Two Years on, South Sudan Still Faces Major Challenges

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for South Sudan]

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South Sudan marks two years of independence on 9 July 2013, but the millions who continue to face displacement, hunger, disease and extreme poverty will be hard pressed to find any reason to celebrate.

Over the past two years, inter-communal violence and conflict between the rebels and Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) have caused nearly 350,000 people displaced. Fighting in southern part of Sudan has forced over 220,000 people fleeing into South Sudan. In addition, nearly two million South Sudanese have returned home since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, and so the country is facing serious food shortage. Further, South Sudan is in dire need of trained health workers and health centres and the government has faced criticism over its poor human rights record, such as poor prison conditions, widespread child and forced marriage, arbitrary detention and deteriorating press freedom. [IRIN]

Pray for South Sudan:

  • Pray for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan;
  • Pray for timely food and medical relief, and for comprehensive and appropriate rehabilitation.

Malnutrition is the Biggest Underlying Cause of Child’s Death

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for the world’s malnourished children]

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The numbers of humans living on less than $1.25 a day is expected to be halved by 2015, a success for a Millennium Development Goal target set in 2000, however, economic growth does not necessarily reduce hunger especially among the world’s poorest. Under-nutrition is the biggest underlying cause of death in children under five in the world, responsible for 8,000 child deaths each day. In India, child malnutrition has increased in the past decade, despite its economic boom. A report in 2013 estimated that stunting, a form of malnutrition which causes a child to be too small for his or her age, affected at least 165 million children worldwide in 2011, with Africa and Asia showing the highest prevalence. It is said that countries will not be able to break out of poverty or sustain economic advances when so much of their population is unable to achieve the nutritional security that is needed for a healthy and productive life. [Guardian, BBC]

Pray for the world’s malnourished children :

  • Pray that all nations will be committed to supporting reduction in malnutrition to help achieve poverty eradication ;
  • Pray also that child’s nutrition will be improved in order to ensure their lives, health and development.

Pray for Better Community Health and Development in Nepal

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project]

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According to a recent UN report, Nepal has to overcome a number of development challenges including large concentration of poverty and hunger, rising inequality and wide infrastructure gaps… etc. Also, the rising inflation rate was 10.2 % in the first eight months of the fiscal year which has pushed more people towards poverty. Our partner Shanti Nepal is targeting about 105,000 people from 19,200 households in Dhading. Project activities include consolidation of mother groups, strengthening of local health facilities such as outreach clinics and birthing centres, promote health activities and building of toilets.

Pray for Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project:

  • Praise the Lord that Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project in Dhading has made good progress and it is one of the official demonstration sites for promoting and mobilising community health development in the country.
  • Pray that the work of Shanti Nepal will bring with good health, better living and good neighbourhood to impoverished communities.
  • Pray that more Hong Kong churches and Christians will participate in ‘Toilet Story’ Summer Fund-raising Campaign, to support Nepal’s impoverished communities to build toilets.

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.

New Strategies to Cope with Hunger and Nutrition Problems

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for world food supply and nutrition strategy]

Peacekeeping - UNMIT

The alterations in the diets of urban people prompted by urbanisation, economic growth and lifestyle changes have to a certain extent cause over half a billion who are obese and susceptible to non-communicable diseases. Integrated nutrition strategies, formed with the inputs of society including the private sector, consumers, doctors, and consumer organisations as a whole, are needed to help people cope with this problem. However, at the same time, there are 870 million people suffer from hunger worldwide; most of them are living in rural areas. Around two billion people live on about 500 million farms around the world, most of them are very poor subsistence producers. It is important to understand how crucial the role that farmers play for enhancing the sustainability of food supply; and empower them to develop a sustainable production models base on their specific environmental conditions to maintain high productive rates. [UN, FAO]

Pray for world food supply and nutrition strategy:

  • Pray that all sectors of society can work together to form new  nutrition strategies to cope with changing diets;
  • Pray also that more people would know the importance of traditional crops apart from commodity crops.
  • Pray that people would not rely only on science and technology to drive agricultural productivity but realise the importance of the role that farmers play and respect their views & advices.