Support CEDAR’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Works

Posted on by 施達基金會

A regular drill taken by post-disaster first aid volunteers

[ ‘SHARE’ Mar-Apr 2014 -Taking Precaution ] STEP INTO THE WORLD

 

CEDAR is currently carrying out disaster management and mitigation programmes through her partners in China, Bangladesh and India, helping residents of frequent disaster areas to increase their disaster prevention and resistance ability and to reduce potential threats. Programmes include:

  • Providing community representatives with skills enhancement on pre-disaster forecasts, disaster management, evacuation, post-disaster rescue and first aid;
  • Setting up volunteer teams for pre-disaster forecasts, evacuation, post-disaster rescue and first aid;
  • Setting up disaster management committees to assess the communities’ disaster vulnerability and resistance ability, and organise communities to take disaster prevention measures;
  • Sponsoring the improvement of communities’ disaster prevention facilities.

After attending a CEDAR’s disaster prevention training, a teacher from Sichuan says, ‘Apart from adding knowledge on disaster prevention and emergency evacuation, I have also learned how to relay disaster prevention information to my students in daily teaching.’ Now the school has regular evacuation drills, so should disaster come unexpectedly, teachers and students can respond calmly.

Please support CEDAR’s ‘Emergency Relief and Disaster Preparedness Fund’, enabling CEDAR and her global partners to promptly respond to disasters and help impoverished areas carrying out disaster prevention work.

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Villagers record time and frequencies of disasters to plan prevention.

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.

This issue

 

Why Sigh and Not Reduce Carbon Emission? | Tiffany

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[ ‘SHARE’ Mar-Apr 2014 -Taking Precaution ] TAKING ACTION

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Author> Tiffany Lam

When a disaster strikes, everything valuable seems to vanish in a moment. What can man do but sigh? You might think that the photo was taken from a landfill, but it is Basey, a picturesque and fertile land west of the Philippines with a thriving fishing industry.

Human beings seem to be very passive and can do nothing to avoid or control an unforeseen disaster. Disasters happening far-away seem surreal and irrelevant. But is it really true that we have no relation to the disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines in 2013, severe droughts and famines in East African countries in 2011, floods across South Asia in 2010, Africa’s droughts and floods in 2009, and the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008?

Human relationships with God, others and the earth are broken. Immeasurable destruction is caused by selfishness, naivety and greed when human exploit and thoughtlessly develop natural resources. Melting glaciers in the North Pole caused by global warming may take years to affect Hong Kong, but this is a grave matter for people living in low-lying lands. Residents of Basey told us, ‘Super Typhoon Haiyan causes massive destruction. In recent years, we, especially the coastal inhabitants, have been threatened by frequent flooding and what worse is the flood level gets higher every year – a mere “amber rain warning” can mean a rise of water level of over a meter.’

How do Christians respond to ecological imbalance and ever greater hardship of disadvantaged groups? CEDAR is holding her annual Carbon Fast during Lent so that Christians can through meditation and reflection renew their personal life and their relationship with God, individuals, communities and the earth. This year’s theme is ‘Reduce Carbon Emission ~ Share Our Love’, with an objective to show that our action is not merely a virtue or purely for preservation of environment, but should reflect external practice of our internal reflections, our belief turned into action, and real practices to care for our neighbours and faraway people who suffer from climate problems. Dear readers, rather than sighing over natural and manmade disasters, let us take positive action and reduce carbon emission. Carbon Fast 2014 awaits your participation!

‘Carbon Fast’ website: http://cedarcarbonfast.wordpress.com/

Tiffany graduated from bible seminary and joined CEDAR last August, taking part in mobilising churches to practise Integral Mission. 

This issue

Richness in Poverty | David

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[ ‘SHARE’ Mar-Apr 2014 -Taking Precaution ]　CEDAR’S BLOGGER

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Authro> David Mok

After working in the pharmaceutical industry for almost twenty years; I left my career life in 2010 and went into study in a bible seminary for life transformation. After graduation in 2013, God led me to join CEDAR to learn how to be His faithful servant.

In the past I did not pay much attention to the needs of the poor but through the service in CEDAR, God shows me how He cares so much for those oppressed by poverty. CEDAR’s Chief Executive Dr. Chan Nim Chung often comments that the world of the poor only lacks material goods but is rich in other aspects. This is paradoxical and not easy to understand; until I visited Africa in last November.

In Zimbabwe I met a few students who receive support from CEDAR’s partner. Although they live a very harsh life, they always praise God and the hymns they sing showing their overflowing joy deeply touch my heart. In Ethiopia I visited a mother with her 8-year old daughter; they have only US$0.50 to spend each day and their home is virtually empty. However the little girl has an unforgettable smile always on her face, a smile that is not easily seen even in Hong Kong. These encounters help me to understand more about the Lord Jesus’ comforting words to the church in Smyrna, ‘I know your… poverty (but you are rich)…’ and His warning to the church in Laodicea, ‘…you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor…’ The situations of these two early churches are very different and worthy of consideration by the churches of today.

Almost one quarter of the children in Zimbabwe are AIDS orphans and their local communities have set up Child Protection Committees making up of adults who voluntarily look after the children, giving money, support and love. Their behaviour helps me to understand Jesus’ words to His disciples after His resurrection, ‘As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ Father God sent our Lord Jesus to be the Incarnate Word among us; God is abundant but for us, He is willing to share with us His all.

‘Sharing’ is an expression of God’s love. Our world too much emphasizes on the value of ‘possessing’ and it seems that we will need to go against the mainstream if we are to return to the teaching of the bible. I thank God for helping me to learn from the poor and pray that in future I will work harder to practice the bible’s teaching in life.

David is responsible for CEDAR’s administration and development work. Previously he was in commercial management. He joined CEDAR last August after graduation from bible seminary.

This issue

Who Is Willing to Be Their Neighbour?

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[ ‘SHARE’ Jan-Feb 2014 – Who Is Willing to Be Their Neighbour? ] FOCUS ~ SOCIAL CONCERN

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Interviewed and written by> Jojo & Tiffany

In September 2013 the HKSAR Government has set the poverty line for Hong Kong to be 50% of median monthly household income, and the Policy Address in January 2014 has announced a series of poverty amelioration measures. A poverty line may help the Government set appropriate poverty alleviation policies, but data and a line cannot define or reflect the real situation of poverty and the voices and expectations of marginalised groups.

The three interviewees below are from different origins and backgrounds. You may see from their sharing how the personal experiences and life expectations of different social groups among them display the uniqueness in life value that is beyond numbers and a line.

Continue reading Who Is Willing to Be Their Neighbour?

Support the Community and Churches in Pakistan in Facing Domestic Violence

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[ ‘SHARE’ Jan-Feb 2014 – Who Is Willing to Be Their Neighbour? ] STEP INTO THE WORLD

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In Pakistan, women are often victims of domestic violence and they are traumatised both physically and mentally. Yet, the society they live in rarely acknowledge the situation.

CEDAR’s partner CGDC launched amongst churches in Pakistan the first ever project that focuses on women abuse, and advocates on Christian family values. It also teaches what the bible says about family violence. In the first six months of project period, CGDC provided related trainings in four churches and held a nation-wide conference against violence on women.

Partner will continue their advocacy in Pakistan seeking to eliminate any form of women abuses:

  • mobilising local churches to care for and support affected families through visits, seminars and conferences;
  • holding nation-wide conferences for more awareness on how to respond to and prevent women abuses;
  • collaborating with organisations and churches in raising community awareness and understanding of women abuses.

Please support the ministry of CGDC, bringing to the vulnerable women in Pakistan safety and dignity!

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.

Participation Is Good, Mobilisation Is Better | Wendy

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ ‘SHARE’ Jan-Feb 2014 – Who Is Willing to Be Their Neighbour? ] TAKING ACTION

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Author> Wendy FUNG

Thank God for leading me to a number of CEDAR’s events in the past two years. In January 2013, I joined the exposure trip to Ethiopia where I learned and witnessed God’s power; the trip also helped me understand CEDAR’s operation. The impact of CEDAR Carbon Fast during Lent on me is the most apparent; I was invited to be a member of ‘Carbon Fast Army’, assist posting photos on Facebook about Carbon Fast. With the aid of Scriptures prepared by CEDAR, I have gained better understand of the purposes of our daily Fast actions and God’s will at creation. Some of the Fast actions such as waste sorting and bringing my own water bottle/cutlery have become my daily habits.

On a missions trip to Madagascar in 2012, the missionary not only took home leftovers from the table, she also reused plastic boxes after cleansing as the refuse collection system there is inadequate and people just dumped all wastes into big garbage bins on road-sides. Besides doing evangelisation and church planting, I saw the missionary’s effort not to produce waste and perceived her integral love towards the land and inhabitants thereon.

The Philippines was hit by severe Tropical Storm Haiyan that killed thousands and affected over nine million people. It is irrefutable that human activities aggravate extreme climate changes and the frequent natural disasters make the poor’s lives harder, even taking away many precious lives. Isn’t it ironic that we seek to take the gospel to the ends of the world, whilst our lifestyles bring about changes that would reduce the chance of the poor hearing the gospel?  I used to question the effect in turning off one lamp on carbon emissions reduction!  But if all Christians change our current lifestyles and practise the bible’s teaching, I believe that by the Holy Spirit we can change the world. Living an Integral Mission may sound grand and hard to start, but we may live it out a bit in a day. Let us start today and with God’s help exert influence on people around us doing small things in loving our world. (Watch a clip by Tearfund UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vph2oLKb1qM)

In January 2013, Wendy joined CEDAR’s exposure trip to Ethiopia; taking part in Carbon Fast and as a member of ‘Carbon Fast Army’ practising and mobilising low carbon living for better environmental protection in February and March; Wendy further joined CEDAR Barefoot Walk in November showing support for impoverished children.