[ePrayer – Pray for the impoverished families and children in Ethiopia]
There are 182 impoverished children supported by our partner AAGC. Also, there are more than 210 parents in 11 self help groups (SHGs). 7 SHGs started to provide loans for the members and this activitiy has drawn more and more people to engage in SHGs. A special programme during Christmas and Easter was held and former sponsored young adult were able to share with the sponsored children.
Pray for the project serving the impoverished families and children in Ethiopia :
Give thanks that sharing from former sponsored youth at Christmas and Easter programmes have become an encouragement to sponsored children;
Also give thanks that 4 children came to Christ and are taking baptism class.
One child died of drowning in deep water recently and two mothers died of AIDS. May God comfort their family members.
[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.
[ePrayer – Pray for the human rights situation in Eritrea]
The serious human rights violations in Eritrea are pushing people to take the difficult decision to leave their families and homes behind for an unknown future. Since the beginning of the year, close to 4,000 Eritrean refugees have crossed the border into Ethiopia, including a large number of unaccompanied children without the knowledge of their families. Children suffered from dysfunctional family circumstances due to the long absence of the father, most of the time because of conscription, lack of educational opportunities and the fear of forced conscription into indefinite national service as major reasons for their decisions to flee. UN expert expressed particular concern about the indefinite national service, the ongoing practice of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention in inhumane conditions and widespread torture, both physical and psychological, during interrogation by the police, military and security forces. [UN]
Pray for the human rights situation in Eritrea:
Pray for God’s protection and provision to those refugees fled from Eritrea, especially the unaccompanied children;
Pray for the change on the human rights situation there;
Pray that local churches and Christian groups would be able to help the them with the Love of God.
[ ‘SHARE’ May-Jun 2013 – Seeing It with Our Eyes ] FOCUS ~ AN EXPOSURE TRIP
Man-yin says, ‘Once more the Lord calls me, “Go, retrieve their lost image as God’s children so that they may regain dignity in life.”‘
Writer> Sandy LAM, Education and Promotion Officer
In January this year, thirteen of us (two staff with eleven team members) spent twelve days in Ethiopia. During this trip, fresh-faced and friendly children welcomed us, the women’s situations shocked us, family struggles for survival moved us, farmers’ abundant harvest delighted us, and the churches’ loving ministry filled our hearts with joy… All these were beyond our understanding and expectations.
Jessica’s sharing leads us to ponder: ‘This trip has made me reconsider why we go on exposure trips. Is it for something to boast about, or to gain travelling experience, or just to be there and have an easy holiday? I thank God for making me think from the start so that the trip would not be taken in vain.’
Yes, the 12-day-trip took us out of our comfort zone, but bit by bit changed our outlook.
Beyond our imagination…
Like many people in Hong Kong, we thought of Ethiopia as impoverished and undeveloped. When friends and families heard of our trip, they worried that we might suffer hunger amidst harsh conditions.
But when we arrived we saw a different scene. Wendy tells us: ‘I was wrong to think that Ethiopia was lagging behind; I was surprised to see that the country has a modern airport and new cars driving on wide streets.’
High-rises being constructed in the capital Addis Ababa
Similarly Ah Wai observes: ‘There might still be starvation in Ethiopia but on the whole it has moved from “relief” to “development”… The locals commented on the capital’s speedy development in recent years and Ethiopia appears to be undergoing a “China-like” development…’
We were impressed by the airport, streets, buildings and motorcars, but how about the everyday life of the people?
Beyond poverty…
Poor people may seem isolated and helpless and need outside help to improve their livelihood, but we who think we are ‘rich’ are also very ‘poor’.
One day, as we walked up a hill to a rural church at the project point for an hour, Ah Ting said self-mockingly: ‘None of my knowledge was useful in the situation. I even needed a child to help me walk down a slope, and I was breathless after a short while. To the locals I must be the “backward” one.’
Villagers and children help team walk down hills
On our way up, Milly walked with a 10-year old boy. During that half-hour she learnt that although material life was meagre, their internal resources, wealth and strength was superior to ours. ‘In all situations, all lives are equal and that is the same with the relationship between donors and beneficiaries. The poor do not need things which you might see as lacking but then everyone has equal value and status.’
Fiona says, ‘How wonderful is Father God’s creation; in this harsh environment farmers can still grow a variety of produce!’
The villagers’ self-sufficiency and simple lifestyle impressed us city-dwellers.
Beyond our souls…
We witnessed how a local church acts as God’s channel in the cities and villages, serving with love to help improve lives. ‘I thank God for the work done by Addis Ababa Guenet Church (AAGC, CEDAR’s partner). It does not simply preach the gospel but actually cares for the poor outside the church building, giving them practical assistance and services. I saw a community who walks with the poor in Christ-like love and care,’ says Celia.
The church actively responds to social issues and practises mercy and justice. When we visited a programme on stopping female genital mutilation (FGM) we heard tales of suffering from the church and women that shocked us.
Ah Wai says thoughtfully: ‘FGM is obviously oppressive to women and girls, causing them grave physical and psychological damage. The church organises volunteer teams and small groups for young girls to oppose female circumcision, combining bible teaching to change social values (or the society’s unreasonable system/traditions). The church is not only concerned with religious faith but also [heavenly] values that the gospel represents. The church is bold in objecting to the society’s existing inhumane traditions.’
Women speak on breaking the bondage of genital mutilation
We will always remember the testimonies, lives and faces of the church, families, villagers, women and children we met.
Beyond awareness…
This exposure trip not only helped us understand more about Ethiopia’s development and needs, but also challenged our faith as we heard impoverished families speak and saw how they continued to rely on God in their difficulties.
Viola reflected deeply on the matter: ‘The family we visited wrestled between daily living and their faith but they were serious and persevering believers. Their child drew a picture entitled “Jesus is Lord” – a very familiar statement and yet so powerful and difficult to grasp. I searched my heart: What would I do if I were in their situation? Would I choose security in life or my faith? Do I really know Whom I believe? How real is my confession in the Lord? Who is rich and who is poor?’
Poor families within AAGC ‘dance with suffering’ and face life with joy – Rachel
‘None of the people we visited cried; on the contrary they spoke in the power of their faith. Suffering remains but their faith is also very real, as if life could not be lived without God. I may sit in an air-conditioned room contemplating the theology of suffering, but these people dance with God in their daily suffering, supported by hope – and they themselves live out hope.’ Ah Wai shares with us.
Through real life accounts God speaks to us, changes our mentality and renews our lives.
After our return…
We left Ethiopia with precious memories which have brought much reflection into our lives.
Some members have resolved to re-examine their lifestyles to reduce unnecessary consumption; some have joined CEDAR’s Carbon Fast 2013 and are learning to live an environmentally friendly low-carbon life.
As Agnes says, ‘Living a stable life and enjoying religious freedom in Hong Kong makes me think of poverty as a faraway matter. But through this trip God has taught me that He has not forgotten the world and that His blessings are global. He will raise us up to work together and learn to love others as we love ourselves, and through the ministry of caring for society His mighty kingdom will be revealed, that people may practise integral mission.’
Ethiopia may be distant and unfamiliar, but at least we have taken the first step to bridge the chasm.
In the second half of 2011, south-east part of Ethiopia was hit by the most serious drought and famine in 60 years as the country experienced the impact of climate change. The victims lost their livestock and crops. 3.5 million people were affected. In partnership with local Christian groups, CEDAR’s partner Tearfund UK provided emergency relief in Borena zone.
15,000 people were benefited from the drought relief
In our children ministry we emphasise our walk with sponsored children and their parents in an equal relationship(relationship or partnership?). We are delighted by our partner Addis Ababa Guenet Church (AAGC)’s new approach. On top of providing basic needs to impoverished children, AAGC is now helping the parents to form self-help savings groups. Some of the groups have achieved good saving target. The parents are very exciting with the accumulated saving records and have gained hope on the future.
7 parents self-help savings groups were formed in 2011
Prospect in the Coming Year
In the coming ministry year, CEDAR will focus on responding to the need of impoverished children families and the challenge of climate change. Partner AAGC will start business training and micro-credit loans among parents saving groups to lend money to different group members at low-interest rate for developing their livelihoods, with the hope that at the end parents can meet the needs of the children.
For the climate change, CEDAR supports partner Tearfund UK to start a post-disaster rehabilitation project in Borena zone, including provision of livestock, training on cultivating the high-productive agricultural products, set up of water system, organisation of self-help groups and farmers’ cooperative for sales and marketing, to help local impoverished families to recover from the drought and enhance their ability on fighting against the impact of drought and climate change.
7,000 people will be benefited from the drought rehabilitation
Tracy’s Sharing
‘I thought that the Ethiopian are very nice and full of life-force. Although their livings are very desperate, they always encourage, support and help each other. For example, the drought victims will share their food aids freely with other victims, and the saving group members will try to help each other if any one of them cannot pay the deposit of that month. They do not want to be aid receivers only, but wish that they themselves can be self-reliant and get involved to improve and develop the livelihoods of their communities as well. What they need is the opportunity to develop their potentials.’
After the exposure monitoring trips and discussions in the past two years, according to a series of measurement, such as the human development index (HDI), Gini coefficient, political and social stability, uniqueness and the possibility of monitoring project, we have finally chosen Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, India, Nepal, Myanmar and China to be the focus countries for our projects.
[Annual Report 2011-2012] Mobilising Churches and Christians
Review of 2011 to 2012
‘Network the force of Christians and provide a platform for communication and action’ is a main direction of CEDAR’s work on mobilising Christians in Hong Kong. We have reformed ‘CEDAR Club’ since last July by pro-actively gathering and mobilising the concerned Christians to help the poor more systematically. We also re-organised the monthly activities of the Club with regular sharing meetings, visiting programmes, and fellowship activities, to provide an in-depth experience for members to work at the issues of poverty, share experiences and practise serving the poor.
10 CEDAR Club’s gathering
2 exposure trip to Myanmar and Nepal
Learning and Prospect
‘Walk in Love – Low-Income Families Visit Programme’ and ‘Street-Sleepers Visit Project’ are two main long-term visiting programmes for club members to practise what they learnt at the course on poverty relief. Two programmes have been running for two to three years. We are exploring ways to help participants to move forward in their understanding and care on the HK society and the world, with the hope that their will engage locally and think globally. Furthermore, we hope more churches and Christian communities will involve as we mobilize and encourage different Christian groups to be ‘good neighbours’.
Shan’s Sharing
‘The achievement in past ministry year once again shows me how first hand experience is very significant in helping Christians to deepen their conscience and concern for poverty. It also confirms how effective organisation and a platform to practice is important to mobilizing Christians. In coming year, I hope that we can enhance the participation, initiation and decision making of core CEDAR Club members in programme and activity planning and development .’
After the exposure monitoring trips and discussions in the past two years, we have finally chosen Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, India, Nepal, Myanmar and China to be the focus countries for our projects. We have since strengthened our partnership in these focus countries through cooperation and communication to promote our mutual capability on project operation and management to provide more appropriate and effective assistance to impoverished communities.
In recent years, the Chinese and Nepalese governments have loosened official restrictions on local Christian churches. In addition to reforms in the political process in Myanmar, there is a new turning point for the growth of Christian relief and development work in these countries. CEDAR hopes to seize this opportunity to seek furthering the cooperation of Hong Kong churches with overseas churches and Christian organisations. Project sites in the above six focus countries will become important platforms for Hong Kong churches to participate in appropriate response to global ministry in the practice of integral mission. Hong Kong churches can provide strong support in human and financial resources to these overseas partners engaged in frontline ministries. This way we can develop the partnership between different nations, regions, churches and organisations in better synergy.
As a member organisation of the Hong Kong Church Network for the Poor (the HKCNP), CEDAR will endeavor to mobilise local churches to work with frontline organisations, social enterprises and government, facilitating the development of district network for social concern among churches. We look forward to churches becoming the real neighbour to the poor, giving them timely, suitable and holistic care and assistance.
