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the latest news from Tearfund
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Kenya violence hampers humanitarian work (3.01.08)
Kenya’s spiralling descent into violence and chaos is hampering the work of Tearfund staff and partners in the country.
In the worst affected areas workers have been confined to their houses due to violent clashes and looting.
Nationally hundreds of people are dead and tens of thousands are fleeing for safety.
Speaking from Nairobi, Peter Njuguna, Project Manager of St John’s Community Centre, a Tearfund partner working in Nairobi’s slum areas says, “The situation is very volatile here. I can hear gunshots from our office and the roads are blocked.”
Many of his staff have been unable to get to work because it is too dangerous and the insecurity is hampering access to vulnerable people in need of St John's help.
'We have 160 people living with Aids under our care but we cannot reach them. Our health clinic and work with vulnerable children was due to restart today but this is not possible because of clashes in the area.”
The violence follows the victory of incumbent president Mwai Kibaki and cla ...
Senior bishops call for carbon fast this lent
Two of the Church of England’s most senior Bishops are today (5 February 2008) urging people to cut their carbon rather than give up chocolate this Lent.
Bishop of Liverpool and Vice President of Tearfund, James Jones and Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, are joining with development agency Tearfund in calling for a cut in personal carbon use for each of the 40 days of Lent, which begins tomorrow.
At the same time a Tearfund survey reveals that three out of five adults in the UK are willing to take an energy saving action this Lent.
Tearfund and the Bishops have launched the fast because of the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, and to protect poor communities around the world who are already suffering from the ravages of climate change.
Bishop of Liverpool and Vice President of Tearfund, James Jones said, `Traditionally people have given up things for Lent. This year we are inviting people to join us in a Carbon Fast.
`It is the poor who are already suffering the effects of climate change. ...
Kenya's churches driving peaceful resolution to crisis
Church leaders are working alongside the Kofi Annan peace talks playing a leading mediation role at the centre of the current crisis in Kenya, according to Tearfund. The UK Christian relief agency says church leaders are facilitating dialogue between factions within the church and political parties.
“Churches in Kenya are playing a crucial and influential role with the country’s political leaders - working tirelessly in this crisis to find common ground that can lead to a peaceful outcome,” says Peter Gitau, Tearfund’s Regional Advisor in Nairobi. “We are facilitating and supporting churches in this role - urging leaders and politicians on all sides to come together and resolve differences peacefully. We have visited affected areas together with the political leaders. We have been calling for peace, facilitating meetings for church leaders from the affected communities (Luos, Kikuyus, Kalenjins and the Luhyas).”
So far the church political mediation team has held two meetings with President Kibaki and two ...
Fairtrade Fortnight: Meeting the people behind the products
With Fairtrade Fortnight fast approaching (25 February – 9 March), Tearfund volunteers are encouraging their local communities to switch to fairtrade products, fresh from a visit to Tearcraft producers in India.
Earlier this month development agency Tearfund gave volunteers selling their fairly traded Tearcraft products the chance to see fairtrade in action, by meeting the very people who have created the products.
The 16-person team travelled throughout India seeing the products they in the UK sell being made.
Jan Wildy, from Glasgow, has been selling Tearcraft products for more than two years and raised over £1,000 from sales. “Fairtrade works because it makes a difference to people's lives, giving them back their self esteem and the chance to build lives free from abject poverty,” says Jan. “Buying fairly traded products means we not only get the benefit of excellent quality goods, but the satisfaction of knowing that we are making a difference.”
Saunders, from Loughborough says, ‘We have so much in t ...
Bishops win changes to Climate Change Bill
The plight of the world’s poor already suffering the impact of global warming has been recognised in the Climate Change Bill going through Parliament thanks to the intervention of the Bishops of Liverpool and London.
Following advice from relief and development agencies Tearfund and Christian Aid, the Bishops together with Baroness Northover tabled an amendment to ensure that the Committee on Climate Change, which will advise the government when the bill becomes law, will include an expert on the social impacts of climate change policy at a national and international level.
The Bishops were concerned that the committee’s deliberations on measures needed to tackle climate change could focus too exclusively on the costs involved to British society and business without considering the needs of the developing world.
The principle behind the amendment has been accepted by the Government and will now be included when a revised version of the bill is published.
During a the House of Lords debate on the bill th ...
Tearfund Director to head up Friends of the Earth
Tearfund’s Policy and Campaigns Director Andy Atkins has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Friends of the Earth. He joins Friends of the Earth in late June, before replacing Tony Juniper as Executive Director later in the summer.
Andy has a track record and commitment for finding solutions to environmental and social justice challenges and is an experienced leader, campaigner and communicator.
During his 11 years at Tearfund, eight of which as Policy and Campaigns Director, he has overseen many achievements including the establishment of policy and campaigns work as core business for the organisation, initiating its work on climate change and poverty and championing climate change as a poverty issue among UK development NGOs. He was a key organiser of the Make Poverty History campaign, and is a Board member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, where he works with Tony Juniper.
Andy has also gained considerable experience in his previous roles as Campaigns Coordinator, and General Secretar ...
Positive and purpose driven - UK's biggest church conference on HIV
More than 300 delegates gathered for the UK’s biggest church conference on HIV.
This was a unique assembly of Christians wanting to get informed – to engage with the issues that surround HIV and AIDS. An opportunity to discover not only what is already being achieved by local churches around the world, but also the effect that they as individuals might have with the knowledge and resources to help their own churches to respond in the UK.
The Positive Church Conference, produced by Tearfund and hosted by Bracknell Family Church on 15 March, opened with an emotive and captivating address by Kay Warren, Executive Director of the HIV initiative at Saddleback Church, California. She passionately spoke of her brokenness and her initial steps into communities torn by HIV and AIDS. Visiting a slum in Calcutta and how a magazine caught her eye with an article on AIDS in Africa. She struggled to look at pictures of emaciated bodies and babies so weak unable to brush flies from their faces. She would hold her hand ...
World Water Day? Not for the billions without a toilet or safe water
‘Tearfund is urging the Prime Minister not to let Millennium Development goals on water and sanitation go down the pan.’
Leading Christian relief and development agency Tearfund is urging Prime Minister Gordon Brown to prevent millions of unnecessary deaths by committing to a global action plan to deliver clean water and sanitation.
Billions of people around the world lack even the most basic sanitation or clean water; which is why Tearfund is calling on Mr Brown to lead the international community in urgent action.
Laura Webster, Tearfund’s Senior Policy Advisor on Water said: “The irony on this years World Water Day and in 2008, the UN’s year of sanitation, is that 2.6 billion people are still without sanitation facilities and 1.1 billion others continue to lack safe water.”
Lack of water and sanitation is something that Justice from the Kabale District in south-west Uganda knows all too well – and it has affected his children the most.
Justice said “My children have had to spend hours each day fetchi ...
Tearfund encourages supporters to make history through the Climate Change Bill Week of Action
‘This is a way of getting involved to help those most vulnerable to climate change,’ says Tearfund campaigner.
Leading Christian relief and development agency Tearfund is this week urging people to take part in the UK wide I Count Week of Action on climate change.
Running from 31 March – 5 April, the Week of Action, led by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition that Tearfund is part of, will see campaigners lobbying their local MPs to make history, by supporting firmer emission targets as the government reviews its Climate Change Bill.
After talking with his MP, Tearfund campaigner Phil Bamber from Stourbridge saw success as local politicians added their support for a stronger Climate Change Bill.
‘I have always been absolutely convinced that we need to do more about climate change, particularly for the poorest communities who are feeling the effects now’ says Phil. ‘Initiatives like the Week of Action are vital in applying political pressure and I have been really encouraged by my local MP’s response.’
‘This ...
Churches work to get out the Zimbabwe vote
Churches in Zimbabwe are this week working hard at the centre of communities to make sure that voters turn out at the weekend for the election, according to UK relief agency, Tearfund. Many people are fearful of voting following frequent reports of often violent intimidation, but some 900 churches are standing together to build voter confidence through a national support network.
The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) has launched a multi-lingual voter campaign. As well as monitoring the ballot across church areas the campaign is aimed at informing, motivating and mobilising the Christian community – which constitutes 75 per cent of the Zimbabwean population - to participate and go out and vote.
Useni Sibanda, National Coordinator of the ZCA - a partner organisation of Tearfund, says the organisation has a unique approach to voter awareness which is currently being taken forward by a plethora of civil society organisations. ‘The uniqueness of this programme is not that it is from a religious background ...
Action needed on Zimbabwe elections
International development agencies, Progressio, Trócaire, Tearfund and FEPA today call for immediate action to stop what appears to impartial observers as government-led election rigging of Zimbabwe’s 29 March polls.
All four agencies are concerned about the slow release of election results, which as Noel Kututwa, Chairperson of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network says “is fuelling speculation that there could be something going on”.
Marwick Khumalo, head of the Pan-African Parliamentary Observer Mission, has also expressed concern over the delay.
Our mutual partner, Pastor Promise of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance said, `SADC principles and guidelines governing democratic elections stipulate that counting of votes shall be done at the polling stations. This was done and completed yet ZEC is withholding the results which are already public knowledge as they were posted outside each polling station.
`With Kenya’s violence so fresh in our minds, it is not acceptable to delay the timely announcement o ...
Growing tensions following Zimbabwe elections
International development agencies, Progressio, Tearfund, Trócaire, the Foundation for Development and Partnership in Africa (FEPA), and Christian Aid warn that Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly tense as election results continue to hang in the balance.
All five agencies are deeply concerned about the counting and tabulation of votes cast in Zimbabwe’s March 29th elections despite the results of the parliamentary elections being declared yesterday.
The failure of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to adequately explain the delays in releasing official results and the discrepancies between ZEC tallies of votes cast and those of independent observers are leading to increasing the risk of heightened tension in the country.
Noel Kututwa, chairperson of Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) said in a statement: ‘While it is the responsibility of ZEC to announce the official results of the election, it is the legal duty of election observers to provide the people of Zimbabwe with independent non-parti ...
Zimbabwe churches open their buildings
In the fourth week since Zimbabwe went to the polls a violent crack down is clearly underway.
As Zanu PF militias target those suspected of voting for the opposition MDC, Tearfund partner, The Churches in Bulawayo (CIB) today released a statement calling for action in response to confirmed reports of widespread torture, beatings and harassment of community members.
CIB confirmed that its member churches would be ‘immediately opening its doors so as to shelter the victims of harassment.’ They are also calling on the government to release the Presidential results immediately and for increased international efforts to resolve the crisis before the situation degenerates into a ‘bloodbath’.
Since the elections, property has been destroyed and seized. Communities have been threatened with further violence if they fail to vote for Robert Mugabe should a run off ballot take place.
While the South African Development Committee (SADC) leaders have called for release of the presidential results, they consistently ...
Tearfund responds to cyclone in Burma
Tearfund partner agencies inside Myanmar (Burma) are responding to the thousands of people that were hit by the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis at the weekend.
Tens of thousands are now thought to have died when winds and waves ripped thorough coastal and inland regions.
Partners working in the areas devastated by the cyclone are providing food, shelter and clean water through a network of churches in the region.
Despite all communication being damaged, Tearfund has contacted partner teams in Thailand who have managed to speak with staff in Myanmar.
‘On top of the tens of thousands that have died we know that many more people have been badly hurt, are without homes, food, clothes or medicine and are badly traumatised by the level of destruction that the cyclone unleashed,’ says Sudarshan Sathianathan from Tearfund.
‘Now, more than ever it is vital that as we start to understand what communities needs are in the immediate term we can provide exactly what will help and support our partner agenc ...
Tearfund aids Myanmar cyclone survivors
Tearfund partner agencies are working day and night to get relief aid to thousands of the desperate survivors of Cyclone Nargis.
More than two weeks after Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Delta was smashed by the cyclone, the stories of those whose lives have been torn apart still surface as relief teams reach communities.
‘The roof was flapping and then it opened up like a tin can,’ one woman told a relief team in the Insein Township.
‘Water was coming in and everything was floating. The nearby stream had risen four feet to reach the house… the water came up to my chest …my neighbour’s house collapsed and was completely destroyed. We have no water as our tank is full of dirty stream water.’
An aid worker spoke of one family who narrowly missed being crushed as their house collapsed.
Afraid
‘They had no place to run and they were afraid to go out from their house. The wind blew through their house with great force and dislocated everything.’
While the Myanmar regime says the relief phase is over, Tearfund and ...
Relief and development agency calls for the continued support of cyclone Nargis victims
‘Aid workers are continuing to reach out to the most vulnerable’ says Tearfund
Staff from relief and development agency Tearfund, returning from Myanmar (Burma) have called for the continued support of those hit by cyclone Nargis and to workers distributing aid as they carry on the massive relief operation to people.
Church groups in Myanmar (Burma) supported by Tearfund are running camps for those who have been made homeless by the crisis, with one providing help to over 3,000 people. The distribution of aid and medical help also continues despite mass ...
Zimbabwe police arrest Tearfund partners
This afternoon (Monday 9 June), the Harare offices of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) were raided and five staff members were taken to the Harare Central Police station for questioning.
The raid was carried out by Zimbabwe’s riot police and it is reported that at least one staff member was assaulted in the raid.
Useni Sibanda, National Coordinator for the ZCA said, ‘This is pure harassment of church organisations. We are just doing our usual work and we don’t understand why we should be attacked by riot police like this.’
During the raid the police confiscated papers including the March edition of the ZCA newsletter.
It is understood that no charges have yet been brought. A lawyer from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is in Harare to represent those detained.
This raid follows the regime’s confrontation with diplomats last week and the increased intimidation of civil society groups.
The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance is a partner organisation of UK relief agency Tearfund.
Th ...
Carbon cutting scheme launched by Tearfund
A carbon reduction scheme enabling people to reduce their emissions and help poor communities suffering the worst effects of climate change, has been developed by a former co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Sir John Houghton.
The online scheme, My Global Impact, was conceived by Sir John and taken up by Christian development agency Tearfund.
It enables people to work out the amount of carbon dioxide they are emitting, pledge to reduce their carbon footprint as far as possible, and then pay money into development projects helping people adapt to the ravages of climate change.
The money will also help start new projects to help poor communities develop in a sustainable way; using clean energy sources such as bio energy - (generating local energy through the use of waste like composting), solar and wind power.
‘In the industrialised North we have become wealthy by burning coal, oil, and gas that is causing climate change. By reducing our emissions and sharing this wealth poo ...
Climate-concerned clergy get on their bikes
Climate-concerned clergy cycled to Downing Street calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a stronger Climate Change Bill this morning and delivered over 10,000 signatures collected by relief and development agency Tearfund.
Graham Dodds, Minister of Hare Hills Lane Baptist Church, Leeds, said, `Climate change causes the poorest people to suffer and the longer we wait the more suffering there will be.'
The group of Christian leaders from across England delivered the 10,000 signatures by bicycle with Tearfund, as part of the Stop Climate Chaos Campaign.
The petitions, sent by Tearfund supporters from across the country, want a Climate Change Bill that is tough enough to deliver for poor people.
Ben Niblett, Tearfund’s Campaigns Manager, said, `That means a target of 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050, including the UK’s share of the international aviation and shipping industries.'
With just over a week to go until the G8 Summit in Japan, where climate change and food shortages will be discussed ...
Church calls for action over Zimbabwe at G8 summit
On the opening day of the G8 Summit in Japan, Zimbabwean church workers at the forefront of aid efforts in the country issued an impassioned call to world leaders for decisive action to stop the violence in the country.
Seven African heads of state, including the leaders of South Africa, Tanzania and Ethiopia, will today join the 8 leading industrialised nations for discussions to tackle poverty in Africa.
Speaking from Zimbabwe, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA), a partner of British aid agency Tearfund, said, `We call on the G8 leaders to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to address the double disaster of the political and humanitarian crises in the country.
`Our people are suffering terribly, but the ongoing violence is preventing us from reaching those who are in desperate need.'
Economists estimate Zimbabwe’s inflation to be running at over 9 million per cent, with food in very short supply.
The ZCA spokesperson expressed deep concern at talk of forming a Government of ...
Tearfund issues climate change call at G8 summit
As G8 leaders gather on the Japanese island of Hokkaido for their annual summit (7-9 July), aid agency Tearfund is urging them to take ambitious steps forward in efforts to tackle climate change and not to renege on existing commitments to tackle poverty.
The Japanese Prime Minister and chair of this year’s summit, Yasuo Fukuda, has pledged that climate change will be at the heart of the G8 agenda.
However, on the eve of the summit, expectations of progress on emissions cuts are being played down and previously-made commitments on aid are thought to be at risk.
At last year’s summit in Germany, the EU, Canada and Japan committed to halving emissions by 2050. However, research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates this may no longer be sufficient.
Global cuts of 50-80 per cent are required to keep global temperature rise below the critical 2 degree tipping point.
Tearfund believes that developed nations must take the lead and is looking to G8 leaders to give a boost to UN ...
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