Uncategorized Archives - Page 6 of 12

As Pope Francis visits Lesbos, refugee and displacement crises are not going to go away

April 15, 2016

Matthew Carter is CAFOD’s Humanitarian Director. On the eve of the Pope’s visit to Lesbos, Greece, he shares his concerns about the refugee agreement the EU recently signed with Turkey.

Waleed and son — Waleed and his four-year-old son reached safety in Lesbos

Waleed, his wife and 4-year-old son borrowed money to make the journey. The short sea crossing cost them $1,850 and they shared their journey with 70 other people. Half way through, the boat started to rock very dangerously in the sea. Everyone was crying. They were picked up by the Greek police who rescued them and took them to Lesbos where they were staying at the Caritas Greece run accommodation centre before continuing their onward journey to Western Europe.

This is Waleed’s story, but you will have seen, read and heard many just like his. In 2015, more than 850,000 people made the perilous journey across the water from Turkey to Greece. Waleed and thousands more were fleeing the brutal conflict in Syria. In the UK, images of dramatic boat rescues and life-jacket littered beaches filled our screens, accompanied by huge outpourings of compassion and generosity.

Please donate to our Refugee Crisis Appeal

But over the past few months we have seen attitudes harden and borders slam shut. Today, more than 51,000 people are stranded in Greece, staying in hastily built camps across the country, unable to continue their journey along the ‘Balkan route’. Over 13,000 refugees are stranded on the Greek-Macedonian border at Idomeni, living in dire conditions on a muddy wasteland, their route to northern Europe now closed.

Pope Francis’ visit

On Saturday 16 April, Pope Francis will travel to the Greek island of Lesbos. He will meet with refugees and migrants who have made the same treacherous sea journey as Waleed and his family.

Continue reading “As Pope Francis visits Lesbos, refugee and displacement crises are not going to go away”

Connect2: El Salvador: Renovating the Chapel in Puentecitos

March 17, 2016

chapel

In 2014 Fidel and Julia shared how the Connect2: El Salvador community were starting to renovate their chapel. Since then, lots of work has taken place, and the chapel in Puentecitos looks very different now. It is built of brick, rather than clay, which means it should be more resistant to earthquake damage, and it is also a lot bigger. Fidel says: “We got the walls and roof on in about five months. We had some help to buy some of the materials, and the rest we raised ourselves by holding raffles and other fundraising activities.”

DSCN3675 — Fidel outside the renovated chapel

There is still some work to be done: the floor is unfinished, and there is a bit of electrical wiring to finish too, but Fidel says, these are “finishing touches”. They also plan to put a tabernacle on a shelf behind the altar and display the mementoes that Connect2 parishes have sent them.

The community are now working to keep it clean and to cover the cost of water and electricity bills. On the wall of the chapel there is a rota for the year, sharing out these responsibilities amongst all the different families. Continue reading “Connect2: El Salvador: Renovating the Chapel in Puentecitos”

Father Rob’s water challenge: four years later

March 17, 2016

Father Rob Esdaile is parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Thames Ditton, Surrey. For our Lent 2012 Appeal he raised over £2,000 by living on ten litres of water a day for a week. Here is his update on how the challenge went, and how the experience changed him.

Our Lent Appeal aims to bring clean water to people living in poverty. Donate here

Four years ago…

Back in 2012, when talking to members of the parish Justice & Peace group someone produced details of a leaflet inviting CAFOD supporters to live for 24 hours on 10 litres of water, which is all that many people in developing countries have access to for all their needs. Continue reading “Father Rob’s water challenge: four years later”

Hands On Kitui: Into the final weeks

March 16, 2016

As we enter the last few weeks of our project, everywhere we look we are greeted by signs of transformation. Our dam and wells are filling, people’s gardens and our community farm are starting to produce harvests, and the landscape is so much greener than just two years ago.

Continue reading “Hands On Kitui: Into the final weeks”

Lent 2016: Surviving a cold-water weekend

March 15, 2016

*Proscovia washes her hands in clean water (Credit: David Mutua)*

CAFOD’s Mark Chamberlain gave up hot water, heat, light and hot food for a week during Lent. Here he writes about some things he learned after a weekend without the basics.

So, I survived a weekend of no hot water and other things I would normally consider essential (heat, light, warmth). I say ‘survived’, what I’ve found is that despite being very difficult, this challenge is really teaching me things about my life choices. And I’m also starting to understand a minuscule amount of what things might be like for some women and men around the world who have to face the effects of water poverty every day.

You can sponsor Mark on his JustGiving page

Continue reading “Lent 2016: Surviving a cold-water weekend”

Torquay Volunteer Skydives for Lent Appeal

March 7, 2016

From water challenges to community lunches, there are a plethora of ways to help make a difference for CAFOD during Lent. It is not every day, though, that someone decides to jump out of a plane. Here, we meet one volunteer who is planning on going the extra 15,000 feet for CAFOD.

Lent 2016: travelling through the wilderness

February 29, 2016

Michel Roy, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, reflects on Pope Francis’ Lenten message. Please donate to the CAFOD Lent Appeal today to help communities who struggle to find clean and safe water.

A Malian refugee takes charcoal to his tent. Photo by Simone Stefanelli/Caritas

If I had to go on a long journey through a desert alone I’d make sure I had water, food, clothes to protect me from the sun, medicines and a tent. But having a companion for the journey would also be important because on a tough journey, having someone by your side always makes things easier.

During Lent, you may go on your own “journey into the wilderness”. It is a time for self-exploration and understanding, it is a time for just packing the essentials in your life. It is also a time for transformation of our hearts and for preparation for the great moment of joy and rebirth which is Easter.

How are you marking Lent 2016? Share your stories on Facebook or Twitter and read about CAFOD staff’s Lenten water challenges.

Millions of people that Caritas agencies help around the world are in perpetual deserts. They flee wars or live in poverty, they are sick or they have been imprisoned. They’ve been made to focus on what’s essential in their lives as they have nothing else. Caritas provides not only for their material needs, but also love and companionship on their trip through the wilderness. Continue reading “Lent 2016: travelling through the wilderness”

Lent 2016: Walking to Work for My Water Challenge

February 27, 2016

Laura Ouseley works in CAFOD’s Media team. She shares with us her experience of walking more than 12 miles to work for her Lent Water Challenge.

Laura at the end of her CAFOD Lent water challenge — Laura at the end of her 12.7 mile Lent water challenge

Alongside some of my colleagues (many of whom are taking on much bigger challenges than I am), this Lent I volunteered to take on my own Water Challenge in solidarity with people who don’t have access to safe water. For my challenge I decided that, rather than take the tube, I would walk my 12 mile journey into work!

Support CAFOD’s Lent water appeal

This Lent, we’re telling the story of girls like 14-year-old Proscovia from Uganda, who had to walk every day to collect water for her family until CAFOD’s partner built a water pump near their home. Leaving at 6am, it would take her 4-5 hours to collect water and as a result, she would miss hours of school.

Continue reading “Lent 2016: Walking to Work for My Water Challenge”

Hands On Kitui: Looking to the future

February 18, 2016

About Hands On: Hands On is a special series of CAFOD projects, that are funded directly by supporters. Hands On Kitui is our first project, and although this is coming to an end, our newest project community are in need of support.

Find out more and get involved

February 2016 Kitui update

While work is continuing on the main dam and the other final improvements, as we approach the end of our project we can’t help but think further into the future.

With this in mind, some of our next steps will be to prepare everyone here for the years ahead, to ensure our successes continue for generations.

We will be providing training for the local management committee on project management and team-building, and working with local primary schools to set up a conservation club.

If you’re looking for inspiration, reflection and prayers this Lent, our Lent calendar has daily updates for the whole season. Continue reading “Hands On Kitui: Looking to the future”

Lost Family Portraits: meeting Souraya’s family

February 4, 2016

Nana Anto-Awuakye is CAFOD’s World News Manager. She recently met families living in the Bekka refugee camp in Lebanon as part of CAFOD’s Lost Family Portaits project.

Nana with young refugee children — Nana playing with some of the young children at Bekka refugee camp

Last Christmas, various family members snapped away on their latest mobile phone cameras, and we all dutifully posed for the camera. I asked for the unflattering photos of me to be deleted, my sister refused saying, “It’s Christmas, and we are all together.”

Only a few weeks earlier I was in Lebanon’s Bekka valley, just nine kilometres from the Syrian border. I was working with our partner Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre, the photographer Dario Mitidieri, and the creative agency M&C Saatchi to photograph family portraits of Syrian refugees inside some of the informal camp settlements in the Bekka.

See the Lost Family Portraits

Our arrival with the photography crew creates an air of excitement, as children run out from the labyrinth pathways in between the tented dwellings, as if the Pied Piper were calling them.

The camp leader, or ‘Chawish’ tells me: “Every family here has someone missing; they are either dead, kidnapped, or trapped.”

Continue reading “Lost Family Portraits: meeting Souraya’s family”