracy believes that whatever the situation, children should receive basic living guarantees and education, because protection and provision are the basic rights of children.

Years of ministry have taught Tracy that, to help the children, it is not enough to just take care of their personal and superficial needs but it is also necessary to know the particular situation of the entire family and the community. ‘Actually, the hardship of the children’s families can be resolved by helping the entire family and the community, to empower them and nurture mutual-help. Improving the community as a whole can give the children a better environment to grow up in. If we merely sponsor individual children directly but not  their siblings because of the insufficient resources or the restriction of organisation’s policies, there will be discrepancies in learning, development and growth.’

Hazel, our project consultant, recently visited India and met an organisation that adopts the children’s rights-based approach. She saw how children were encouraged to think and express their views on their community’s issues through children’s rights and development groups. ‘It was very memorable to see children bravely voicing out their concerns, such as alcohol abuse, fathers abusing mothers, lack of community sanitation, frequent verbal abuse of children and the government’s reckless tree felling. We see that the children’s daily life and concerns are inseparable from their community and even the children are well aware of those issues.’


Annual street drama raises awareness of the lack of clean water in schools

Frontline partners: Serve so they may see farther

Our frontline partners live in the same countries and face the social situations as the children-beneficiaries; they therefore identify and struggle with the children’s needs.

Facing Zimbabwe’s high unemployment and inflation rate, high HIV infection and millions of AIDS orphans, CEDAR’s partner Family Aids Caring Trust (FACT) understand that these orphans need education, food and community support. ‘Without an education one cannot find work. Therefore, education is vital for children-beneficiaries to have job opportunities in the future. Further, even if children can go to school, low-income families still have to worry about food because of continuous droughts and inflation… Experiences tell us that community support can help orphaned or traumatised children build self-respect and thereby reduce the risk of them going astray.’

Even though children worldwide have varied backgrounds and needs, all of our partners point out that, apart from basic needs such as food and clothing, bible-based worldview and family/community support are essential for children’s growth. A worker at Addis Ababa Guenet Church (AAGC), CEDAR’s partner in Ethiopia, says, ‘We learn from years of ministry that we need to not only love these children, but also to establish relationships with their families and communities, so as to give them a better living environment.’

CEDAR’s partner New India Evangelistic Association (NIEA) tells us its expectations for its children-beneficiaries, ‘We hope they will get to know and experience Christ, and by their words and deeds they will be witnesses of Christian faith and power. We also hope that they will help other children in the future, know their community’s needs and join in serving and building a better country.’

Children-beneficiaries: Please listen to me

Ultimately, children are the largest stakeholders. Let us hear what they have to say.


[Left] Meheret, Ethiopia > I need food most; education, clothes and shoes that fit. Being properly clothed protects my body and gives me confidence to interact with classmates and enjoy school life.
[Right] Priya, India > The most important things in my life are studying, praying and my family.


[Left] Norman, Zimbabwe > I need food, health and education most, because I do not want to contract HIV/AIDS.
[Right] Pynos, Zimbabwe > I think food, health and a stable home are the most important things in life.

Extended Action

Since children are vulnerable, they arouse our compassion; however, because they hold an infinite future, they give us hope not despair. Are you willing to join this project of hope and bring changes to children in Myanmar, India, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe? Please support our ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’ Children Ministry Scheme and donate monthly towards our community-based children development programme, to improve living conditions for children and give them a life of dignity and value once again.

http://eng.cedarfund.org/children_ministry/

 

Ethiopia AAGC Children Basic Needs Programme

[ ‘SHARE’ Nov-Dec 2012 – Care for Children ~ ‘Join Hands Join Hearts’ ] STEP INTO THE WORLD

What dreams do children have? Alem from Ethiopia dreams of having three meals a day, going to school and owning a pair of shoes.

Alem’s  family faces a difficult life. Many households are slum dwellers, and some children cannot afford sufficient food or education because their parents are separated or have died from illness.

CEDAR’s partner Addis Ababa Guenet Church (AAGC) distributes food and daily supplies, provides medical services and education to about 200 children in need, and teach older ones  a skill. Further, AAGC encourages parents to attend self-help groups to learn money saving and management, and increase family income by starting their own businesses with small loans.

With the help of AAGC, Alem is now in Grade 8, well fed and clothed. Are you willing to make a donation so that more children like Alem can have their dreams fulfilled?

HK$500> enables one parent to attend self-help group, learn to save money and basic skills.
HK$200> meets a child’s basic monthly expenses, such as school, food, clothes and medical support.

Donate Now! Click here.

Other Methods of Payment

  1. Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  2. Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  3. Autopay (only applicable to regular fixed donations), enclosing with a completed Autopay Authorisation Form (Download: WORD or PDF)
  4. Visa/ Master Card

Download Donation Form

Please send a completed Donation Form, enclosing with cheque or pay-in slip, to CEDAR FUND, G.P.O. BOX 3212, HONG KONG.

Donation Form: WORD or PDF

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Ethiopia AAGC Children Basic Needs Project

In Addis Ababa, the capital ofEthiopia, many poor families live in the communities with limited facilities and poor hygiene conditions. Many parents either die from diseases or divorce, causing the family’s income to become very tight. Many families are unable to give their children sufficient nutrition, or pay school fees so the children are unable to attend school.

CEDAR’s partnerAddis AbabaGuenetChurchprovides help to poor children through distributing food and daily commodities, providing education and medical service in order to relieve their family burdens. Also, vocational training is provided to the older children to strengthen their capacity in the hope that they will be able to find a job in the future. Since July 2011, partner has started encouraging the children’s parents to join the small self-help groups. Partner provides trainings about savings and facilitate these groups to use the funds from the group members to set up micro-finance activities. AAGC is diligently teaching the members of the group savings and financial management hoping that in the long run their livelihoods may be improved.